Putting the finishing touches on a graphic design project calls for a keen eye. But you already know this, because perfectionism is just a part of the job! You look at every nook and cranny of a project before you can consider it complete. While many people might not understand this attention to detail, this is exactly the kind of eye a designer needs — there is no such thing as “less than perfect” in this industry!

在圖形設計項目上進行畫龍點睛需要敏銳的眼光。 但是您已經知道這一點，因為完美主義只是工作的一部分！ 您需要先查看項目的每個細節，然后才能認為它已完成。 盡管許多人可能不理解這種對細節的關注，但這恰恰是設計師需要的那種眼睛–在這個行業中，沒有“不完美”之類的東西！

Nothing goes unnoticed, even the spacing between individual pairs of letters. Yes, this could be considered perfectionism, but a good designer knows how important kerning is in typography. Mastering kerning is important if you want to pursue a career in graphic design.

沒有什么不引起注意的，即使是成對的單個字母之間的間距也是如此。 是的，可以認為這是完美主義，但是好的設計師知道字距調整在版式中的重要性。 如果您想從事平面設計職業，那么掌握字距調整非常重要。

Although many clients might not understand the nuances of kerning, they would be able to identify poorly kerned typography. If you don’t know the ins and outs of kerning, you risk losing out on potential career opportunities after design school. In our industry, a graphic designer’s standard of creativity will influence the level of opportunities that come their way.

盡管許多客戶可能不了解字距緊縮的細微差別，但他們將能夠識別字距緊縮的排版。 如果您不知道字距調整的來龍去脈，則有可能在設計學校畢業后失去潛在的職業機會。 在我們的行業中，平面設計師的創造力標準將影響隨之而來的機遇水平。

什么是緊縮？ 定義 (What Is Kerning? A Definition)

Kerning is the spacing between a pair of letters.

字距是一對字母之間的間距。

Whenever you are working on a project, you want to aim for an even typographic color (in other words: having no odd or uneven spacing between letters). In some instances (such as large headlines and blocks of copy), you should spend a bit more time kerning the type, while in other instances (such as large amounts of body copy) the default kerning settings, with some minor tweaks, can suffice. Even so, you might not always have to alter the kerning, but it’s good practice to ensure that you are being mindful of every aspect (big or small) of every design you do.

每當您在項目中工作時，都希望獲得均勻的印刷色(換句話說：字母之間沒有奇數或不均勻的間距)。 在某些情況下(例如大標題和副本塊)，您應該花更多的時間對類型進行字距調整，而在其他情況下(例如大量的正文復制)，只需進行一些細微調整即可使用默認字距調整設置。 即使這樣，您也不一定總是必須更改字距調整，但最好的做法是確保您對所做的每個設計的每個方面(大小)都有所注意。

But kerning is also more than just spacing — it’s also a strategic tool that increases the clarity of your message. Readers in the English-speaking world, for example, gravitate to Helvetica as their choice of font. This is why Helvetica is the most widely used font in the world (although many designers consider it to be the sweatpants of the font world).

但是字距調整不僅限于間距，它還是一種戰略工具，可提高您消息的清晰度。 例如，英語國家的讀者喜歡Helvetica作為字體選擇。 這就是為什么Helvetica是世界上使用最廣泛的字體的原因(盡管許多設計師認為它是字體世界的運動衫)。

It’s easy to read and the simplicity of the text allows it to be transferable to everything from public signs to t-shirt designs. But despite its widespread use and popularity, it’s often too plain in a lot of contexts. Its owner, Monotype, recently gave Helvetica a facelift (the updated version is called Helvetica Now) so that designers don’t have to constantly alter the type when it’s scaled up or down.

它易于閱讀，文字的簡潔性使其可移植到從公共標志到T恤設計的所有內容。 但是，盡管它得到了廣泛的使用和歡迎，但在許多情況下通常還是太簡單了 。 它的所有者Monotype最近對Helvetica進行了改版(更新版本稱為Helvetica Now )，以便設計人員不必在放大或縮小時不斷更改類型。

The relationship between letters is almost a scientific matter to a graphic designer. A good designer realizes that it only takes a slight adjustment in spacing to render a design as either awkward or perfect. These letters aren’t limited to the computer monitor that’s sitting before you, either.

