"Kerning, the Hard Way" details the painstaking process of manually kerning a font, specifically the author's Octet typeface. The post emphasizes that proper kerning isn't simply about consistent spacing, but about creating optically even gaps between letter pairs, which often requires asymmetrical adjustments. This involves meticulous visual examination of each pair and subtle nudging, a task complicated by the impact of neighboring letters and the varying shapes within a typeface. Ultimately, the article highlights the significant time investment and subjective judgment required for quality kerning, portraying it as a demanding yet essential step in font design for achieving visual harmony and readability.
The blog post "Kerning, the Hard Way" by Rich Siegel delves into the intricate and often arduous process of kerning typefaces, specifically focusing on the challenges and nuances beyond simple pairwise adjustments. Siegel begins by establishing the foundational principle that kerning is not merely about achieving consistent spacing between individual letter pairs, but rather about creating a harmonious visual rhythm and balanced whitespace throughout entire words and lines of text. He illustrates this point with the example of "WAVE," explaining that adjusting the kerning between the 'W' and 'A' impacts the perceived spacing between the 'A' and 'V,' and so on, creating a chain reaction that requires a holistic approach.
The author emphasizes the complexity introduced by the vast number of potential letter combinations in a typeface, explaining that adjusting each pair individually quickly becomes an impractical and unsustainable task. He highlights the difficulty of maintaining consistency across these numerous pairings, as subtle differences in letter shapes and the varying contexts they appear in can drastically affect the ideal kerning values. The blog post underscores the importance of considering the overall texture and grayscale of the text, arguing that a mechanically uniform approach often results in an uneven and aesthetically displeasing appearance.
Siegel further elaborates on the concept of "classes" in font design, which group similar glyphs together to simplify the kerning process. He details how these classes, while helpful, also present their own set of challenges, as the inherent variations within a class can lead to inconsistencies when applying blanket kerning adjustments. He provides specific examples, like the subtle differences between a rounded 'o' and a more angular 'c,' to demonstrate the need for fine-tuning even within these pre-defined groups. This, in turn, necessitates careful consideration of the interplay between class-based kerning and individual pair adjustments to achieve optimal results.
Finally, the post touches on the influence of optical illusions and the subjective nature of visual perception in kerning. Siegel argues that the eye doesn't perceive spacing in a purely mathematical way, and that what might appear mathematically even can actually look uneven to the human eye. This necessitates a degree of artistic judgment and an iterative process of refinement, relying on trained observation and meticulous adjustments to achieve a visually balanced and aesthetically pleasing result. Ultimately, Siegel presents kerning not as a simple mechanical task, but as a complex and nuanced craft requiring a deep understanding of typography, visual perception, and an immense amount of patience.
Summary of Comments ( 55 )
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43366479
HN users generally praised the article for its clear explanation of kerning and the complexities involved. Several commenters shared their own experiences with kerning, highlighting its subjective nature and the challenges of achieving optimal results. Some discussed the role of experience and "eye" in kerning, while others mentioned the usefulness of tools like kerning tables. A few users debated the merits of metric vs. optical kerning, and the impact of different rendering engines. One compelling comment thread explored the limitations of automated kerning and the importance of considering context and surrounding characters. Another pointed out the significance of kerning in non-Latin scripts, adding another layer of difficulty.
The Hacker News post "Kerning, the Hard Way" (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43366479) has several comments discussing the linked article about the complexities of kerning. Many commenters express appreciation for the deep dive into a topic often taken for granted.
Several commenters discuss their personal experiences with kerning, highlighting the challenges and subtleties involved. One commenter recounts their time working with a typesetter who possessed an almost supernatural ability to kern by eye, emphasizing the skill and artistry that can be developed. Another commenter, identifying as a type designer, shares insights into the painstaking process of manually kerning fonts, noting the importance of context and the difficulty in achieving perfect kerning across all possible letter combinations.
The discussion also delves into the technical aspects of kerning, with some commenters explaining the difference between kerning and tracking, and others discussing the role of font hinting and rendering engines in how kerning is ultimately displayed. A few commenters mention specific software tools and techniques used for kerning, both historically and in contemporary digital workflows.
One particularly compelling comment thread explores the trade-offs between manual and automatic kerning. While acknowledging the advancements in automatic kerning algorithms, several commenters argue that the human eye and judgment are still essential for truly refined typography, especially in complex scripts or display settings. They suggest that automatic kerning can be a useful starting point, but manual adjustments are often necessary to achieve optimal results.
The aesthetic considerations of kerning are also touched upon, with commenters debating the merits of "loose" versus "tight" kerning and the impact of kerning on readability and visual appeal. One commenter points out that kerning preferences can be subjective and culturally influenced.
Finally, some commenters express a renewed appreciation for the craft of typography and the attention to detail required to create visually harmonious text. The article and subsequent discussion serve as a reminder of the often-unseen work that goes into making written language visually appealing and easy to read.