How to Kern Text in Canva: Everything You Need to Know
If you have ever looked at a headline in your Canva design and felt like something was slightly off, the issue is probably kerning. Kerning is the process of adjusting the space between individual letter pairs so your text looks visually balanced rather than mathematically equal.
Professional design tools like Adobe Illustrator give you full control over kerning on a per-character basis. Canva works differently. But that does not mean you are stuck with awkward letter spacing. In this guide from Rishfeld Designs, we will walk you through exactly how to kern text in Canva using built-in features and smart workarounds.
What Is Kerning and Why Does It Matter?
Kerning refers to the adjustment of space between specific pairs of letters. It is not the same as tracking, which adjusts spacing uniformly across an entire word or line.
Here is a quick comparison:
| Term | What It Does | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Kerning | Adjusts spacing between two specific letters | Tightening the gap between “A” and “V” |
| Tracking | Adjusts spacing uniformly across all letters | Spreading out an entire word for a headline effect |
| Leading | Adjusts the vertical space between lines of text | Adding breathing room between two paragraphs |
Poor kerning can make your designs look unprofessional, cause readability issues, and even create unintentional word combinations that distract your audience. Good kerning makes text feel natural and polished.
How Canva Handles Kerning: The Built-In Kerning Toggle
Canva introduced a dedicated kerning feature within its Typography settings. This toggle applies the font’s built-in kerning tables, meaning it uses spacing data that the font designer embedded in the font file. Here is how to enable it:
Step-by-Step: Enable Automatic Kerning in Canva
- Select your text box by clicking on it in your design.
- In the toolbar above the canvas, look for the text settings icon. It looks like an uppercase “A” with a small settings or gear symbol next to it.
- Click that icon to open advanced text formatting options.
- Navigate to the “Typography” tab.
- You will see a “Kerning” toggle. Turn it on.
- While you are there, you can also enable “Ligatures” for fonts that support them. Ligatures combine certain letter pairs (like “fi” or “fl”) into a single, more elegant glyph.
Important: The kerning toggle applies the font’s default kerning values globally. You cannot adjust individual letter pairs with this toggle. It is an on/off switch, not a slider. If the font has good built-in kerning data, enabling this will noticeably improve your typography. If the font has limited kerning tables, the difference may be subtle.
How to Adjust Letter Spacing (Tracking) in Canva
If you need to adjust the overall spacing between all letters in a text block, Canva gives you a letter spacing slider. This is technically tracking, not kerning, but it is the closest thing Canva offers to manual spacing control for the full text.
Step-by-Step: Change Letter Spacing
- Select your text box.
- Click the “Spacing” button in the top toolbar. It is represented by an icon that shows horizontal and vertical lines with arrows.
- You will see two sliders:
- Letter spacing controls the horizontal space between characters.
- Line spacing controls the vertical space between lines.
- Drag the letter spacing slider left to tighten or right to loosen the spacing.
- Watch your text update in real time as you adjust.
This method works great for stylistic adjustments. For example, you might want to add generous letter spacing to a subheading in all caps for a modern, editorial look. Or you might tighten the spacing on a bold headline to make it feel more compact and powerful.
Manual Kerning Workaround: Using Separate Text Boxes
Since Canva does not allow you to kern individual letter pairs directly within a single text box, there is a manual workaround that experienced Canva users rely on. It takes more effort, but it gives you precise control.
Step-by-Step: Manual Kerning with Individual Text Boxes
- Type each letter (or problematic letter pair) in its own separate text box.
- Set all text boxes to the same font, size, and color.
- Position the text boxes next to each other on the canvas, adjusting the spacing between them manually by dragging.
- Use Canva’s alignment and distribution tools to keep everything on the same baseline.
- Once you are happy with the spacing, select all the text boxes and group them (right-click and choose “Group” or use Ctrl+G / Cmd+G).
When to use this method:
- Logo text or brand name treatments where spacing must be pixel-perfect
- Large display headlines where kerning issues are highly visible
- Artistic typography layouts where letters overlap or have custom positioning
Downsides of this method:
- It is time-consuming, especially for longer words
- Editing the text later means repositioning everything
- It does not scale well for body text or paragraphs
When to Switch Fonts for Better Default Spacing
Sometimes the best kerning fix is not a setting change but a font change. Not all fonts are created equal when it comes to built-in spacing data. Some fonts ship with excellent kerning tables, while others have minimal or no kerning information at all.