對于圖形設計師來說，字母之間的關系幾乎是科學問題。 優秀的設計師意識到，只需稍微調整一下間距即可將設計呈現為笨拙或完美。 這些字母也不僅限于擺在您面前的計算機顯示器。

It’s important to examine your typography in the context where the design will live — on a 100% scale printout of your design or on the phone screen. Seeing how the type will look in context can and will affect your kerning decisions.

重要的是要在設計將要存在的環境中檢查您的版式-在設計的100％比例打印輸出上或在電話屏幕上。 查看類型在上下文中的外觀可以并且將影響您的字距調整決定。

時刻緊縮：古代世界的例子 (Kerning Then and Now: Examples from the Ancient World)

To get a better look at kerning today, let’s go back a few centuries. This history lesson is as much of an artistic exploration as it is an exemplifier of modern kerning. In ancient Mesopotamia, Cuneiform, which is now the oldest written language, was dried on clay tablets. During this time, language was used as an accounting system. Everything under a monarchy’s rule was preserved by highly trained scribes.

為了更好地了解當今的字距調整，讓我們回溯幾個世紀。 這個歷史教訓既是藝術的探索，又是現代字距調整的典范。 在古老的美索不達米亞，楔形文字(現在是最古老的書面語言)在黏土板上干燥。 在這段時間里，語言被用作會計系統。 君主制下的一切都由訓練有素的抄寫員保存。

What the scribes of this era needed were clear slates. More importantly, they needed to pre-inscribe lines or margins that organized these slates for writing. These lines and sections, though difficult to see among the actual writing, allowed the scribe to imprint ideas without having the figures sway to the left or right. The Cuneiform text instead remained in legible sequences that readers can follow.

這個時代的抄寫員需要的是清晰的板巖。 更重要的是，他們需要預先刻劃用于組織這些板巖的線條或邊距。 這些線條和部分雖然在實際的著作中很難看清，但允許抄寫員在不使人物左右搖擺的情況下留下思想 。 相反，楔形文字保持清晰的順序，讀者可以跟隨。

The purpose of letters and words has evolved over the centuries, but their intentions have always been the same. In ancient writing, kerning allowed a scribe to record important messages legibly and so that they could be preserved indefinitely. Today, kerning also supports the legibility of a message, but it also supports the overall visual appearance of a design. If the kerning is off-putting to a reader, they’re likely to walk away hating the design without paying any attention to its intended purpose.

字母和單詞的目的已經演變了幾個世紀，但它們的意圖始終是相同的。 在古代寫作中，字距調整允許抄寫員清楚地記錄重要的信息，以便可以無限期地保存它們。 如今，字距調整還支持消息的易讀性，但也支持設計的整體視覺外觀。 如果字距調整不適合讀者，則他們可能會討厭該設計，而無需關注其預期目的。

平面設計和字母緊縮的基礎 (The Foundation of Graphic Design and Letter Kerning)

There are tools, common practices and theories to be applied when kerning. The basic philosophy behind “space adjustment” is communication. As a rule of thumb, no matter what you kern, adjust, or resize, your objective is to speak with clarity. Graphic designers must not only practice what they find visually appealing but must understand what pleases their targeted audience. Closing wide gaps or opening tight spaces is done as an effort to help readers understand a message. As Alan Barba, one of our New York teachers, says:

字距調整時，有一些工具，通用做法和理論可供應用。 “空間調整”背后的基本哲學是溝通 。 根據經驗，無論您要調整，調整大小或調整大小，您的目標都是要講清楚。 平面設計師不僅必須練習他們認為引人入勝的內容，還必須了解讓目標受眾滿意的內容。 縮小差距或打開狹窄的空間是為了幫助讀者理解消息。 正如我們紐約一位老師艾倫·巴爾巴(Alan Barba)所說：

Kerning is all about rhythm. If letters are not kerned correctly, it can put off the reader and disrupt the message.

