Okuzeka
Graphic Design vocabulary · Design Principles

White space

Meaning in graphic design, with examples

/ˈwaɪt ˌspeɪs/nounCore term

In graphic design, white space means: The empty areas around and between elements in a design. It does not have to be white; it is any space left free so the design can breathe and the content is easier to read.

In Turkish: beyaz alan, boşluk, negatif alan

How it is used

Common in critiques and in discussions with clients who want to fill every corner. Designers add, keep or use white space; clients sometimes see it as wasted space. Also called negative space, also written whitespace.

Example sentences

  1. The client asked us to add more products, but without white space the page will look like a discount flyer.

  2. Generous white space around the logo makes the brand feel premium.

Common collocations

  • use white space
  • generous white space
  • add more white space
  • lack of white space
  • visual hierarchyThe order in which people notice and read the parts of a design, created with size, colour, contrast, position and spacing, so the most important message is seen first.
  • balanceThe way the visual weight of elements is spread across a design so that it feels stable. Balance can be symmetrical, with mirror-like halves, or asymmetrical.
  • clear spaceThe minimum empty area that must be kept around a logo so that text, images and page edges do not crowd it. Guidelines often measure it with a part of the logo itself.
  • marginThe empty space between the content and the edges of a page or screen. It frames the content and keeps important text away from where the paper is cut or bound.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Design Principles

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level: