Kerning, Tracking, and Letterspacing in InDesign: Why It’s Important and When to Use It

Excellent letterspacing isn’t the sexiest thing InDesign can do, but it makes the difference between good type and great type, and it displays the difference between a good designer and a great designer. Inappropriate or unconscious letterspacing can make type difficult to read, difficult to comprehend, and difficult to respect.

There is no formulaic method for adjusting the spaces between letters—it is entirely dependent on the typeface, the type size, the paper, the color of ink, the purpose of the piece. The final judge is your eyes. Your eyes know if the spacing is uneven, too tight, or too loose. Listen to your eyes. Listen to your eyes and know how to ...

Get Non-Designer’s Type Book, The, Second Edition now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.