0504 Adjust the space around glyphs

Spacing and Fitting

• Adjustment of side bearings for all glyphs is vital for Typeface utility and success.

• Basic techniques practiced using glyph strings and test words.

Extending Work to Additional Glyphs

• Necessary to apply spacing skills to:

  • Numbers

  • Punctuation

  • Reference marks and symbols

  • Accented characters

  • Any newly introduced glyphs in the character set.

• Importance of good testing documents and text to evaluate glyph adjustments.

Creating Custom Test Strings

• For numbers and math symbols:

  • Create your own strings.

  • Save them in a text file for future use.

• Use Alessandro Segallini's Basic Kerning Text as a starting point.

• For accented characters in various languages:

  • Utilize the text generator from Just Another Foundry.

  • This tool is highly customizable and supports a wide range of languages and scripts.

• Generate test documents that include all accented glyphs in your font.

Testing and Critique Process

• Follow the established process:

  • Print document.

  • Critique glyph pairings.

  • Adjust as necessary.

• Example pair to focus on:

  • Capital 'V' and capital 'A' often require immediate kerning attention.

• Important to resist the temptation to kern too early.

Importance of Perfect Letter Fit

• A well-fitted font requires minimal kerning.

• Early kerning can hide underlying fit problems, leading to larger issues.