At Logic Design, we are passionate about design and love to celebrate perfect compositions. That’s why, with every immaculate ideation and excellent execution, we always consider kerning to be vital.

What is Kerning?

According to dictionary.com; “Kerning” is the process of setting two letters closer together than is usual by removing space between them.

Ensuring the space between characters to be printed is a key stage in any kind of logo or website design. It can only be achieved by eye – there is nothing mathematical about it.

Different letters require different spacing. As example, an ‘I’ is tall and thin, meaning it requires little space. However, a ‘Q’ is slightly different. The letter ‘Q’ is an awkward, wide shape that requires careful consideration within a logo. Designers believe the “problem letters” have tails and, when there are two lines to fit the font on, they have an impact spacially. An example being a lower case ‘q’ (although they’re rare in business names.)

Kerning is the benchmark of whether a design has been completed by an amateur or a professional.

For anyone well versed in design, kerning is second nature and happens naturally almost without consideration. When kerning is not considered, a design often looks messy and it can have disastrous consequences.

Kerning in the design process

In the mindset of avoiding a disaster, as mentioned, we like to make sure the utmost care is taken when kerning.

Sarah’s words should ring true with all designers, online or offline, as logo designs and website designs should be logical and easy to digest. This is often not the case.

Design companies often overlook kerning altogether, but kerning is fundamental to having clarity in your text. Without kerning, you run the risk of one word looking like two from a distance – this can completely change the meaning. Having even spacing will make your logo design more slick and professional.

It is human nature to become excited about a project and, occasionally, let your emotions get the better of you. However, it is important to remember that this happens to everyone at some stage. Kerning is simply a hurdle on the 110 metre race that is a website or logo design.

Graphic design also kneels towards practical application when reaching an outcome. In branding and logo design particularly, substance wins over style every time. Just remember that a design should be legible and do a good job of promoting the company/person/product/location effectively.

Examples of bad ke rnin g

With kerning such a well known discipline in today’s graphic design world, we have looked at the real world for good examples of bad kerning.

You will see from the images above that bad kerning is not an option in branding or logo design. Letters begin to join and form completely different, occasionally inappropriate, letters and words. Kerning can be seen in many areas in life – there are shops, books and digital media in the examples above.

Look out for how designers use this discipline when you’re out and about (or scrolling through the internet) and tweet us with any funny examples you can find!

Now you understand what k e r n i n g is, we hope you’ll take notice. As professional graphic designers, giving us a call for assistance is a smart choice. We’ll ensure disasters are avoided and we’ll work alongside you to create the brand, website or marketing media that’s perfect for your business.

Contact us today for more information about the various design packages we offer. Alternatively, take a look at our other digital services or our past projects.