Leading: Line Spacing in Typography
Leading is the vertical space between lines of text, measured from baseline to baseline.
Good leading improves readability and tone. Too tight makes paragraphs feel heavy and hard to scan. Too loose disconnects lines and makes reading slower. Leading should be tested at real size and on the intended medium, print or screen.
Example
Body text at 16 px often reads well with 24 px line height, which is 1.5 line-height. This varies by font, language, and layout width.
Frequently Asked Questions
Many body text blocks work around 1.4 to 1.6 line height. Headings often use tighter leading.
Narrow columns cause more line breaks. Slightly tighter leading can prevent the paragraph from looking too tall, but do not sacrifice readability.
Screens often benefit from slightly more leading due to pixel rendering and reading distance. Print can tolerate tighter leading if the paper and font render cleanly.
Yes. Tight leading can make text blocks feel darker and heavier. More leading introduces more white space and can feel lighter.
A baseline grid aligns text baselines across columns and modules. You often set leading to a value that fits the grid for consistent rhythm.
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