The Useful Thread
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Kerning:
In typography, kerning (less commonly mortising) is the process of adjusting the spacing between characters in a proportional font, usually to achieve a visually pleasing result. Kerning moves the letters closer together (negative spacing) vs. tracking which moves the letters further apart (positive spacing). In a well-kerned font, the two-dimensional blank spaces between each pair of characters all have similar area. The related term kern denotes a part of a type letter that overhangs the edge of the type block.Tracking (Letter Spacing):
In typography, letter-spacing, also called tracking, refers to the amount of space between a group of letters to affect density in a line or block of text.Letter-spacing can be confused with kerning. Letter-spacing refers to the overall spacing of a word or block of text affecting its overall density and texture. Kerning is a term applied specifically to the spacing adjustment of two particular characters to correct for visually uneven spacing. Kerning adjusts the letters closer together (negative spacing), tracking adjusts the letters further apart (positive spacing).
Leading:
In typography, leading ( /ˈlɛdɪŋ/) refers to the distance between the baselines of successive lines of type. The term originated in the days of hand-typesetting, when thin strips of lead were inserted into the formes to increase the vertical distance between lines of type. The term is still used in modern page layout software such as QuarkXPress and Adobe InDesignIn consumer-oriented word processing software, this concept is usually referred to as "line spacing" or "interline spacing."