Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated August 20, 2024)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021
I'll bet you already knew that "smushing" is a technical term, right? It is, I believe, a combination of the words "smashing" and "pushing." In this usage, it simply means to squeeze text together by reducing the distance between characters. Typographers refer to this as kerning.
Normally, each font installed on your system has a default distance between characters. This distance is calculated based on the typeface used and on the way the font designer wants the typeface to appear. There are simply times when it is necessary to push text closer together, however. In order to do that, simply follow these steps:
Figure 1. The Advanced tab of the Font dialog box.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (12462) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Smushing Text Together.
Create Custom Apps with VBA! Discover how to extend the capabilities of Office 365 applications with VBA programming. Written in clear terms and understandable language, the book includes systematic tutorials and contains both intermediate and advanced content for experienced VB developers. Designed to be comprehensive, the book addresses not just one Office application, but the entire Office suite. Check out Mastering VBA for Microsoft Office 365 today!
The strikethrough text feature in Word can be used as part of your document or to indicate that changes have been made to ...
Discover MoreIf you use small caps text in a document, you know that there are several steps involved in properly formatting the text. ...
Discover MoreA quick little shortcut can help you easily step through different font sizes for whatever text you've selected. Word ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2022-01-15 09:39:43
Erfan
Thanks a lot, this was a life saver for my Thesis
2019-04-28 03:15:36
Anthony
Thanks, Allen. I found this post useful.
2019-02-05 08:29:18
Sheryl Lucas
Andrew, I stand corrected. I honestly never thought of headlines. When I want to condense text, it's usually to fit a line or paragraph of text into a smaller space.
After reading your response, I tested condensing by 1 point for all of Word's font-size presets from 10 to 72 points. At 14 points, condensing text by a full point begins to be reasonable, albeit a bit tight for my taste. It's better at 18 points. At 48 points, condensing by 2 points is reasonable, and at 72 points, 3 points works.
I think it would be a safe assumption that the overwhelming majority of text typed into Word is in the 10 to 12 point range, where condensing by a full point is far too much. I stand by my original assertion that a default of 1 point is unhelpful. (Interestingly, when clicking the up arrow, the condensing is increased in increments of 0.1 point.)
2019-02-04 09:49:35
Andrew
Sheryl, you're probably not considering about display text (headlines, posters, and such, )which are edited at very large size and where variable letter spacing (kerning) can be essential.
2019-02-02 09:52:57
Sheryl Lucas
I use this feature a good bit. When choosing to condense spacing, Word quite *UNhelpfully* defaults to an increment of 1 pt, which I'm quite confident would never in the history of mankind be appropriate, as it has letters overlapping each other. I always start with 0.1 and bump up a tenth of a point at a time until I get what I want. The most I'll ever go is 0.3, and even that is uncomfortably tight.
Is there a way to change the default to 0.1 instead of 1?
Got a version of Word that uses the ribbon interface (Word 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the menu interface.
Visit the WordTips channel on YouTube
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments