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Graphic Design vocabulary · Typography

Kerning

Meaning in graphic design, with examples

/ˈkɜːrnɪŋ/nounCore term

In graphic design, kerning means: Adjusting the space between two particular letters so that the gaps look even, for example pulling the A and V closer together in the word ‘AVENUE’.

In Turkish: harf çifti aralığı ayarı, kerning

How it is used

Very common in logo work, headlines and type-heavy designs. You adjust, fix or tighten the kerning; bad kerning is a classic critique comment. The verb is to kern.

Example sentences

  1. The kerning between the ‘r’ and the ‘n’ is too tight; from a distance it reads as an ‘m’.

  2. I always fix the kerning by hand in a logo instead of trusting the font's default settings.

Common collocations

  • adjust the kerning
  • tighten the kerning
  • bad kerning
  • optical kerning
  • kerning pairs
  • trackingThe overall spacing between letters across a whole word, line or paragraph, adjusted evenly to make text look looser or tighter.
  • leadingThe vertical distance between lines of text, measured from one baseline to the next. The name comes from strips of lead that printers once placed between lines of metal type.
  • typographyThe art and skill of choosing and arranging letters so that text is easy to read and looks right: the choice of typefaces, sizes, spacing and line length.
  • wordmarkA logo made only of the brand name written in a distinctive way, without a separate symbol, as with many fashion, tech and media brands.

More terms: Typography

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