Zeilenraum

Zeilenraum is a term used in typography to describe the vertical space allocated for each line of text. It refers to the distance between the baselines of consecutive lines and encompasses the height of the line's characters as well as any additional space above or below. The Zeilenraum is influenced by font metrics such as ascent, descent and leading, and it determines how densely lines appear on a page or screen.

Historically, Zeilenraum arose from the practices of metal typesetting, where additional lead strips (leading) were inserted between lines to create clear separation. With phototypesetting and digital typesetting, the concept evolved into adjustable line spacing, now commonly controlled by typographic parameters and software settings.

In practice, Zeilenraum is measured in physical units (points or millimeters) in print, and in CSS or digital design using relative units (em, rem, or unitless line-height). Typical guidance recommends a Zeilenraum that is about 120–140% of the font size for body text in print, and a somewhat larger value on screens to improve readability. The exact value depends on font, line length, and intended medium.

Effect on readability and layout: a larger Zeilenraum reduces line density, improves legibility for long passages, and helps optical alignment with margins and margins, while an overly large space can disrupt reading rhythm and page balance. In digital typography, line-height settings interact with font-family, letter spacing, and responsive design to maintain comfortable line breaks across devices.

In summary, Zeilenraum is a central parameter in typographic design, balancing readability, aesthetics, and layout constraints across print and digital media.