SwiftUI – Text Character Spacing

SwiftUI – Text Character Spacing

In SwiftUI, you can adjust the spacing between characters in a Text view using the kerning(_:) and tracking(_:) modifiers. These modifiers allow you to create visually appealing typography by customizing the distance between letters in your text.

While both kerning(_:) and tracking(_:) adjust character spacing, they differ slightly:

• kerning(_:): Adds spacing between individual characters.
• tracking(_:): Applies uniform spacing adjustment across the entire text, useful for consistent adjustments.

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Syntax for Character Spacing

Here’s the basic syntax for adjusting character spacing:

Text("Your text here")
    .kerning(value) // Adjust spacing between characters
    .tracking(value) // Apply uniform spacing across the text

Here:

• "Your text here": The content of the Text view.
• value: The spacing value in points. Positive values increase spacing, while negative values decrease it.

Choose kerning(_:) for fine-tuned adjustments between characters and tracking(_:) for consistent adjustments across all characters.

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Examples

Let’s explore how to use character spacing in SwiftUI with a few examples.

Example 1: Adjusting Character Spacing with Kerning

Here’s how you can increase the spacing between individual characters:

Code Example:

import SwiftUI

struct ContentView: View {
    var body: some View {
        Text("SwiftUI Kerning Example")
            .kerning(5) // Increase spacing by 5 points
            .padding()
            .font(.title)
            .background(Color.blue.opacity(0.2))
    }
}

Explanation:

• The .kerning(5) modifier increases the spacing between individual characters by 5 points.
• The .font(.title) makes the text larger, making the increased spacing more noticeable.
• The .background adds a light blue background for visual emphasis.

Result: The characters in the text will have increased spacing, creating a more open appearance.

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Example 2: Adjusting Character Spacing with Tracking

Here’s how you can apply consistent spacing across the entire text using tracking(_:):

Code Example:

import SwiftUI

struct ContentView: View {
    var body: some View {
        Text("SwiftUI Tracking Example")
            .tracking(8) // Apply uniform spacing of 8 points
            .padding()
            .font(.headline)
            .foregroundColor(.purple)
    }
}

Explanation:

• The .tracking(8) modifier applies consistent spacing of 8 points across all characters.
• The .font(.headline) adjusts the font size to highlight the spacing effect.
• The .foregroundColor(.purple) sets the text color to purple for better visibility.

Result: The text will have uniform character spacing, making it appear more spaced out overall.

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Example 3: Reducing Character Spacing

You can also reduce the spacing between characters by using negative values:

Code Example:

import SwiftUI

struct ContentView: View {
    var body: some View {
        Text("Reduced Spacing Example")
            .kerning(-2) // Reduce spacing by 2 points
            .padding()
            .font(.largeTitle)
            .foregroundColor(.red)
    }
}

Explanation:

• The .kerning(-2) modifier reduces the spacing between characters by 2 points.
• The .font(.largeTitle) makes the text larger for clarity.
• The .foregroundColor(.red) changes the text color to red for emphasis.

Result: The characters in the text will appear closer together, creating a compact look.

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Conclusion

In SwiftUI, the kerning(_:) and tracking(_:) modifiers allow you to fine-tune text character spacing to achieve the desired typography effects. Whether you want to create an open, spaced-out look or a compact, tight design, these modifiers provide the flexibility you need for your app’s text styling.