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Kerning and Tracking

Adjust letter spacing with

kerning and tracking options.

Technically, the term kerning is defined as the process of

reducing the letter spacing between any two letters of type.

Tracking is defined as the process of altering the

letter spacing between more than two letters of type.

The appearance and legibility of headlines and body

copy can be improved by increasing or decreasing letter

spacing.

Yard Tools

Without kerning, unnaturally large spaces often occur

between certain letter pairs, such as an uppercase T or Y

next to a lowercase a, i or o.

Yard Tools

Kerning brings these letters together, creating a more

unified appearance.

Bo l d l i nes ma r k sp r i ng f ash i ons

Bold lines mark spring fashions

Bold linesmarkspringfashions

Tracking adjustments can work to enhance legibility and

free up space; alternatively, tracking adjustments can

adversely affect legibility.

In a creative sense, tracking can be used to expand

a headline without increasing its height. This reduces

the emphasis of the headline by making it appear lighter

in weight.

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THE ALDUS GUIDE TO BASIC DESIGN