How to use leading in a sentence. In typography, leading ( /ˈlɛdɪŋ/) refers to the distance between the baselines of successive lines of type. You’ll find the definition of typography, a rundown of the key elements of typography, and tips on how to choose the right typeface for your website design: ... and the spacing between letters and lines (or ‘kerning’ and ‘leading’ in professional terms). Leading is the space between lines of letterpress type. Kerning vs tracking. Leading definition is - coming or ranking first : foremost. In other words, leading is line spacing. This term came from the days of typesetting when individual pieces of lead were inserted between text blocks to increase the vertical distance between lines. Leading. Elements of Good Typography. Leading isn’t what you probably think it is. In fact it’s pronounced ledding – as in lead, the metal. What does leading mean? The term is often used for digital typesetting as well, but stands for the distance between consecutive baselines in this context. By this definition, isn't it the same thing as line height? Although it’s not likely you’ll need to kern multiple lines of text, it’s still good to be aware of the types of spacing you can use to improve your designs. Like kerning, leading can impact the readability and legibility of type. In a typographical design, it is more about controlling the space between letters to make the text more appealing, optimized for readability and proportionately sized. It is called leading because the material to fill this space was originally made from lead. In typography, leading (/ ˈ l ɛ d ɪ ŋ / LED-ing) is the space between adjacent lines of type; the exact definition varies.. Consistency – in any typographical work the consistent use of typefaces, kerning, leading, bullets and formatting is critical. Leading is defined as a lead covering or border, or the spacing between lines of print. Also, ensure enough contrast between the text and the background color. • Leading: This is the vertical space between lines of text. Kerning and Leading are important in typography and should not be ignored. But in the following examples in the same wikipedia page, it seems leading is extra space between lines, not line height. Leading and Line Spacing. The design is not really complete until kerning and leading have been considered, … The principle of perfecting typeface in a website design begins with adjusting three elements, respectively as leading, kerning and tracking. Leading consists of the vertical spacing between lines of contiguous text. You’ve probably used this setting in word processing programs, where it’s a common feature. In this case, lead is referring to the strips of lead once used to create space between lines of text in the days of mechanical typesetting. 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