Kerning

Kerning is the space between characters in a design. It is an important concept that helps graphic designers improve the legibility, readability, and visual appeal of the text in their design. Kerning helps ensure there is no negative space between different letters in text.

Each letter or character has its own unique shape and takes up a distinct amount of space. Kerning is the process that streamlines how much space a letter is taking up in order for it to make sense when juxtaposed with other letters. Generally, all major fonts used on a day-to-day basis are kerned to ensure proper readability.

Kerning in Typography

In typography, kerning refers to the spacing between specific characters. In certain fonts, it is common for a word to look distorted when two characters are put together. In such a case, it becomes important to adjust the spacing between those characters so the word is readable and legible.

Kerning ensures that the type looks clean and the text is visually appealing. It is very subjective and depends on how the designer perceives a word. How and when to use it depends on various factors. Here are a few instances when kerning is used in graphic design.

• Kerning is essential when a text in a smaller point size has been converted to a larger point size.
• Kerning also helps when designing a logo. It enables designers to place the text as needed and ensure legibility.
• Free fonts on the internet often do not come with standardized spacing between the characters. Kerning helps in making such text look appealing and tidy.

Kerning is an interesting concept in typography that allows one to play with text and create interesting designs out of it. However, it is also important to note that kerning is a detail-oriented process that requires one to pay attention to how a word looks on its own and in the overall design.

Note: All information and/or data from external sources is believed to be accurate as of the date of publication.