Wordspacing

Spacing between words. Wordspacing is accomplished mechanically by inserting pieces of metal (spaces) between words. Being lower than the printing face of the type itself, they do not come in contact with the paper and therefore do not print. These pieces of metal, called spaces and quads, are related in size to the em quad, which is the square of the type size. For example, if the type is 60 point, the em quad is a square 60 points x 60 points; if the type is 10 point, the em quad is 10 points square. Since an em quad would produce too much space between

words, smaller pieces of metal, which are subdivisions of the em quad, are used. Normal wordspacing assumes the use of 3-to-the-em spaces.