spacings

Spacings refer to the distances between elements in typography and layout, including characters, lines, blocks, and page margins. Spacing affects readability, legibility, and the visual rhythm of the page or interface.

Common types include letter spacing (kerning for pairs, tracking for a range), word spacing, line spacing (leading), paragraph spacing, margins, padding, and gutters (the space between columns). Each type serves a specific function: letter spacing controls density of text, line spacing prevents lines from crowding, margins and padding establish outer whitespace, and gutters separate content columns.

In typography and digital design, spacing is controlled with metrics and rules: proportional fonts create variable gaps between glyphs; kerning adjusts individual pairs, while tracking adjusts a range of characters; line height (CSS line-height) controls vertical density; word spacing and paragraph spacing adjust horizontal and vertical whitespace. Layout systems often express spacing with a grid.

Best practices include using a consistent spacing scale (multiples of a base unit), aligning to a baseline grid, and testing for readability and visual balance. Increasing line height improves legibility; adequate margins and padding reduce crowding around blocks of text; generous gutters improve column separation in multi-column layouts. Spacing also affects accessibility.