Using Help | Contents | Index Back 261
Adobe Illustrator Help Using Type
Using Help | Contents | Index Back 261
Spacing characters with auto-kerning
To use a font’s kerning information to space characters, you can select the Auto-Kerning
option in the Character palette. Many Roman fonts contain information about the spacing
of character pairs. For example, the spacing between an A and a W often is less than the
spacing between an A and an F.
You can also choose a specific kerning value, rather than Auto-Kerning, in the Character
palette until you finish creating your type. Then select the type and apply auto-kerning
to it.
To apply auto-kerning to existing type in a file:
1 Choose Select > All.
2 In the Character palette, choose Auto from the Kerning pop-up menu or type Auto in
the text box.
To turn auto-kerning off:
Enter 0 in the Kerning text box.
Specifying baseline shift
Baseline shift controls the distance that type appears from its baseline, either raising or
lowering the selected type. The Baseline Shift option lets you create subscripts or super-
scripts or move path type above or below a path without changing the direction of the
type flow. For example, using the path-type tool on a circle positions type above the circle.
Using the Baseline Shift option, you can move the type inside the circle without changing
the type’s orientation.
A positive value moves type above the baseline; a negative value moves it below the
baseline. Baseline shift is measured by points unless you change the option set in the Type
pop-up menu in the Units & Undo Preferences dialog box.
To specify baseline shift using the Character palette:
1 Select a type container or type path using a selection tool, or select a block of type
using the type tools.
2 If the Baseline Shift button is not visible in the Character palette, choose Show
Options from the palette menu.
3 Enter a value in the Baseline Shift text box, or press Up Arrow or Down Arrow to
increase or decrease baseline shift.
4 Press Enter or Return.
Adjusting horizontal or vertical scale
Horizontal scale and vertical scale specify the proportion between the height and width of
the type relative to the baseline. You can adjust scale to compress or expand selected
characters in both width and height.
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