Italics

Italic type slopes to the right, like this. As opposed to these words which are in bold. These words are in "regular". If you pick a typeface or font, say Arial which looks like this, you can choose to have it in four styles: Arial Regular, Arial Italic, Arial Bold or Arial Bold Italic.

Put Into Italics ?

Do Not Put Into Italics ?

Name of a book

Title of a chapter in a book

Name of a newspaper

Title of an article, column or section in the paper

Name of a song or album

Name of a band

Name of a play

Name of a character in a play

Name of a movie

Name of a movie production company

Name of a musical, an opera or a CD

Name of an individual song, or name of a band

Name of a poem

The whole poem, or a part of the poem

Name of a painting or any work of art

Name of artist, sculptor, photographer

Name of an exhibition

Name of an art gallery or an organising company

-----

Name of a radio program

Name of a television show

On-screen person from a TV show

Yes, I know it makes no sense to differentiate between radio and TV, but while radio stations give names to shows like "Terry Willesee Across Sydney" or "The John Laws Morning Show", these radio shows are only ever referred to as "Terry Willesee" or "John Laws"?maybe that's the reason for the seeming discrimination.

Name of a breedline

Name of a pet, name of a breed

Name of an individual ship

But not the HMAS or MV in front of the name. And don't put in italics the type of ship such as schooner, or a brand name such as CruiseCraft.

---------

Brand names, company names, product names

Name of an individual aeroplane

Aeroplane's call-sign, type or brand name

Name of an individual vehicle (if it has one)

Car's type, model number or brand name

Scientific name of a plant or animal

Common name of a plant or animals

Words requiring special emphasis to a reader

-------

Foreign words and phrases

-------

Complicated?

Yes, it's hard to remember all these rules because they vary from publication to publication.

Often it depends on the sub-editor subbing your article.

If you're wondering whether to put something in italics, err on the side of putting in italics.

The sub-editor can always change it.

But you'll be seen to have been trying.

Whatever you do, don't underline (or underscore) like this.

Or worse, underscore AND make in bold like this.

It looks awful and you don't see underscoring in mainstream publications.