Sidebearing is the white space built into each side of a letter, between its drawn shape and the edges of its set width. Invisible to the naked eye, it determines the distance between letters and gives text its rhythm.
Where to see it
Sidebearing can be seen in the space that separates two letters within the same word, for example between the “n” and the “o” in “now”. Each letter has a left and a right sidebearing, set by the type designer so that the spacing appears even.
Why this detail matters
The setting of sidebearings determines reading comfort and the texture of a text:
- Sidebearings that are too tight make letters touch and words hard to decipher;
- Sidebearings that are too wide scatter the letters and rob the word of its visual unity;
- Certain letter pairs, such as “AV” or “To”, require a specific adjustment, known as kerning, to compensate for the white space created by their shapes.
Related term
Set width is the total width occupied by a character: it includes the drawn letter and its two sidebearings, left and right.
Anatomy glossary
Ascender, Descender, Sidebearing, Joint, Axis, Bar, Beak, Bowl, Loop, Set width, Counter, Serif, Stem, Leg, Minim, Baseline, Eye, Belly, Foot, Point, Tail, Cross stroke, Terminal, X-height, Cap height, Body; Mean line, Ear, Spur, Ball terminal, Ligature, Apex, Vertex, Arm, Shoulder, Spine, Em dash, Thick stroke, Hairline, Bracket, Bounding box