Kerning is the adjustment of space between two specific characters. The primary aim involves creating visually balanced spacing throughout text to enable smooth eye movement during reading.
Key Observations
- Kerning adjustments carry particular significance in large display and headline typography, where letter spacing irregularities become visually apparent
- Without proper kerning modifications, numerous letter combinations appear visually displeasing
- Font quality directly influences kerning effectiveness — some fonts are poorly kerned for the screen
Word Spacing
Justified text alignment creates irregular spacing of letters which decreases readability, due to the variable letter and word spacing adjustments required to achieve full justification.
Design Context
Kerning quality depends substantially on spacing metrics originally established by typeface designers, affecting how well fonts perform in digital environments.