Adobe ILLUSTRATOR CS2 User Manual page 393

See also
"Character palette" on page 381
"To raise or lower the first baseline in a text area" on page 366
"Keys for working with type" on page 531
Kerning and tracking
Kerning is the process of adding or subtracting space between specific pairs of characters. Tracking is the process of
loosening or tightening the spacing between the characters in selected text or an entire block of text.
You can automatically kern type using metrics kerning or optical kerning. Metrics kerning (called Auto kerning in
Illustrator) uses kern pairs, which are included with most fonts. Kern pairs contain information about the spacing of
specific pairs of letters. Some of these are: LA, P., To, Tr, Ta, Tu, Te, Ty, Wa, WA, We, Wo, Ya, and Yo. Illustrator uses
metrics kerning by default so that specific pairs are automatically kerned when you import or type text.
Some fonts include robust kern-pair specifications. However, when a font includes only minimal built-in kerning or
none at all, or if you use two different typefaces or sizes in one or more words on a line, you may want to use the
optical kerning option. Optical kerning adjusts the spacing between adjacent characters based on their shapes.
A
B
C
D
E
Kerning and tracking options
A. Original text B. Text with optical kerning C. Text with manual kerning between W and a D. Text with tracking E. Cumulative kerning
and tracking
You can also use manual kerning, which is ideal for adjusting the space between two letters. Tracking and manual
kerning are cumulative, so you can first adjust individual pairs of letters, and then tighten or loosen a block of text
without affecting the relative kerning of the letter pairs.
When you click to place the insertion point between two letters, Illustrator displays kerning values in the Character
palette. Metrics and optical kerning values (or defined kern pairs) appear in parentheses. Similarly, if you select a
word or a range of text, Illustrator displays the tracking values in the Character palette.
Tracking and kerning are both measured in 1/1000 em, a unit of measure that is relative to the current type size. In
a 6-point font, 1 em equals 6 points; in a 10-point font, 1 em equals 10 points. Kerning and tracking are strictly
proportional to the current type size.
Note: Values for kerning and tracking affect Japanese text, but normally these options are used to adjust the aki between
roman characters. (See "Working with aki" on page 407.)
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