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to kern

to kern

9.9
To change the space between letters so text looks more even
  • verb
  • /kɜrn/
  • Specialized
translation icon : ajustar el espaciado
  • Graphic designers often kern the letters in a logo to create a more visually appealing look.

Examples

  • When creating printed materials, designers kern the type letters to enhance the overall layout.

  • Also, it is not kerned (more space between the '1?' and the '9?' than between the '9?' and the '6?', etc.), as it would have been by a typesetter in the 1960s.

    Blog text (17)
  • To improve readability, you should kern the text so that the letters are spaced evenly.

Synonyms

to kerning
vsto kern
  • Specialized
7.2

To change the space between letters to make text easier to read

is the simple verb form for the same typographic spacing adjustment

How Tight

to squeeze
192 2.8
to tighten
145 1.5
to kern
  • Specialized
9.9

Surface Forms

kern infinitive
kerned past
kerned past participle
kerning present participle
kerns third person singular

Etymology

The verb kern means to change the space between letters to make text look better. A helpful way to remember it is to imagine moving those tiny hooks or corners so the letters sit evenly, which is exactly what it means to kern.