font-kerning

The font-kerning CSS property sets the use of the kerning information stored in a font.

Kerning defines how letters are spaced. In well-kerned fonts, this feature makes character spacing more uniform and pleasant to read than it would otherwise be.

In the image below, for instance, the examples on the left do not use kerning, while the ones on the right do:

Example of font-kerning

Syntax

font-kerning: auto;
font-kerning: normal;
font-kerning: none;

/* Global values */
font-kerning: inherit;
font-kerning: initial;
font-kerning: revert;
font-kerning: unset;

Values

auto
The browser determines whether font kerning should be used or not. For example, some browsers will disable kerning on small fonts, since applying it could harm the readability of text.
normal
Font kerning information stored in the font must be applied.
none
Font kerning information stored in the font is disabled.

Formal definition

Initial valueauto
Applies toall elements. It also applies to ::first-letter and ::first-line.
Inheritedyes
Computed valueas specified
Animation typediscrete

Formal syntax

auto | normal | none

Examples

Enabling and disabling kerning

HTML

<div id="kern"></div>
<div id="nokern"></div>
<textarea id="input">AV T. ij</textarea>

CSS

div {
  font-size: 2rem;
  font-family: serif;
}

#nokern {
  font-kerning: none;
}

#kern {
  font-kerning: normal;
}

JavaScript

let input  = document.getElementById('input');
let kern   = document.getElementById('kern');
let nokern = document.getElementById('nokern');

input.addEventListener('keyup', function() {
  kern.textContent = input.value; /* Update content */
  nokern.textContent = input.value;
});

kern.textContent = input.value; /* Initialize content */
nokern.textContent = input.value;

Specifications

Specification Status Comment
CSS Fonts Module Level 3
The definition of 'font-kerning' in that specification.		 Recommendation Initial definition.

Browser compatibility

BCD tables only load in the browser

See also