Letterspace tutorial12/28/2022 It’s more acceptable to letterspace all-cap settings. This example, set in Adobe Caslon Pro, also shows reduced readability after letterspacing. (Many type traditionalists, myself included, also think letterspacing is plain ugly, but that in itself is not enough of an explanation.) When the overall letterspacing is increased beyond normal, the eye and brain take longer to recognize the word shape, thus reducing readability. When we read running text, we recognize a word by its shape, which to a large degree is created by the word’s ascenders and descenders. When letterspacing is applied to lowercase characters, it’s considered a poor typographic practice because it greatly reduces readability. The upper example is much more readable than the lower one, which has been letterspaced. Most people letterspace by using the tracking feature in design software. Letterspacing is the practice of adding additional space between a range of characters to produce a very open look (as opposed to adding space to compensate for tight spacing). I occasionally letterspace type, but some people tell me it’s a type crime. If Ilene answers your question in the blog, you’ll receive one Official T-Shirt! Post your questions and comments by clicking on the Comments icon above. TypeTalk is a regular blog on typography.
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