緊縮與節奏有關。 如果字母的字距不正確，則可能會使閱讀器延遲并打亂消息。

Communication is a vital part of what we do as graphic designers, and kerning plays a key role in that communication. When you don’t pay attention to the letters and space between them, it can have unexpected and undesirable outcomes (seriously, just look at these examples).

溝通是我們作為圖形設計師所做工作的重要組成部分，字距調整在溝通中起著關鍵作用。 當您不注意它們之間的字母和空格時，它可能會產生意想不到的不良結果(嚴重的是， 請看一下這些示例 )。

When a designer is in the midst of creating something, they to make a choice to either move an element here or there — a very minute choice. However, all those minute choices add up to make your type very easy to read and understand. It’s only when you understand the power that you have through those (seemingly minor) decisions you make that you can create a seamless process.

當設計師在創作某些東西時，他們可以選擇將元素移至此處或此處 ， 這是非常微小的選擇。 但是，所有這些微小的選擇加起來使您的類型非常易于閱讀和理解。 只有當您了解自己通過這些(看似次要的)決策所具有的力量時，才能創建一個無縫的流程。

Limiting your kerning definition as only spacing left and right is, therefore, a nearsighted viewpoint. The relative positioning of an entire design piece is taken into consideration as we work. This is why it helps to know about the elements that provide us with our core decisions.

因此，將字距調整限制為僅左右間距是近視視點。 我們在工作時會考慮整個設計作品的相對位置。 這就是為什么它有助于了解為我們提供核心決策的要素的原因。

緊縮的錯覺 (The Optical Illusion of Kerning)

Look at the spacing and positioning of your letters as if they were an optical illusion.

看一下字母的間距和位置，就好像它們是錯覺一樣。

As you kern, you may begin to realize that the principles that worked from a prior project simply won’t have the same leverage within a current design piece. This has to do with the factor of communication that exists within each design that you create. Every design you make should be unique and that is why letter kerning is a creative art.

當您精打細算時，您可能會開始意識到，先前項目中的原理在當前設計中根本不會具有相同的影響力。 這與您創建的每個設計中存在的通信因素有關。 您制作的每個設計都應該是獨特的，這就是為什么字母字距調整是一種創造藝術。

It’s important to understand the consistent rules of kerning, but it’s also important that you take this knowledge and manipulate what you know to apply it to a particular design. Approaching each kerning scenario as if it were an optical illusion will enable you to pay greater attention to what’s necessary as opposed to what might work based on set rules. Consider this principle as inline with the old adage, “Things are not always what they seem.” Adjust accordingly.

理解字距調整的一致規則很重要，但是掌握這些知識并操縱所知道的知識以將其應用于特定設計也很重要。 像處理錯覺一樣接近每個字距調整場景，使您可以更加注意必要的內容，而不是根據設置的規則可能起作用的內容。 將此原則視為一句古老的格言：“事物并不總是看起來像的。” 相應地調整。

文字在字距調整中的理想位置 (Ideal Places Within Your Text for Kerning Typography)

Let’s take a closer look at some of the ideal places to use letter kerning in:

讓我們仔細看看在其中使用字母字距調整的一些理想位置：

Headline: The headline of a design (digital or printed) is typically its focal point. You can influence a person’s opinion about your entire company by what they see first when visiting your website. You can also manipulate their emotional connection to your brand — like creating an eerie sensation during October or capturing the feeling of festivities for your seasonal products in winter. The colors and fonts are important in and of themselves, but spacing also matters.

標題：設計(數字或印刷)的標題通常是其焦點。 您可以通過一個人在訪問您的網站時首先看到的信息來影響他們對整個公司的看法。 您還可以操縱他們與品牌的情感聯系，例如在十月期間產生令人毛骨悚然的感覺，或在冬季捕獲季節性產品的節日感覺。 顏色和字體本身很重要，但是間距也很重要。

Logos: Logos have to say a lot with very little space, time, and few letters. If you adjust the kerning between one pair of letters, you will have to adjust the others, similar to a domino effect — and do not rely on default software settings.

