Text edges
Measure text from its glyphs: cap height, x-height, baseline and descender.
Why text edges#
A text element's box includes the line height, so the space a designer means, from the top of the capitals to the baseline, is not what the box shows. Text edges measure the glyphs themselves.
Use it#
- Press T, or choose Text edges in the More menu.
- Hover text. Its edges are drawn:
- Cap height, dashed, on every line
- x-height, on the first line
- Baseline, solid, on every line
- Descender, on the last line
Distances to and from text are then measured from cap height to the last baseline, instead of from the line box. Mixed sizes take the largest text's edges; superscripts and subscripts stay on their line. To measure, see Measure distances.
Metrics come from the font the page actually uses, web fonts included, and are checked to within half a pixel of the rendered glyphs.
Questions
Why measure text edges instead of the text box?
A text element's box includes the line height, so it does not show the space from the top of the capitals to the baseline. Text edges measure the glyphs themselves.
Do text edges work with web fonts?
Yes. Metrics come from the font the page actually uses, web fonts included.