Kerning is the selective reduction of white space between two letters. Type is designed so that each character has optimum spacing relationships with every other character. To accomplish this, each character is designed within a specific space. In metal and wood type this space is defined by the edges of the block on which the character sits. In computerized engraving, the space is determined by the establishment of unit, or width value when the font is digitized.

A kern is defined as the part of the face of a printed character which projects beyond the body of the letter.

To kern is to fit individual letters together to eliminate unnecessary and unsightly white space created by certain combinations of letter. It is done on a case-by-case basis according to need. For example, when engraved in a large type, the letters T and o often need to be kerned so that the o slides partway under the top stroke of the T.

Some examples of common letters that often need kerning include:

AC AT AV AW AY FA LT LV LW LY OA OV OW OY PA AG AO AQ AU BA B V BW BY CA EC EO FC FG FO GE GO HO IC IG IO JA JO OH OI OK OL OM ON OP OR OT OU OX.

The act of kerning is simple on most engravers. The < is minus spacing and the > is positive spacing. Each kern key equal’s about 1/4 of a full space, however, it differs from font to font.

Miscellaneous Notes

• Although tedious and time consuming, adding one of two kern marks between each letter often compensates for inadequate letter spacing when using larger cutters. This is most common on multiple line letter styles.
• The < key is minus spacing.
• The > key is plus spacing.
• Not all fonts have < or > keys, most logos don’t.
• Kern keys may also be used to spread letters out to cover more of a plate, or when a wider cutter is being used.
• Do not confuse kerning with term proportional spacing, which simply means that all letters in the typeface in question appear on the proper width bodies. In other words, a capital M is designed so that it takes up more space than a narrower letter, such as I or J.