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From: Alex Best
Date: Tue, Dec 04 2018 5:49PM
Subject: Converting and implementing text spacing values
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Hello everyone,


This is a query for anyone with design experience for accessibility compliance..


I am working on designs to comply with WACG 2.1 for AA level and I am struggling with implementing part of the text spacing criteria (I think the clause is 1.4.12) regarding letter spacing (tracking). The criteria is set as 0.12 of the font size (12%) but there is no equivalent value (expressed in this way) that is adjustable in the parameters of design software (well at least not in photoshop). Design software uses 'em' value which is relative to font size, with 1 em being equal to the font size (so if the text is 14pt. then 1 em = 14).


So in photoshop the number value used to express em is multiplied by 1000. So at '0.12' size of font (0.12 em) the value is 120. This is the current setting I have for text tracking in designs (based on my calculations) and it appears to be the minimum value. But it just looks very wide; wider in comparison to other text spacing I have observed in sites with AA and even AAA level ratings.

?

Does anyone have any advice/experience with this? Is my '120' tracking setting correct as a minimum value for my AA requirements?


Many thanks

Alex

From: Patrick H. Lauke
Date: Tue, Dec 04 2018 6:06PM
Subject: Re: Converting and implementing text spacing values
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On 05/12/2018 00:49, Alex Best wrote:
> Hello everyone,
>
>
> This is a query for anyone with design experience for accessibility compliance..
>
>
> I am working on designs to comply with WACG 2.1 for AA level and I am struggling with implementing part of the text spacing criteria (I think the clause is 1.4.12) regarding letter spacing (tracking). The criteria is set as 0.12 of the font size (12%) but there is no equivalent value (expressed in this way) that is adjustable in the parameters of design software (well at least not in photoshop). Design software uses 'em' value which is relative to font size, with 1 em being equal to the font size (so if the text is 14pt. then 1 em = 14).

Note that the requirement in 1.4.12 isn't that your site must have those
particular metrics set. Rather, it's that if users change these settings
themselves (e.g. setting custom styles in their browser themselves),
things don't fall apart/overlap/get cut off/become unreadable.

So it's about making sure the design/layout scale correctly and adapt to
variations in text spacing/line height, not that your design must adhere
to those values.

For testing, see
https://developer.paciellogroup.com/blog/2018/05/short-note-on-getting-spaced-out-with-sc-1-4-12-text-spacing/
for instance.

P
--
Patrick H. Lauke

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