What is Leading in Typography?


Sandesh Subedi
Aug 28, 2019
What is Leading?
When we talk about typography, leading is the most commonly used term. Leading is the difference between the baseline of the types. In simple terms, the distance between the two lines of text is leading. Leading is extensively being used in the areas of User Interface Design. Correct spacing can make or break the interface. The tighter spacing values in newspapers makes the text difficult to read sometimes.Why is leading crucial in typography?
Readability is an important aspect that should be taken care of when we talk about designing interfaces. To ensure readability, there must be enough distance between the bottom of the words of the previous line and the top of the words of the next line. Typography isn't just about choosing fonts, text size, and color; it also takes care of how the content is placed on the screen. Right leading ensures that the text is easy on the eyes. Text is easy to ready if the leading is neither too loose nor too tight, as it conveys the message you intend the user to understand.Purpose of leading
Sometimes the way interfaces are designed too heavy to the eyes. For a dark interface, it is recommended to use greater leading and light-weighted typeface, to enhance the readability of the interface. Similarly, different colors add different kinds of weight to the screen, making it difficult to even look at the interface. It can be fixed using correct spacing between the lines, leading.How is leading measured in typography?
There is no correct way to measure leading. It is based upon the context and the interface being used. Leading is measured in the sense of tight or loose leading. A tight leading is generally used in print media and newspapers, where they have to provide too much information in a smaller amount of space. It also gives them an authentic look at the same time, making it chaos for the eyes, decreasing readability.

What is negative leading in typography?


How much leading shall you use?
Various parameters impact the question, how much leading is enough?





