Manuscript Preparation, Copyediting, and Proofreading

Q. I can’t find the rule that states proper typeface for a table of contents, specifically for a journal. Can you point me to the rule?

A. There is no rule! There are many beautiful typefaces and as many ways to design a book or journal as there are books and journals. A style guide should not restrict the choices, which are usually made by a professional graphic designer. For instance, if you compare the contents in CMOS figure 1.5 with the actual table of contents of the 17th edition, you will see that they have different designs. Look at several books or journals at a bookstore or library, and you will see—all are different.