Kerning
The adjustment of horizontal spacing between individual pairs of letters to achieve visually balanced, readable typography.
What is Kerning?
Kerning is the fine-tuning of horizontal space between specific pairs of letters to create visual balance and optimal readability. Unlike tracking (which adjusts spacing uniformly across all characters), kerning addresses the unique spatial relationships between particular letter combinations that can create awkward gaps or uncomfortable crowding if left at default spacing.
The need for kerning arises from letter shapes. Characters like "AV" or "To" create visual gaps when spaced uniformly because their shapes fit together. Others like "nn" can feel too tight. Professional typography requires adjusting these relationships manually or using font metrics. In motion graphics, where text often appears large and is scrutinized closely, poor kerning becomes glaringly obvious and undermines professional polish.
While type design software includes kerning tables defining spacing adjustments for common letter pairs, custom text in motion graphics frequently requires manual kerning refinement. Large display text, custom letter animations, and brand-critical typography all demand the designer's eye to achieve truly professional results. The difference between amateur and professional typography often comes down to these micro-adjustments that most viewers will never consciously notice—but will subconsciously feel when done well or poorly.
How Does Kerning Work?
Kerning is adjusted in After Effects by selecting the Type Tool, clicking between two specific letters, then adjusting the kerning value in the Character panel (Alt/Option + Left/Right Arrow nudges kern ing values). Positive values increase space, negative values decrease it. Common problem pairs include AV, AW, VA, WA, To, Tr, Yo, and letter combinations with punctuation. Professional kerning workflow: set text first, view at final display size, identify visually awkward spacing, adjust specific pairs, view again. Repeat until text feels balanced. Trust your eye more than numbers—technically equal spacing can look uneven due to letter shapes. Optical kerning (automated) uses letter shapes rather than font metrics—often better for display text. Manual kerning provides ultimate control for critical applications.
Key Benefits and Importance
- Professional, polished typography appearance
- Improved readability and comprehension
- Visual balance and harmony in text
- Elevated production value in motion graphics
- Proper representation of brand typography standards
- Elimination of distracting spacing irregularities
Common Use Cases
- •Large display text in title sequences
- •Logo text and branded typography
- •Kinetic typography animation
- •Lower thirds and on-screen graphics
- •End credits and text-heavy motion graphics
- •Any situation where text quality is critically visible
Best Practices for Kerning
Always review text at final viewing size—kerning issues invisible at small size become obvious large
Pay special attention to capital letter pairs and punctuation
Use Optical kerning as starting point, then refine manually
Avoid over-kerning—excessive adjustments create new problems
Match brand typography guidelines if they specify kerning standards
Perform kerning checks at project completion for polish pass
Industry Applications
Kerning matters wherever typography appears, making it universal across motion graphics applications. Broadcast design demands perfect kerning for on-screen graphics viewed on large displays. Commercial advertising requires flawless brand typography representation. Title sequences for film and television scrutinize typography closely. Corporate presentation graphics need professional polish. Social media content, while often viewed small, still benefits from proper kerning when text is featured. Print design has always emphasized kerning, and motion graphics inherits these standards. Any project where typography is featured—not merely functional—demands kerning attention.
Technical Details
Kerning values in After Effects are measured in units of 1/1000 em (an em is the current font size—for 100pt font, 1 em = 100pt). Adjusting kerning by -20 moves letters closer by 2/100ths of the font size. Kerning adjustments are stored per character pair—each space has its own value. Three kerning options exist: Metrics (uses font file's built-in kerning tables), Optical (After Effects calculates spacing based on letter optical shapes—often better for display text), and Manual (specific values set by the designer). Keyboard shortcuts: Alt/Option + Left/Right Arrow nudges kerning in small increments, adding Ctrl/Cmd makes larger jumps. Professional typography sometimes requires kerning adjustments of -200 to +200 units for problem pairs. When animating text, decide whether to kern before or after splitting into character animator —kerning after splitting requires manual positioning rather than kerning values.