徽標：徽標必須用很少的空間，時間和很少的字母來表達很多。 如果在一對字母之間調整字距調整，則必須調整其他字母(類似于多米諾骨牌效果)，并且不必依賴默認軟件設置。

Business Cards: Business professionals are always looking for a competitive edge. Some will even boast about the quality of their business cards as opposed to others’. Expanding on the design features of these “small windows of opportunity” can be done by looking closer to the letters being used.

名片：業務專業人員一直在尋找競爭優勢。 有些人甚至會吹噓自己名片的質量，而不是別人的名片。 可以通過仔細查看所使用的字母來擴展這些“機會之窗”的設計功能。

You’re in control of the balance, hierarchy, contrast and alignment. Due to the limited amount of copy and messaging on the business cards, the typography might be scrutinized even more closely.

您可以控制天平，層次結構，對比度和對齊方式。 由于名片上的復制和消息傳遞數量有限，因此可能會更仔細地檢查字體。

Font Changes: The font sizes that are set between 10 and 12 aren’t likely to benefit from vast adjustments, but expect to do more work as your text gets larger. Most fonts are developed for the common typing sizes that we use. And while you might find a need to put a legal disclaimer or logotype into an 7 or 8-pt sized font, the default settings within the font will still work. You just may need to tweak them a bit.

字體更改：字體大小設置在10到12之間不太可能從大量調整中受益，但是隨著文本變大，期望做更多的工作。 大多數字體是針對我們使用的常見鍵入大小而開發的。 盡管您可能需要將合法的免責聲明或徽標放入7或8磅大小的字體中，但是該字體中的默認設置仍然可以使用。 您可能只需要稍微調整一下。

緊縮的三種類型 (The Three Types of Kerning)

In addition to examples where you could use kerning in everyday designs, there are also three different types of kerning you’ll come across:

除了可以在日常設計中使用字距調整的示例之外，您還將遇到三種不同類型的字距調整：

Metrics kerning: This type of kerning uses kern pairs, which contains information about the spacing of different pairs of letters. Examples include To, Tr, LA, We, Ya, etc. These are included with most fonts and certain platforms use metrics kerning default so that these pairs of letters are automatically kerned so you don’t have to spend any additional energy kerning when you type or import a text. Metrics work best for body copy since it’s typically looser.

度量字距調整：這種類型的字距調整使用字距對，其中包含有關不同字母對間距的信息。 例如To，Tr，LA，We，Ya等。這些字體包含在大多數字體中，某些平臺默認使用度量標準字距調整，以便這些字母對自動調整字距，因此您在使用時不必花費任何額外的精力字距輸入或導入文本。 度量標準最適合正文復制，因為它通常比較寬松。

Optical kerning: This adjusts the spacing between adjacent characters in accordance with their particular shapes. Some design software provide this as an alternative to their default metrics option. Optical kerning is ideal for situations that call for tighter fonts (like headlines).

光學字距調整：可以根據相鄰字符的特殊形狀調整它們之間的間距。 一些設計軟件將其作為其默認指標選項的替代方法。 光學字距調整是需要更緊字體(例如標題)的情況的理想選擇。

Manual kerning: This type of kerning is exactly what you’d assume based on its name — it’s when you kern type based on the specific requirements of whatever project you’re working on. Any time that you can’t find the right setting within your software, you can enter the dimensions, spacings and shapes to your exact preference.

手動字距調整：這種字距調整正是您根據其名稱所假定的—是在您根據正在處理的任何項目的特定要求進行字距調整時。 每當您在軟件中找不到正確的設置時，都可以根據自己的喜好輸入尺寸，間距和形狀。

There is one obstacle to be aware of with this choice, though: it will take more time to achieve an end result because you must enter each detail as if working from a fresh, raw slate.

