Select the Type tool from the tool panel and select the paragraph you want to change.
Last updated on
Sep 11, 2025
Learn how to adjust the spacing between words and letters in text using the Paragraph panel.
Spacing options are always applied to an entire paragraph. You can adjust the spacing in characters using Set the tracking for the selected characters in the Character panel.
Select Window > Type > Paragraph
In the Paragraph panel menu, select Justification.
In the Justification dialog box, enter the Minimum, Maximum, and Desired values for the following options:
- Word Spacing: The space between words is created by the spacebar. Values range from 0% to 1000%. At 100%, no extra space is added.
- Letter Spacing: The space between letters, including kerning and tracking. Values range from -100% to 500%. At 0%, no space is added. At 100%, one full space width is added.
- Glyph Scaling: The width of characters. A glyph refers to any individual font character. Glyph scaling values range from 50% to 200%.
Note
The Minimum and Maximum values define a range of acceptable spacing for justified paragraphs only. The Desired value defines the desired spacing for both justified and unjustified paragraphs.
Enter a percentage value for Auto Leading to define automatic line spacing.
Tip
Set Single Word Justification from the dropdown menu to define how single-word paragraphs are aligned, and then select OK.
In narrow text columns, full justification may overly stretch single words. Consider setting Single Word Justification to Align Left, Align Right, or Align Center for better visual balance.
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