Nadia Petrov Customer Education Lead at 4OVER4.COM
Nadia is our customer education voice, built from the knowledge of our production team, with over 20 years in printing.
Question
What's the difference between leading, kerning, and tracking?
Answer
Leading, kerning, and tracking are three typography controls that shape how text reads on a printed piece. Each adjusts spacing in a different direction.
| Term | Controls | Direction |
|---|---|---|
| Leading | Space between lines of text | Vertical |
| Kerning | Gap between two specific characters | Horizontal, one pair |
| Tracking | Spacing across a word, line, or block | Horizontal, uniform |
- Leading around 120 to 145 percent of the font size keeps body copy readable.
- Kerning fixes awkward pairs like AV or To that look uneven at default spacing.
- Tracking sets the overall openness of a heading or text block.
Used together, they create balanced, legible type that holds up in print.
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