Kerning is the process of adjusting the spacing between individual characters in a font. This is done to achieve a visually pleasing and balanced appearance of the text. But as with most things, every now and then, things can go wrong.
Put the symbols too close or too far from one another and you end up with awkward or humorous typography. For example, if a company wanted to make a poster advertising their “cleaning” services but made the spacing between the letters “c” and “l” too tight, it can create the word “dining” instead.
The funny part is that such mistakes are more common than we might think. And the Facebook group ‘The Real Crime Is That Kerning‘ has all the proof. Here are some of their finds.
#1 Fail
Image source: Grant Bright
#2 Finals
Image source: Alexis Rabinowitz
#3
Image source: Justin Cornelius
#4 We Are Open
Image source: I. Lee Tudela Williamson
#5
Image source: Erin Vierthaler
#6 Dishwasher
Image source: Salvatore Kalaka
#7 If You Go Hiking In The Bamboo Forest, You Better Check For Ticks
Image source: Laura Brooks
#8 In Nails I Trust
Image source: Antonio M. Rosario
#9 The Real Crime Is You Knew Darn Well What That Looked Like And Sent It To Print Anyway
Image source: Elise Payne
#10
Image source: Brendan Tompkins
#11 Apply At..???
Image source: Disa Giada
#12 Car Pets Are The Best Pets
Image source: Brendan Tompkins
#13
Image source: Trisha Bagby
#14 Good Job, Walmart. If You Could Just Schooch The “Gurt” A Little To The Left
Image source: John Paul Drummond
#15 Wot & Who?
Image source: John Lund
#16 Pudding Turkey!
Image source: FubsyShabaroon
#17 I Love Le Cher (French Department) vs. I Love Lécher (To Lick)
Image source: Damien Damien
#18 Shampoo
Image source: Alexis Rabinowitz
#19 W Hyy Yyyyy???
Image source: Joel White
#20 I Guess It’s More Font Choice, But The High School That My Girlfriend Teaches At Is Fort White High School, But All I See Is Fart White In Their Gym
Image source: Mike Stabile
#21 Some Are Neon The Kerning Thing
Image source: David Gugenheim
#22 Nope I’ll Get Mine Done Somewhere Else
Image source: Carl Mellesmoen
#23 He Is Trisen
Image source: Melissa Andrea Gutiérrez
#24 6nly Sod Gan Gugjmel
Image source: John Lund
#25 It’s Rush Because Go Time!
Image source: Radhika Rawat
#26 Finally Found One In The Wild!
Image source: Bradlee Slusser
#27 Amazing Pizza. Atrocious Kerning
Image source: Matthew Summey
#28 Cool Craft Bar In Richmond
Image source: Chris Mcdaris
#29 I Just Saw This In A Market In Georgia Today And Could Not Stop Laughing. You’re Welcome
Image source: Olajide Paris
#30 Finally Found Something
Image source: Joe Odekerken
#31 Please Don
Image source: Jenna Wasakoski
#32 Found In The Wild At Our Local O’charley’s
Image source: Alyson Taylor
#33 A While Ago I Was An Extra On The Last Of Us, And I Had To Wait To Share This
Image source: Spencer Stevens
#34
Image source: Andrew Shaw
#35 Today I Learned That Automotive Professionals Are Not Typesetting Professionals
Image source: Tom Bagel Donohue
#36 Love It!
Image source: Jack Harris
#37 Chips
Image source: Chris Weaver
#38 Saw In The Wild And Thought Of You All
Image source: Christina Elle
#39 Something I Hated Today
Image source: Nikki Kimberly
#40 The Closer You Look, The Worse It Gets
Image source: Aaron Duff
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