但是，使用此選擇要意識到一個障礙：要獲得最終結果會花費更多時間，因為您必須像輸入新鮮的原始石板一樣輸入每個細節。

在大多數情況下使用相等的感知空間 (Using Equal-Perceived Space in Most Cases)

Though we will get into different manual kerning options, perception is established as a process within our common work cycle. It deals with the art of “finding equality” between letters. Perception is more important than the actual measurement of spaces. What we discovered is that the shape and irregular patterns of some letters can make words seem like there’s less or more space between each part. We have to adjust for this — and the adjustment is made by using the eye, not a ruler.

盡管我們將采用不同的手動字距調整選項，但感知是我們共同工作周期中的一個過程。 它涉及在字母之間“尋找平等”的藝術。 感知比實際測量空間更重要。 我們發現，某些字母的形狀和不規則圖案會使單詞看起來每個部分之間的空間越來越少。 我們必須對此進行調整，并且調整是使用眼睛而不是尺子進行的。

In some typography, for example, you can find an “uppercase T” with its right-wing hanging well over the letter that follows it. The overall design that’s being worked on is the deciding factor for your decision, but the closing of space in this manner may lead to the entire sequence finding its balance. We can only know this through the end effect. The result of your spacing and the flow of your typography is more important than the mathematical distance that each letter stands at.

例如，在某些字體中，您可以找到“大寫字母T”，其右翼很好地懸掛在其后的字母上方。 正在進行的總體設計是您做出決定的決定因素，但是以這種方式關閉空間可能會導致整個序列找到平衡。 我們只能通過最終效果知道這一點。 間距和排版流程的結果比每個字母所代表的數學距離更重要。

The core shapes that you will work with are A, O and H. These create the basic combination of angles, curves and straight lines that can be difficult to manage at times. Leaving your kerning to the default settings of your software is likely to cause problems because of basic patterns. You certainly won’t achieve a personal touch if you leave the settings as they are.

您將使用的核心形狀是A，O和H。它們創建了角度，曲線和直線的基本組合，有時可能難以管理。 由于基本模式，將字距調整保留為軟件的默認設置可能會導致問題。 如果將設置保持原樣，您肯定不會獲得個人風格。

如何掌握字距調整 (How to Master Kerning)

If you’re new to kerning, it’s probably pretty apparent by now that it’s not a straightforward practice. It’s time-consuming, complex and can even take the most experienced designers a bit of time before it becomes second nature to them. But have peace of mind knowing that as you practice, you’ll slowly start to master all the nuances of kerning. And soon, the challenges won’t feel as challenging. These are two ways to begin mastering kerning:

如果您是字距調整的新手，那么現在這可能已經很明顯了，這不是一個簡單的練習。 這是耗時，復雜的，甚至可能要花一些時間才能使最有經驗的設計師成為他們的第二天性。 但請放心，在您練習時，您將慢慢開始掌握字距調整的所有細微差別。 很快，挑戰將不再具有挑戰性。 這是開始掌握字距調整的兩種方法：

Know what letters are trickier to kern

知道哪些字母更難掌握

Letters that take up more space are more difficult to kern because they create challenges when put next to other upper or lowercase letters. Diagonal sided uppercase letters (A, W, Y) are the most problematic, but so are letters that have larger arms (F) or crossbars (T). The most common letter combinations that need kerning at larger sizes are: AW, VA, Fa, LV, Wa, AD and AT. But that doesn’t mean that lowercase letters don’t require just as much attention as uppercase letters can. As you practice, you’ll begin to understand how to kern pairs of rounded letters (like “oo”), straight-sided letters (like “in”) or a combination of both (like “on”).

