Double spacing increases the amount of unused white space on a page and reduces the number of lines on a page. The typographer Matthew Butterick recommends leading between 20% and 45% of the font size. https://mcw-cricket.com/ The word comes from lead strips that were put between set lines of lead type, hence the pronunciation “ledding” and not “leeding”. The thickness of the strip is called leading and is equal to the difference between the size of the type and the distance from one baseline to the next. In hand typesetting, leading is the thin strips of lead (or aluminium) that were inserted between lines of type in the composing stick to increase the vertical distance between them. Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context.
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No two fonts are exactly alike, and for that reason many have characteristics that demand a certain leading. There are instances that call for a change in leading, such as when a block quote is placed within a written text. It would cause the text to be harder to read, as lines would be forced together, lessening room between lines and hindering readability. A negative leading could be viewed as a hindrance to readability. An example of negative leading is (12/10) where 2 points are removed from the default leading. Too much leading can cause continuity problems, as the eyes of the reader are required to travel a greater distance between lines of text.
The lines on the front of a page and the verso (back) should line up vertically, line for line. Letters with high ascenders and low descenders can interfere with one another between lines, if the leading is small enough to allow them to touch one another. However, for short bursts of text a negative leading can enhance the message of the text and can create a more effective text.
Examples
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- First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English (noun); lead 1 ( def. ) + -ing 2 ( def. ) for the adjective senses; lead 1 ( def. ) + -ing 1 ( def. ) for the noun sense
- In The Elements of Typographic Style, Robert Bringhurst recommends more leading for longer measures, and for typefaces with darker weight, larger x-height, a vertical axis, or no serifs.
- In CSS, leading refers to the difference between the content height and the value of the line-height property.
- A negative leading could be viewed as a hindrance to readability.
In metal typesetting some fonts have default increased or decreased leading. In typography, leading (/ˈlɛdɪŋ/ LED-ing) is the space between adjacent lines of type; the exact definition varies. The lack of white space between lines makes it difficult for the eye to track from one line to the next, makes rivers more obvious, and hampers readability. This combination of type size and distance between baselines is described as “10 on 12 pt”, which may appear in a book’s colophon as “Typeset in 10 on 12 pt Times Roman”, or similar.
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The EU in recent years has tried to tackle the imbalance through higher tariffs and a wave of anti-subsidy probes in the clean tech sector, leading to increased trade frictions between Brussels and Beijing. First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English (noun); lead 1 ( def. ) + -ing 2 ( def. ) for the adjective senses; lead 1 ( def. ) + -ing 1 ( def. ) for the noun sense Missing Link Quiz May 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot…
The leading may be increased to align the bottom line of text on a page in a process known as feathering, carding, or vertical justification. In CSS, leading refers to the difference between the content height and the value of the line-height property. In this way the leading of a page can have a profound effect on the written text.
