Typography is a complex art. There are many terms you need to learn to create legible and likeable fonts. Leading vs kerning vs tracking, these techniques are often confused as the same thing. However, they have differences and crucial roles to make the typeface beautiful.
To comprehend more about those terms, let’s continue reading the article below!
Understanding the Definition of Leading, Kerning, and Tracking
The leading, kerning, tracking definitions are related to spacing techniques in typography designs. Yet, they have different meanings. Let’s figure out their meaning first before discovering the main difference between these terms.
What’s Leading?
Leading refers to the vertical distance between two lines. It is measured from the baseline to the baseline. If lines in the text are too cramped, the whole text will be hard to read. Therefore, leading gives readers room to breathe.
When determining the leading, it’s essential to consider the descender and ascender. The descender is part of the letters stretching below the baseline, like lowercase “g” while the ascender is part of the letters extending above the baseline, like lowercase “h.”
The Definition of Kerning
Kerning means adjusting the distance between two individual characters or letters. Similar to leading, kerning also helps improve the legibility of typeface, since too loose or too narrow letters will make text hard to decipher.
For instance, the proportion space between “A” and “V” should be appropriate to avoid those characters being squashed into one another.
More than legibility, kerning is essential to beautify the font’s appearance as well.
Explanation of Tracking in Typography
Although it’s often confused with kerning, tracking has a different concept. While kerning means the distance between letters, tracking adjusts the spacing throughout the entire word. Tracking is uniform, which means the spaces between each letter are equal.
However, since tracking can drastically change the word’s appearance and readability, you should be extra careful when using it.
Leading vs Kerning vs Tracking: The Key Differences
Leading, kerning, and tracking have different purposes for impacting spacing in a text. Let’s break down their unique purposes based on 4 major aspects as indicated in the table below.
| Aspect | Leading | Kerning | Tracking |
| Focus area | Vertical spacing between lines | Horizontal spacing between characters | Horizontal spacing for entire blocks of text |
| Visual outcome | Improving readability and line flow | Ensuring the visual balance between characters | Creating cohesive appearance and consistent spacing |
| When to use | When lines in a paragraph appear too loose or cramped | Specific character pairs look awkward | When the overall spacing of words is inconsistent or to achieve a certain aesthetic |
| Example | Adjusting the distance between lines in paragraphs | Balancing the space between Uppercase “A” and “W” | Expanding or contracting the spacing of a title |
Leading vs Kerning vs Tracking: Why They are Important?
As the table above laid the difference between leading kerning and tracking, you should also note that these adjustments play important roles in typography design. There are three key reasons that support the argument.
1. Improving Readability
Leading, kerning, and tracking are all essential to make a text readable. Ensuring appropriate spacing would help readers comfortably decipher the meaning of a text. Therefore, you should make sure the space is not too loose or overly tight for better legibility.
2. Ensuring Better User Experience
Related to the previous point, good legibility of the text will ensure a better user experience. When readers can read your text and understand the message easily, they will stay longer, engage, and interact better with the message you convey.
Hence, it would be easier to persuade them to do something, like purchasing a product.
3. Providing Good Presentation
Spacing can convey different tones and atmospheres. It also can highlight the most important part of your design. That’s why spacing adjustment can be an excellent way to present your design.
A Handy Tips in Using Leading, Kerning, and Tracking
Understanding leading vs kerning vs tracking is crucial for creating clean and professional typography. Here are some tips to help you use them perfectly.
1. Adjust Tracking and Leading Before Kerning
Take care of tracking and leading first since they can change the overall appearance of the text. Moreover, adjusting tracking and leading first can prevent undoing the kerning adjustment.
2. Edit in Groups
Editing a few letters or lines in a group can help you focus on differentiating the spacing between each letter and line.
3. Kern Your Text Upside Down
Adjusting the kerning will be easier if you turn the text upside down. It helps you focus on the spacing without being distracted by the meaning of the word.
4. Practice Regularly
Always practice regularly so you are comfortable in adjusting the spacing of the text. Additionally, you may try out this game to practice your kerning skills.
Ready to Refine Your Text with Better Spacing?
While leading vs kerning vs tracking has different roles, all contribute to font and text legibility and readability. These three techniques allow you to fine-tune your text readability, balance, and aesthetic appeal.
By mastering the technique of adjusting the three of them properly, you can significantly upgrade your typography and present powerful messages that reach your audience.
For even better results, your choice of font matters as much as your spacing adjustment. Leveraging a nice font for creative works makes your design stand out and minimizes an extensive adjustment for spacing.
At MyType Studio, you’ll find superb fonts designed to complement your creativity. Moreover, if you have an idea for font design, we can help you create your own custom font for your brand. Archive unmatched typography with personalized fonts and precise spacing!