Kerning in logos: spacing that makes or breaks a mark
Master kerning in logos with spacing fixes and FedEx style tips for clean type.
Why spacing decides quality
Bad kerning cuts perceived quality by 28 percent in tests with 450 judges viewing pairs for 8 seconds. FedEx tightens caps to 25 units so the arrow appears, proving 1 pixel shifts can turn amateur lettering into a 50 year icon.
Optical spacing adjusts rounds like O and C 5 percent tighter than straights for even color. When generating your logo online, zoom to 400 percent, flip to black on white, and nudge pairs across 10 rounds until gaps look equal at arms length.
Quick kerning workflow
Set tracking near zero, then fix AV, To and Lc pairs needing minus 30 to minus 80 units. Test words at 72 points and 18 pixels, squint to spot dark spots, and compare prints from 2 feet away.
Avoid auto kerning alone because software misses 15 percent of tricky pairs in script logos. Manually check numbers, periods and caps at 120 percent size, save 3 versions, and ask 8 users which spacing feels calmer before final export.
- Zoom to 400 percent check
- Fix AV To Lc pairs first
- Squint test for dark spots
- Compare 72pt and 18px sizes
- Save 3 spacing versions