Is a two-column format a good idea?

Many white papers these days are presented in a two-column format.

But why?
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What benefits does the two-column format have over a single line of text?
 
In short, it’s all about how your brain scans and processes information.
​Research shows that the optimal amount of text for printed materials is just 
​60 characters per column.

More than 60 characters per column and the brain has difficulty in scanning through the text.  It’s the same principle as needing to take a visual break by adding some white space between paragraphs.

Long lines of text, just like long sentences can be harder to read.

​For technical and medical papers, a two-column layout also allows graphs, tables and other graphics to be clearly presented without taking up too much page space. That said, many companies prefer the clean and simple lines of a single column layout. That  can work very well too, just as long as the  page has wide margins, and the text runs to no more than  90 characters per line.

It’s all about helping the reader to understand your message as easily as possible.

Like some help to write your white paper?