How to Use Letter Spacing in Figma: Simple Steps

In Figma, you can adjust letter spacing by selecting your text layer and changing the Letter spacing value in the Text panel on the right. Enter a positive number to increase space between letters or a negative number to decrease it.

Syntax

Letter spacing in Figma is controlled by the Letter spacing property found in the Text section of the right sidebar. You can enter a numeric value in pixels (px) or use keywords like Auto.

• Positive values increase space between letters.
• Negative values decrease space, making letters closer.
• Auto resets spacing to default.

text

Select text layer -> Go to Text panel -> Find Letter spacing input -> Enter value (e.g., 10, -2, Auto)

Output

Text letter spacing changes visually in the design canvas.

Example

This example shows how to increase letter spacing by 5 pixels on a selected text layer.

text

1. Select the text layer in your Figma file.
2. In the right sidebar under Text, find the Letter spacing input box.
3. Type <code>5</code> and press Enter.
4. The letters in your text will spread out more evenly.

Output

The text visually shows wider spacing between each letter.

Common Pitfalls

Common mistakes when using letter spacing in Figma include:

• Entering very large positive values that make text hard to read.
• Using negative values too much, causing letters to overlap.
• Forgetting to select the text layer before adjusting letter spacing.
• Expecting letter spacing to affect word spacing (it does not).

Always preview your text after changing letter spacing to ensure readability.

text

Wrong: Select no text layer -> Change letter spacing -> No effect
Right: Select text layer -> Change letter spacing -> See effect

Output

Only selected text layers respond to letter spacing changes.

Quick Reference

Action	Description
Select Text Layer	Choose the text you want to edit.
Find Letter Spacing	Located in the Text panel on the right sidebar.
Enter Value	Use positive for more space, negative for less.
Use 'Auto'	Resets spacing to default.
Preview Changes	Check text readability after adjustment.

Key Takeaways

Always select the text layer before adjusting letter spacing in Figma.

Use positive values to increase spacing and negative values to decrease it.

Letter spacing affects only space between letters, not words.

Avoid extreme values to keep text readable and visually balanced.

Use the 'Auto' option to reset letter spacing to default.