bündige

Bündige is a German typographic term describing text alignment that is flush with one margin, rather than centered or fully justified. The concept derives from bündig, meaning aligned with the edge. In practice, bündige alignment refers to text that sits directly against a margin, commonly realized as left alignment (linksbündig) or right alignment (rechtsbündig). The attributive form bündige appears before feminine nouns, for example eine bündige Ausrichtung, or in compounds like linksbündige Einrückung and rechtsbündige Ausrichtung.

In usage, bündige alignment is one of several options for arranging text on a page. It is typically contrasted with zentrierte (centered) and Blocksatz (fully justified) layouts. Left- or right-bündige text creates a straight edge along one side and a ragged edge on the other, which can affect readability and visual rhythm. In editorial practice, choosing bündige versus other alignments depends on typographic goals, page design, and the desired emphasis.

Digital and technical contexts often map bündige concepts to styling rules. In CSS, left alignment corresponds to text-align: left, and right alignment to text-align: right. While bündige itself is a traditional print term, its spirit persists in modern layout guidelines, where margins and edges help determine how text frames interact with the overall composition.

See also: Text alignment, Typografie, Blocksatz, Flattersatz, CSS text-align.