The font validator checks the left and right side bearings on specific glyphs in your font. This helps us confirm that spacing across your typeface is consistent.
Many new designers tend to align a letter all the way to the left side of the glyph box, leaving most of the space on the right side. While it may seem harmless, this creates several spacing problems later:
- It makes the font harder to kern and manage during design.
- It causes layout issues for customers, because text may shift unexpectedly.
- It creates subtle visual discomfort while typing, as letters don’t feel centered within their boxes.
To avoid these issues, glyphs should be roughly centered inside their glyph boxes.
Keep in mind that perfect symmetry isn’t required, basic type design principles often call for slightly different amounts of space on each side. You can explore more about the principles of spacing in our common errors in type design series.
If you’re working with an italic or script typeface, please disregard this check. These styles interact with the glyph box differently and will almost always appear off-center compared to upright fonts.