Using Type

Using type thoughtfully is crucial to making our designs look professional. Follow these tips to make sure our typography is consistent.

Leading

Line spacing, called leading, is critical to setting professional-looking type that is easy to read. Leading should be set tight, but not too tight.

A good rule of thumb is to start with leading that is 2–4 points higher than the point size of the text. This won’t always be right, but leading can most easily be adjusted from there.

Tracking

Correct letterspacing, called tracking, also helps to make the type easy to read. Always use optical kerning, and rely on your best judgment when tracking text or kerning characters, based on this guide.

Using type creatively

The samples below illustrate type combinations that work well together. Specifications for these examples are good starting points, but they can change depending on the format of the piece.

Accessibility

Stanford University is committed to providing an online environment that is accessible to everyone, including individuals with disabilities. Please visit the Stanford Online Accessibility Program and Stanford Online Accessibility Policy for more information.