Typographical gutters are white spaces between pages or columns of text, used to control and direct the reader’s attention. Poorly designed gutters can make text difficult to read, while well-designed ones provide breaks for the eye and make the surface visually interesting. Margins are any type of white space, while gutters specifically refer to the space between columns of text.
When printers talk about gutters, they are not referring to channels or troughs on roofs used to direct water, but they are referring to a similar concept. Typographical gutters are the white spaces between two pages of a book or, more generally, between columns of text. They are a type of margin and arranging them correctly is a crucial element of typography.
Closely spaced gutters can make text difficult to follow or read. In the case of those between the pages of a book, those that are poorly designed can actually obscure some of the text. In this case, if the gap isn’t large enough to fit the book into, the text will end up in the binding seam, making it difficult or impossible to read. Gutters that are less spaced together can still pose problems, and fixing them is actually a fine art.
Just like gutters, those used in typography are designed to control and direct something, in this case, the reader’s attention. A solid block of unbroken text can be extremely difficult to read and understand. Consequently, the typography integrates the use of gutters, margins and other white space to make the surface visually interesting. The breaks provided by the white space help direct the eye, keeping the reader engaged. When a reader sees columns of text separated by whitespace, their training suggests that the columns should be read individually.
A newspaper provides an excellent example of gutters and margins. When a reader looks at the front page of a newspaper, he will notice that the text is broken up into an assortment of columns, clearly separated by white space. These white spaces inform the eye that the pieces of text are to be read independently and sequentially. Each column is a story and each gutter is like a chapter divider. They also provide a rest for the eye, allowing the reader to focus and absorb the material. A newspaper with a front page that took the form of a solid, unbroken block of text would be difficult to read.
Gutters are slightly different from margins. The term “margin” is used to refer to any type of white space, typographically, usually at the edge or margin of printed material. Margins are important, because they break up the images and text on the page. Gutters are usually used specifically to talk about the space between columns of text. That space could also be considered an edge, so you could say that a gutter is an edge, but not all edges are gutters.
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