Text for testing spacing

Austin Stahl

What text do you like to use when testing spacing, color, etc?

I've been setting a selection of pangrams, and then if there's a specific letter combo I want to check out, I'll think of a few words that use it. I'm curious what other folks do, though — is there a standard text that you like to use?

Dave Crossland

I believe impallari.com/testing is widely used for this

Austin Stahl

Ah, that's handy. Thanks Dave!

Albert_Jan_Pool

Just put every character between every character. Start with o and l because they are normally spaced symmetrically. Followed by n and u to have another basic counter next to o. Followed by bdpq & the rest. Also works good for kerning (after you finished spacing ;–). Testing with real words is of course nicer, but note that in case of doubt all letters tend to combine with all other letters.

oaobocodoeofogohoiojokolomonooopoqorosotouovowoxoyozoßo
lalblcldlelflglhliljlklllmlnlolplqlrlsltlulvlwlxlylzlßo

nanbncndnenfngnhninjnknlnmnonpnqnrnsntnunvnwnxnynznßn
uaubucudueufuguhuiujukulumunupuqurusutuuuvuwuxuyuzußu

I have seen Stempel / Linotype, ITC, Typoart, URW and Scangraphic using this method as one of their basic standards. But that is nothing new. Writing masters like Johann Neudörffer already showed this in the 16th century. I think he got this from the type founders he was used to work with.

Russell McGorman

I like http://www.impallari.com/testing/ and http://justanotherfoundry.com/generatoris 

Jacques Le Bailly

Once I found the right spacing for the /o, /n and /l, I also like to test text like (example /a):
ooooaaaaoooo llllllaaaallllll nnnnaaaannn
aaaaooooaaaa aaaallllllaaaa aaaannnnaaaa
ooooaaaannnn etc.

This will give you a good start and tell you if the color is right as well, and the width.