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Kerning adjusts the spacing between particular neighboring letters or glyphs so their visual spacing feels balanced. Tracking changes spacing uniformly across a selected range of characters. Use kerning to refine specific pairs; use tracking to open or tighten a whole word, line, or block.
What is kerning?
Letters do not occupy identical shapes. A pair such as “To” has a different visual relationship from “HH”: the diagonal of the T and the rounded form of the o leave a different-looking gap than two vertical stems. Kerning compensates for these pair-specific shapes so a word reads as a coherent visual unit.
The aim is not to make every measurable gap identical. It is to make the spacing look appropriate in context. Designer Madeline DeCotes describes kerning as “a strikingly subjective art form,” quoted by Adobe.
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Kerning and tracking: what is the difference?
Kerning changes the relationship between a particular neighboring pair; tracking applies a consistent spacing adjustment across a selected range of text. They solve related but different problems, and can be used together.
| Adjustment | What changes | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Kerning | Spacing between a specific pair of letters or glyphs | Correct an awkward gap in a prominent word or display setting |
| Tracking | Spacing uniformly across a selected range | Open or tighten the overall spacing of a word, line, or text block |
For example, if just the “To” in a headline looks cramped, adjust that pair. If the entire headline feels too tight, tracking may be the more suitable control. Changing tracking does not replace pair-specific corrections.
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Three ways to control kerning
Design applications may offer metrics, optical, and manual kerning. The names describe different ways of deciding how a pair should be spaced; availability and behavior can vary by application and font.
| Method | How it works | When it can help |
|---|---|---|
| Metrics | Uses pair-spacing information built into the font | A general starting point when the font’s built-in spacing works for the text |
| Optical | Estimates spacing from the shapes of adjacent glyphs rather than relying only on predefined pair data | Fonts with few or no built-in pairs, mixed typefaces in a word, or differing type sizes on one line |
| Manual | Lets the designer adjust an individual pair | Fine-tuning headlines, logos, and other display type |
Adobe says InDesign applies metrics kerning by default when text is entered or imported, and documents optical and manual alternatives in its InDesign kerning and tracking guide. In InDesign, kerning values are measured in 1/1000 em and scale in proportion to type size; that is the application’s documented convention, not a universal measurement rule for every design tool.
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Font-provided pair data is a useful starting point, not a guarantee that every word will look right in every setting. Display type is especially worth checking: a spacing issue that is unobtrusive in small paragraph text may become conspicuous when the same word is enlarged.
- Inspect prominent text: Give headlines, logos, titles, and other display words a deliberate look.
- Check the actual size and medium: Judge spacing where the text will appear, whether on screen or in print.
- Watch unusual combinations: Mixed typefaces or sizes can make optical spacing useful, while a specific awkward pair may need a manual adjustment.
- Judge the whole word: Isolate a pair to diagnose it, then look at the word again. A locally neat gap can still disrupt the word’s overall rhythm.
Adobe recommends examining pairs and getting another person’s perspective. The final judgment remains visual: numerical equality between gaps is not the goal.
How do I fix spacing between letters?
- Decide whether the problem is local or general. If one pair looks wrong, adjust its kerning. If spacing feels consistently too open or tight across a range, adjust tracking.
- Start with the font’s metrics setting. It uses pair information supplied with the font; check the result rather than assuming the default suits the particular design.
- Try optical kerning when pair data is insufficient. It estimates spacing from neighboring shapes and may help with fonts lacking pair information or text mixing typefaces or sizes.
- Make a small manual correction if needed. Adjust the particular pair, then view the entire word at its intended size and in its intended medium.
- Recheck after changing the design. A different type size, font, or application can change the visual result, so evaluate the final composition rather than relying on an earlier setting.
How kerning works on the web
CSS provides the font-kerning property, with three values: auto, normal, and none. The W3C CSS Fonts Module Level 3 specifies that normal applies kerning, none disables it, and auto leaves the choice to the user agent. The specification advises authors who want kerning to select normal explicitly.
The visible effect depends on the font containing relevant kerning data. CSS letter spacing is applied after kerning, so a letter-spacing adjustment does not substitute for the font’s pair-specific spacing. OpenType registers kern as a feature for spacing glyph combinations and generally recommends activating it by default in horizontal layout, while noting exceptions and interactions for cases including fixed-width and some CJK layouts. That guidance does not mean every font, script, application, or layout handles kerning identically; see Microsoft’s OpenType registered-feature documentation.
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A broader resource for learning typography
For a wider introduction to type, Princeton Architectural Press lists Thinking with Type: A Critical Guide for Designers, Writers, Editors, and Students, Third Edition, by Ellen Lupton. The publisher lists the paperback as ISBN 9781797226828, published March 12, 2024, and says the book covers kerning and tracking among broader typography topics. It is a general typography guide, not a kerning-only workbook.
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