White text on a dark background is easier to read if you increase the letterspacing (called character spacing in ArcGIS). The map on the left has normal letterspacing while the map on the right has letterspacing of +25.
A great, free font to use for streams, lakes, rivers, and oceans is Delicious Italics, shown in the map below (link to download location). This is a true italic, not just a slanted version of the regular version.
If you combine different point sizes on the same map, make the differences DRAMATIC, like in the map on the right.
*If you liked this post you might also like Typography Rules: A Pictorial Tutorial
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