kerning
<text> The process of reducing the spacing between certain pairs of
letters to improve their appearance. When a font is created, each character is
given a width that includes some space around it so that the letters don't run
into each other when displayed or printed. This can be thought of as an
invisible box around each character. Some pairs of characters such as A and V,
look better if the boxes overlap slightly, bringing the characters closer
together (but still not touching).
See also tracking, leading.
(1996-06-07)
Nearby terms:
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kerning » Kevo » key » keyboard
