SANJIESAN CREATOR / Display typography
Check the spaces inside a short illustrated title
A short title can look uneven even when its characters share the same size. The empty shapes between them are part of the image. Adobe’s Illustrator reference distinguishes kerning for particular pairs from tracking across selected text. Use a made-up title to examine that difference before stretching letters or changing the whole typeface.
Read the title as a group of spaces
Use a short original Latin-script title with a mix of straight, round and diagonal letters. View it large enough to notice the spaces, then at the size intended in the illustration. Identify the one pair that seems unusually open or crowded. Do not judge by ruler distance alone: the shapes of the neighbouring letters affect the visible gap. Keep the word’s intended spelling and typeface fixed during this first comparison.
Change the pair before the whole line
Make a comparison copy and adjust only the identified pair using the relevant control in your application. Compare the surrounding rhythm, not just the repaired gap. Then, if the entire word still feels too loose for its role, investigate tracking separately. Changing every gap to solve one diagonal pair can compress already comfortable areas. Avoid distorting individual letter widths unless a deliberate lettering design, rather than ordinary type spacing, is the actual goal.
Return the word to the illustration
Place the revised title against its actual background and nearby artwork. Check that a bright edge or object does not create a misleading visual gap. Compare the title at normal viewing size and in the smallest required preview. If the spacing improvement disappears at that scale, spend the next pass on a more visible issue. Preserve the editable type so a later spelling change does not require rebuilding every letter as artwork.