Tracking, kerning & leading: the essentials of great typography

Great typography is often invisible. Most readers won’t notice spacing right away, but they will notice when something feels off. This subtle balance shapes both the structure and readability of a text.

This “invisible art” comes down to three fundamental settings: kerning, tracking, and leading. While they all deal with spacing, they operate differently, and understanding how they work together is essential to mastering typography.

In this guide, you will learn what each term means, how they differ, and how to use them effectively in your designs.

What is leading?

Leading, also known as line spacing, refers to the vertical space between lines of text. It has a significant impact on readability, making a text easier to scan and less cramped.

However, if there is too much space, the text can be harder to follow, with lines feeling too disconnected from one another. That’s why finding the correct balance between too little and too much line spacing is so important. In general, leading is typically set between 120% and 145% of the font size.

The main concepts to keep in mind are:

• Baseline: the invisible line that text sits on.
• Ascenders: parts of letters that extend above the baseline (e.g., the top of a ‘d’ or ‘h’).
• Descenders: parts of letters that dip below the baseline (e.g., ‘g’ or ‘y ’).

These elements all impact the text and ensure consistent line spacing and optimal readability.

What is kerning?

Kerning refers to the spacing between two specific characters. It’s different from general letter spacing, which focuses on all the characters in a word or sentence. Kerning is particularly important when dealing with characters that may appear uneven due to their shapes.

This happens when using certain fonts, where certain letter pairs have visual inconsistencies that can create distracting gaps. Different fonts may require different kerning adjustments depending on their design.

The most common kerning pairs to look out for:

• Angled letters: AV, AW, VA, WA, YA
• Combinations with T or F: To, Ta, Te, Fa, Fo
• Letters with diagonal or vertical combinations: LT, LV, LY

Types of kerning

There are three main types of kerning:

• Metrics kerning: automatic kerning defined by the font designer.
• Optical kerning: spacing adjusted by software based on letter shapes.
• Manual kerning: designers can adjust kerning manually for full control.

When kerning matters most

Kerning is especially important in headlines, logos, and branding. It becomes more noticeable when the font size is larger, as the uneven spacing becomes more apparent. A headline, for example, impacts how the entire text feels, so it’s very important to adjust kerning accordingly.

What is tracking?

Tracking (also known as letter spacing) adjusts the spacing uniformly across a group of characters or an entire block of text. Unlike kerning, it is applied evenly rather than pair by pair.

It is used to maintain visual balance and improve readability, ensuring the text is neither too tight nor too loose. There are specific situations where tracking should be increased, and others where it should be decreased.

Tracking should be increased when:

• Using all caps or small caps
• Working with small font sizes (below 10 pt)
• Using lightweight fonts
• Designing long lines of text

Tracking should be decreased when:

• Creating large headlines (above 18–24 pt), titles, or logos
• Making text appear more cohesive
• Tightening line breaks or dense text blocks

The difference between kerning and tracking

Both kerning and tracking handle spacing between characters, but at different levels:

1. Kerning: deals with micro-level spacing (between two specific characters)
2. Tracking: deals with macro-level spacing (across a word, sentence, or block of text)

You might be wondering when to use each. The answer depends on your specific case. You should use kerning when a specific letter pair looks visually wrong, while you should use tracking when the overall density of the text needs to be adjusted. Adjusting kerning ensures a balanced appearance and removes awkward gaps between letters. Tracking can enhance the readability of a whole text and create different effects, from a compact look to a more spacious feel.

A common misconception is that these can be used interchangeably. This is untrue, as each solves a different problem.

How kerning, tracking & leading work together

When you are writing a text, these controls operate on three different axes: horizontal spacing between pairs, horizontal spacing across groups, and vertical spacing between lines.

Knowing when to adjust each is fundamental. When the spacing between two characters feels off, adjust kerning. If you want to improve line readability, adjust the leading. When the overall character spacing appears uneven, adjust tracking.

These functionalities differ, but they are most effective when used together. For instance, a headline may have perfect kerning but still feel off if tracking or leading isn’t right.

A common workflow for designers is to start by adjusting leading, then refine the tracking, and finally regulate the kerning.

How to adjust kerning, tracking & leading in Affinity

Affinity is a powerful design tool for editing photos, creating graphics, and building layouts, while also giving you full control over typography.

Kerning

By default, Affinity uses metric kerning as specified in the font file. To adjust it manually:

1. Open your document in Affinity Layout Studio.
2. Place the cursor between the characters you want to adjust.
3. In the right-hand panel, open the Character tab and go to Position & Transform.
4. Select the V/A dropdown menu and choose a value.
5. Positive values increase spacing; negative values tighten it.

Keyboard shortcuts:

• On Mac: Click Option ⌥ + right arrow to increase spacing, Option ⌥ + left arrow to decrease it.
• On Windows: Click Alt + right arrow to loosen spacing, Alt + left arrow to tighten it.

Tracking

1. Select the range of text you want to adjust.
2. In the Character panel, go to Position & Transform.
3. Adjust the value in the VA dropdown.
4. Positive values increase spacing; negative values decrease it.

Keyboard shortcuts (same as kerning):

• On Mac: Click Option ⌥ + right arrow to increase spacing, Option ⌥ + left arrow to decrease it.
• On Windows: Click Alt + right arrow to loosen spacing, Alt + left arrow to tighten it.

For more information on tracking and kerning, visit our Help Center.

Leading

From the right-hand toolbar:

1. Click Paragraph, then Leading.
2. Choose a setting from the dropdown: Default, Exactly, % Height, At Least, or Multiple, or select from the different numbers. Higher values increase the line spacing.
3. Additional options let you indent the paragraph from the left or right, or add space before and after it.

For specific adjustments, you can resort to Leading Override.

To do this:

1. Highlight the range of text that requires the override.
2. On the Character panel, under Position & Transform, modify the Leading Override value.

If you want to know more, see "Leading and inter-paragraph spacing” in our Help Center.

Kerning, tracking, and leading: the key to better typography

Kerning, tracking, and leading all control spacing, but at different levels.

Kerning adjusts the space between individual letter pairs, while tracking applies uniform spacing across a group of characters or an entire block of text, both operating on the horizontal axis. Leading, on the other hand, manages the vertical space between lines, playing a key role in readability and overall layout.

Strong typography comes from balancing all three. Even small adjustments can refine how your text looks and feels.

The best way to improve is to practice. Take a headline, adjust all three settings, and observe how subtle changes transform the result.

Explore Affinity’s Layout Studio to apply these principles in a professional design environment and start crafting typography that enhances readability and improves your designs.