What is the definition of tracking in typography?

Tracking is a typography term that refers to the space between characters in a block of text. Tracking is consistent for all characters, so changing it will impact the overall appearance of text. Tracking can be adjusted to make text appear more spacious or to help fit text in a tight space.

Tracking is easily confused with kerning, which is the space between specific character pairs. For example, the kerning in the letter pair “AV” is generally adjusted to avoid an awkward gap between these two letters (e.g., “A V”), but this adjustment will not impact the spacing of other letter pairs.

If you need a term broken down in a simple and easy-to-understand way, try QuillBot’s free AI Chat.

Related article: What Is Typography? | Definition & Key Terms

If you’ve created a document or presentation, you’ve practiced typography. Put simply, typography is the art of arranging text to be readable and visually appealing. Important considerations include size, spacing, alignment, typeface (or font), and color. This beginner’s guide to typography will give you the foundational knowledge to create polished, professional documents. And because great […]

Read more