Spacing: meaning, definitions and examples

Refers to the distance between characters, words, or lines in text. It's commonly used in typesetting and document formatting to ensure readability and aesthetics.

• Make sure the text spacing is consistent throughout the document
• Adjust the line spacing to make the article easier to read

Refers to the space inserted at the beginning of a paragraph. Often used in writing to denote a new paragraph or to create hierarchical structures in programming code.

• Add an indentation at the start of each new paragraph
• Proper indentation is crucial for readable code

Refers to the arrangement of text or objects in relation to a page's margins or each other. It is used in both text formatting and design to create a balanced and organized look.

• Check the alignment before printing the final copy
• Use center alignment for the title and left alignment for the body text

A broad term that refers to the overall appearance of text or documents, including font type, font size, margins, and other elements. It is essential for creating professional and visually appealing documents.

• The document needs more formatting to look professional
• Pay attention to the formatting guidelines set by the journal

This term is used to describe the general concept of the amount of space between letters, words, lines, or any other elements in a text layout.

• The spacing between the letters makes the text more readable.
• Good spacing ensures that the design looks clean and organized.

Kerning refers specifically to the adjustment of space between individual pairs of letters to achieve a visually pleasing result. It is often used in logo design and typesetting where precision is crucial.

• Proper kerning is essential for creating a balanced, professional logo.
• The kerning between 'A' and 'V' needs adjusting to improve legibility.

Leading is the term used to describe the vertical space between lines of text. It helps improve the readability of paragraphs and blocks of text.

• Increasing the leading can make the text block appear less crowded.
• The document looks more professional with consistent leading.

Tracking refers to the overall spacing between all characters in a block of text. It affects the density and readability of the text.

• Adjusting the tracking can make a long paragraph less intimidating to read.
• She increased the tracking to give the headline a more airy feel.

Use this word when referring to the amount of space between objects or elements, often in design or layout contexts.

• The spacing between the lines of text in this document needs adjustment.
• Proper spacing of the shelves will make the room look more organized.

Use 'gaps' when referring to an empty space or an interruption between objects, periods, or events. This word can sometimes have a negative connotation if the gaps are seen as undesirable.

• There are noticeable gaps in the fence that need to be fixed.
• Mind the gap between the train and the platform edge.

This word applies to the regular or specific time space between events or the space between repeated elements.

• The workshops are scheduled at regular intervals throughout the year.
• Please water the plants at intervals of two days.

This word is suitable for measuring the physical space between two or more points, often in geographical or physical contexts.

• The distances between the cities are measured in kilometers.
• What are the distances between the planets in our solar system?