Client wants no kerning pairs

[Blynne]

Hello. I've searched for an answer online but so far no results...

My client doesn't want kerning pairs, ff specifically, but also others. They don't want letters touching :) and feel that for their readership, joined letters are harder to read. Is there a way to universally replace all kerning pairs in Indesign style sheets when I set up templates for them?

with thanks for any tips...
Blynne

[pauland]

https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/using/kerning-tracking.html

Makes me wonder if a mono-spaced font would be the way to go. Never heard of a request like this before.

[mwenz]

If letters are touching then either the font has excessive kerning or the paragraph styles have excessive kerning in them. Unless you are talking about ligatures wherein some characters are designed to connect. In which case, turn off ligatures in the paragraph and or character styles.

Mike

[Blynne]

Thanks, Mike! Turning off ligatures might be the answer! Yay! I'll try it. thx, Blynne.

[Blynne]

Thanks, Pauland. A mono-spaced font would address this particular concern off theirs, but doesn't address their other readability criteria or design direction. I've never had this kind of request before either!
thx,
Blynne.

[mwenz]

Hi Blynne,

It's been a while since a new install of ID where preferences and the like would be new. But I believe ligatures are on by default. Hopefully that is the issue as it's an easy fix.

If the is just tight kerning, I would simply increase the kerning and or tracking for the styles used for this client. I've had to do that with one particular serif font I used for a book. It was too tight at smaller point sizes. But this too is an easy fix.

If the problem is particular kerning pairs but not the entire font, then it gets a little complicated. With QuarkXpress it is easy to do on particular fonts as one can easily alter particular kerning pairs in a given font that then apply to the styles where those fonts are used. This is something that has been requested for years with ID to no avail. However, from past reading on Adobe's ID forum, I believe I once ran across a GREP means of running through a file and changing kerning on chosen kerning pairs. Unfortunately, once really only can do this once the edits are completed, then fix and text flow issues. As their forum is a pita to use, things like this can be difficult to find. So if that is the issue, post there and likely one of the GREP experts will chime in.

Good luck, Mike