A series of eight manuals dealing with the triad text characteristics--learning processes--learning outcomes are being prepared for use by authors and editors as an aid in the design and writing of educational texts. These manuals are based upon a model for the functioning of text characteristics which in turn is part of a decision model for the production of educational texts. These two models are described along with the clusters of characteristics covered by the manuals and the manuals themselves. The broadly defined clusters are composed of different text characteristics related to each other on the basis of similarities in either intended function, usage or effect. The eight clusters are: (1) illustrations and symbols, encompassing illustrations (photos, drawings), diagrams, flow charts, tables and graphs; (2) adjunct questions; (3) typographical cueing and accentuation, encompassing underlining, the use of different typographies, headings and subheadings, margins, justification, etc.; (4) organizers, introductions and summaries; (5) text organization and text structure; (6) verstandlichkeit, encompassing the concepts simplicity (sentence construction, word choice), structure, succinctness (compactness) and motivational value; (7) objectives; and (8) auditory supplementation and other aids. (Author/RL)