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Question

Tracking text

Forum|Forum|7 years ago
December 15, 2018
3 replies
1937 views

If I need to apply a tracking of 0.12 x the font size in InDesign, what value do I enter in the tracking field?

This topic has been closed for replies.

ericcarlson

Participating Frequently

I believe that either you or the web developer is misreading the WCAG 2.1 specification. It does not say that the tracking must be at least 0.12 em. What it says is that, as part of a checklist you should use while testing for conformance, you must test with a value of at least this much to ensure that it does not conflict with other elements in the design (e.g., no text cut off and no text overlap). More specifically, it says that ‘no loss of content or functionality occurs by setting’ the tracking this high. This value is treated in the spec not as a normal value you should use but as an extreme value that a user might need and that should therefore be tested.

E

Eugene Tyson

Community Expert

The only place I see to change this default is here

E

Eugene Tyson

Community Expert

Can you explain what you are doingn a bit more?

.12 x by what measurement?

If you need to you can just type in *.12 in the tracking field.

robc41674700Author

Participating Frequently

I need to apply tracking to some text setting that will be seen on the web.

Because it will be seen on the web, it needs to comply with web standard

WCAG 2.0, which dictates that tracking on font setting needs to be at least

0.12 times the font size. I am setting the font in an Adobe package for

this, and as I understand, Adobe uses the value of em for tracking text in

the value field. So my question was what value do I apply in the tracking

field to meet the 0.12 times font size?

Thanks

On Sat, Dec 15, 2018 at 10:43 AM Eugene Tyson <forums_noreply@adobe.com>

jane-e

Community Expert

The typesetting is for a logotype that will appear on the web. I have been

advised by the web developers that because the logo will appear on the web

its typesetting needs to comply with web usability standard WCAG 2.0. In

that guide it dictates that letter spacing / tracking needs to be set at

least 0.12 times the font size. From what I understand, Adobe packages use

1/1000 em for the value in the tracking field and that 1em equals the font

size. So if I entered a value of 1000 in the tracking field, that wold be

the same as the font size.

So if I need to apply 0.12 times the font size, that is 12% of 1em, so I

would need to apply a tracking of 120 in the field – but that creates way

too much letter spacing. So either my understanding of the conversion is

wrong, or the tracking that is being dictated by the usability standard is

ridiculous.

So my query on here was to see if anyone could clarify how they would

convert a tracking value of 0.12 times the font size as a value to be

entered in the tracking field within Adobe layout packages so that it is an

accurate conversion.

Thanks

I found the guidelines, and they do have that very awkward wording.

https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/quickref/#text-spacing

https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG21/Understanding/text-spacing.html

My instinct is to use .12% In Justification for each style if you are using InDesign. The defaults are zero for all three, but they don't give a min/max. The goal seems to be that the user can change it themselves, and that you are adding some spacing. (I added numbers to min/max.)

Illustrator, where you cross-posted and is now locked, has the same settings in Justification.

If it is just a couple of words for a logo, it's okay to use tracking.

We do have a forum for Standards and Accessibility and can move this post if you want us to.

Standards & Accessibility (tagged PDF)

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