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Tracking set to 200, a positive number, opens the characters.
A negative number moves characters closer together.
Selection one character and adjusting the tracking
affects the spacing between the selected character and the one immediately
ot the right.
Kerning between the characters gives the same effect
as adjusting tracking for individual characters.
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PhotoShop has excellent type control for a graphics program, probably
due to its popularity for print as well as Web design. The methods that
follow assume you wish to create text as a message rather than as a
wild and artsy graphic. If you are also interested in art text, make
sure you take a look at Text as Design.
Tracking and kerning
Let's start with basic character spacing, since you are likely to use
this with any text editing you do. Select the type tool and click on
the canvas to open the Type Tool window. Enter some text. For this exercise,
specify 60 pt text so you can easily see the results. Make sure that
your text is selected and specify 200 for Tracking. See how this setting
opens your characters. Tracking adds equal space between characters
with a positive number and removes it for a negative number. With your
text still selected, specify a tracking value of -50 and then -100.
Note how the text moves uniformly. You will often start here, since
most text at display size tends to be too far apart. Return the tracking
value to zero.
When we want to adjust the spacing between characters without affecting
the entire text entry, we can still use the tracking command. Highlight
the character ahead of where you would like to change the spacing. Specify
a positive number to create more space between the selected character
and the one immediately to the right, and a negative number to reduce
the space. Technically adjusting spacing between characters belongs
to the kerning feature, but I find tracking selected characters is easy
and faster in many cases.
Kerning is officially designed to adjust spacing between characters.
The default is set to auto, which will give you the settings the font
designer included with the font. Rarely is the default OK at display
sizes unless you have purchased a specific display font.
To adjust kerning, in the Type Tool window, insert your cursor in the
spacing you wish to adjust. Click on the Auto box to uncheck. Enter
a positive value to increase spacing or a negative value to decrease
spacing. I have used a large positive number here (200) to show a visible
gap, though in most cases, we will be reducing the kerning.
You can use both tracking and kerning to speed your work. At first,
adjusting spacing between characters will seem like it is too time consuming.
With a little practice, you will find it is very fast. Try setting your
tracking to a value that gives the appropriate spacing for most of the
characters. Then move to the individual character tracking as described
above, or kerning to adjust the final character spacing. Tracking will
often take care of most awkward spacing.
Experiment with the kerning and tracking features until they become
like second nature. If you wish to create work with a professionally
designed look, learning to kern your display type will take you further
than even the most amazing special effects. Correct typography can really
separate the pro designer from the not-quite-there crowd.
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The auto setting for leading is too large for all display
text.
Highlight the text and specify leading value. That's
all there is to adjusting line spacing, plus your changes are reflected
in your text entry screen so you can easily find the best setting.
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Line spacing (leading)
Number two on the important typography list is adjusting line spacing
or leading. Most programs default to line space settings that are appropriate
for body text—usually 120% or 125% of the character size. That
means for 10 pt type, the line spacing will be 12 or 12.5 pts, a value
that works well. However, at 50 points, the same 125% becomes huge.
Take a look at the samples to the left. The left set of lines has default
leading. Most would have to agree that the right set is much more attractive
and legible, although it has required a severe reduction in leading
value.
Warning: I am talking only about display text with the spacing.
Body text, the bulk of your message, requires at least the default line
space setting to be easily read. Where legibility can be a problem,
like with an older group of people who do not see well, the secret is
not to use a giant type size. In fact, 14 or 16 pt type is very hard
to read as body copy. Instead, increase the line spacing for an 11 or
12 pt type size. For best legibility, space is a very good thing in
body text, and a very bad thing in display text. This is one double
standard you should adopt!
So the bottom line is, you are always going to have to reduce line
spacing on display text. However, nothing could be easier in PhotoShop.
Type in your text, using hard returns where you desire your line breaks.
Select the text and specify the leading you desire. The changes will
be reflected in your working screen, so you can find the best fit visually.
If you have other areas of text on the page, or even on the site, you
should make note of all your settings so you can create a uniform look
for each display text area.
Now you know how to adjust character spacing and line spacing. Those
are the most important basics, and we can move onto manipulating text
for great effects.
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