Leading (rhymes with heading) is the vertical space between each line of text. Typically we leave that set to “auto,” but there are times when playing with leading can have interesting results.

• Increase the leading to open up the space for an airy feel. No cheating, though: don’t do it just to make your copy look longer
• Decrease the leading for a bunched approach. This is particularly popular with grunge fonts and in headlines
• Be consistent within sections. Use the same leading for all headlines and copy
• For extra “yerd” points, impress your friends by telling them that it came from the days of old when typesetting was done by hand. A strip of lead was used between each line of letter

*This entry is part of “The Yearbook Ladies’ A to Zs of Yearbook”
project. If you’d like to download the “L” card, go to the “Adviser
Resources” section of www.theyearbookladies.com

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