User:CHGiffen/Spacing

Here are the various space characters inserted between ">" and "<":

>char<	char =	description (what you should see)
> <	&ensp;	en space
> <	&#8194;	en space
>n<	n	compare with en space
> <	&emsp;	em space
> <	&#8195;	em space
>m<	m	compare with em space
> <	&#8196;	1/3 em space, thick space
> <	&#8197;	1/4 em space, mid space
> <	&#8198;	1/6 em space
> <	&#8199;	figure space
>9<	<tt>9</tt>	compare with figure space
> <	&#8200;	punctuation space
> <	&thinsp;	thin space
> <	&#8201;	thin space
> <	&#8202;	hair space
>​<	&#8203;	zero width space

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Here are the equivalents in numbers of hair spaces of the various space characters (in my browser):

|| (no space at all)

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| | one hair

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|  | two hairs

| | 1/6 em space character U+2006

| | thin space character U+2009

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|   | three hairs

| | 1/4 em space character U+2005

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|    | four hairs

| | 1/3 em space character U+2004

| | punctuation space character U+2008

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|     | five hairs

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|      | six hairs

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|       | seven hairs

| | en space character U+2002

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|        | eight hairs

| | figure (digit) space character U+2007

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|         | nine hairs

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|          | ten hairs

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|           | eleven hairs

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|            | twelve hairs

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|             | thirteen hairs

| | em space character U+2003

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Such spaces can be judiciously used to achieve desired effects. In particular, kerning with a hairspace after an italicized numeral or high ascending letter (such as lowercase l) before a right parenthesis ")", right bracket "]", or right brace "}" will improve the appearance:

compare (379) with (379 ), wherein the latter has one hairspace between the 9 and the ); or,

compare (3 types of metal) with (3 types of metal ), kerned with a hairspace in the same way.