Signs Your Font Has Poor Kerning
- Noticeable gaps between common letter pairs like “AV”, “To”, “WA”, or “Ty”
- Letters that appear to bump into each other
- The text looks uneven even after enabling the kerning toggle
- Free or novelty fonts often have limited OpenType features
Fonts That Tend to Have Better Kerning in Canva
| Font Category | Recommended Fonts | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sans Serif | Inter, Poppins, Montserrat, Open Sans | Well-maintained Google Fonts with solid kerning |
| Serif | Playfair Display, Lora, Merriweather | Elegant options with good spacing built in |
| Display | Bebas Neue, Oswald, Raleway | Popular headline fonts with decent default kerning |
Pro tip: If you have a Canva Pro subscription, you can upload custom fonts. Premium and professionally designed fonts (from foundries like Google Fonts, Adobe Fonts, or independent type designers) almost always have better kerning data than free novelty fonts.
Kerning Tips for Better Typography in Canva
Beyond the technical steps, here are practical tips to improve your text spacing in every Canva project:
- Zoom in. Kerning issues are easier to spot at larger zoom levels. Always review your headlines at 200% or more before finalizing.
- Squint test. Squint your eyes while looking at your text. This blurs the letters and makes uneven spacing more obvious.
- Flip it upside down. Rotating your design 180 degrees helps you see letter shapes and spacing without being distracted by reading the actual words.
- Print or export first. Text spacing can look different on screen versus in a PDF or printed piece. Always check your final output.
- Use uppercase sparingly. All-caps text tends to expose kerning problems more than mixed-case text. If you use all caps, consider adding a small amount of extra letter spacing for a cleaner look.
- Compare fonts side by side. If you are undecided between two fonts, type the same headline in both and compare the default spacing before committing.
Canva Kerning vs. Professional Design Software
It is worth understanding where Canva fits in the spectrum of design tools when it comes to typography control:
| Feature | Canva | Adobe Illustrator / InDesign | Figma |
|---|---|---|---|
| Automatic kerning toggle | Yes | Yes (Metrics, Optical, Manual) | Yes |
| Per-character kerning | No (workaround with separate text boxes) | Yes | Yes |
| Tracking / letter spacing | Yes (slider) | Yes (numeric input) | Yes (numeric input) |
| Ligatures | Yes (toggle) | Yes (full OpenType support) | Limited |
| Custom font upload | Pro only | Yes | Yes |
Canva is excellent for quick, accessible design work. For projects that demand precise typographic control, like brand identity systems or print publications, professional software may be the better choice. But for social media graphics, presentations, and marketing materials, Canva’s kerning and spacing tools are more than enough when used correctly.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I change the spacing between specific letters in Canva?
Canva does not support per-character kerning adjustments within a single text box. You can enable the automatic kerning toggle under the Typography tab, which applies the font’s built-in kerning values. For precise control over individual letter pairs, use the workaround of placing each letter in a separate text box and positioning them manually.
Where is the Typography tab in Canva?
Select your text box, then click the icon in the top toolbar that looks like an uppercase “A” with a settings symbol. This opens the advanced text formatting panel. Look for the “Typography” tab inside that panel to find the Kerning and Ligatures toggles.
What is the difference between kerning and letter spacing in Canva?
The kerning toggle in Canva activates the font’s built-in spacing adjustments for specific letter pairs. The letter spacing slider (found under the Spacing button) adjusts the distance between all letters uniformly. Kerning is about fine-tuning pairs; letter spacing is about overall density.
Does the kerning toggle work with all fonts in Canva?
No. The kerning toggle only works if the font file includes kerning data. Many professional and popular Google Fonts have this data. Some free or decorative fonts may not include kerning tables, in which case the toggle will have little or no visible effect.
Can I kern text in Canva on mobile?
Yes. The text formatting options, including the spacing slider and the Typography tab, are available in the Canva mobile app. The interface layout may differ slightly from the desktop version, but the functionality is the same. Look for the text settings icon after selecting your text box.
How do I properly kern text for a logo in Canva?
For logo work in Canva, use the manual method. Type each letter in a separate text box, position them individually for balanced spacing, and group them when finished. This gives you the most control. If you need professional-grade kerning for a final logo, consider exporting from Canva and refining in Illustrator or a similar tool.
Is there a shortcut for kerning in Canva?
Canva does not currently offer keyboard shortcuts for adjusting kerning or letter spacing. You will need to use the on-screen slider for tracking adjustments and the Typography toggle for automatic kerning.
Good typography is one of the fastest ways to elevate any design. Even in a tool as accessible as Canva, paying attention to letter spacing can be the difference between amateur and polished work. If you have questions about typography, branding, or design best practices, feel free to reach out to our team at Rishfeld Designs.