占用更多空間的字母更難區分，因為它們在與其他大寫或小寫字母相鄰時會帶來挑戰。 對角邊的大寫字母(A，W，Y)是最有問題的，但是具有較大的手臂(F)或橫線(T)的字母也是最有問題的。 需要較大字距調整的最常見字母組合為：AW，VA，Fa，LV，Wa，AD和AT。 但這并不意味著小寫字母不需要大寫字母那么多的關注。 在練習時，您將開始了解如何區分成對的圓角字母(如“ oo”)，直角字母(如“ in”)或二者的組合(如“ on”)。

But what about in instances where letters are straight-sided and rounded? These letters (b, g, q) can be frustrating to kern depending on how early you are in your practice. A good rule of thumb is to practice kerning in groups of three. Not only does it help ease the process, but it also distracts you from the meaning of the word or phrase you’re kerning.

但是，如果字母是直角和圓形的，該怎么辦？ 這些字母(b，g，q)可能令人沮喪，取決于您練習的時間有多早。 一個好的經驗法則是每三個練習一組字距調整。 它不僅有助于簡化流程，而且還使您無法專心處理字詞或短語的意思。

Don’t focus on a word’s meaning

不要只關注單詞的意思

When you put so much time into a project, it’s sometimes hard to turn the creative side of your brain off to focus on design techniques like kerning. You chose certain fonts or words for a reason, but what if the meaning of those words negatively influenced the end result of your design? It can — and does — happen more frequently than designers realize. In psychology, it’s called priming. It’s when the mind makes associates with certain words or phrases. In design, this can affect the way a designer kerns type (and they don’t even realize they’re doing it).

當您在項目中投入大量時間時，有時很難將大腦的創造力轉移到專注于字距調整等設計技術上。 您選擇某些字體或單詞是有原因的，但是如果這些單詞的含義對設計的最終結果產生負面影響，該怎么辦？ 它可能并且確實比設計人員意識到的發生得更頻繁。 在心理學中， 這稱為啟動 。 這是頭腦使某些單詞或短語與他人聯系的時候。 在設計中，這可能會影響設計人員的鍵入方式(他們甚至沒有意識到自己正在這樣做)。

For example, if you are kerning the word “small,” you might feel the need to kern it tighter because of your association with the meaning of the word. Global Managing Director of Shillington Education, Anthony Wood, provides a solution for this:

例如，如果您要緊縮單詞“ small”(小)，您可能會因為與單詞的含義相關聯而感到更緊縮。 希靈頓教育全球董事總經理Anthony Wood為此提供了一個解決方案：

Try and view the words as just shapes so you can focus on the spaces created by the letters. A simple trick of turning the page upside down can help you focus. Instead of seeing the word for its meaning, you’ll see it for its spacing.

嘗試將單詞看作只是形狀，以便您可以專注于字母創建的空間。 將頁面上下顛倒的簡單技巧可以幫助您集中精力。 與其看到單詞的含義，不如看到它的間距。

If something as seemingly small as perfecting the spacing between letters excites you, you know you’re a graphic designer. While kerning can be a complex process to master, bringing perfect kerning together with all of the other elements of design is how you achieve a complete, harmonious project. Great kerning can make type sing and if you’d like to practice, here is a fun kerning game you can play!

如果看起來像使字母之間的間距完美的小東西使您興奮，那么您知道您是一名平面設計師。 雖然字距調整可能是一個復雜的過程，但完美的字距調整與所有其他設計元素結合在一起是您完成完整，和諧的項目的方式。 大字距可以使型唱歌，如果你想練習， 這里是一個有趣的游戲字距可以玩！

Header image by #ShilloNY teacher Nikita Prokhorov.

#ShilloNY老師Nikita Prokhorov的標題圖片。

For more typographic resources, check out this list of typography terms and rules to follow. And if you’re curious about the typefaces that we think will be big this year, take a look at our top 20 font picks.

有關更多印刷資源， 請查看 此印刷術術語和規則列表。 如果您對我們認為今年會流行的字體感到好奇，請查看我們的 前20個 字體精選。

Thinking about launching a new career? Find out more about our graphic design course and how you can become a designer in just 3 months full-time or 9 months part-time.

想開始新的職業？ 了解有關我們的 圖形設計課程的 更多信息， 以及如何在短短3個月的全職工作或9個月的兼職工作中成為一名設計師。