Resume Design Tips 2026
Modern resumes balance clean design with ATS compatibility. No single-column layouts or unreadable colors.
Choose readable fonts
Use standard fonts: Arial, Calibri, Georgia, Helvetica. Avoid decorative fonts. Size 10-12 pt. Stick to black text on white background.
Use white space strategically
Good white space makes resumes easier to scan. Tight packed text is harder to read and less memorable.
Accent colors are okay (in moderation)
A single accent color for section headers (e.g., teal or purple) is fine. Avoid rainbow gradients or busy color schemes.
Keep structure simple
Avoid multiple columns, text boxes, or graphics overlapping text. ATS software and recruiters both prefer clean layouts.
Icons are not ATS-friendly
Replace icons with text. Instead of a phone icon, write "Phone:" for clarity and ATS parsing.
Print-friendly PDF export
Design for print. Save as PDF to preserve formatting. Most recruiters will open it on screen or print it.