Recruiter's Glossary

Examples: PSD • Illustrator • Spot Color

Tracking

Term from Graphic Design industry explained for recruiters

Tracking refers to the spacing between letters and words in typography and design. When designers mention tracking in their resumes, they're talking about their ability to adjust the overall spacing of text to make it more readable and visually appealing. This is different from kerning (which deals with spacing between specific letter pairs) and is an important skill for creating professional-looking designs, especially in logos, advertisements, and printed materials. Good tracking skills show that a designer understands how to make text both beautiful and easy to read.

Examples in Resumes

Created brand guidelines including tracking specifications for company-wide typography

Improved readability of marketing materials by implementing precise tracking and spacing adjustments

Applied custom tracking settings to enhance legibility in billboard designs

Typical job title: "Graphic Designers"

Also try searching for:

Typography Designer Type Designer Layout Designer Print Designer Brand Designer Publication Designer

Where to Find Graphic Designers

Online Communities

Professional Networks

Example Interview Questions

Senior Level Questions

Q: How do you determine the appropriate tracking for different types of text?

Expected Answer: A senior designer should explain how different factors like font size, medium (print vs digital), viewing distance, and brand guidelines influence tracking decisions. They should mention experience with both display text and body copy tracking adjustments.

Q: How does tracking contribute to the overall brand identity?

Expected Answer: Should discuss how tracking affects brand personality, readability, and consistency across different materials, with examples of how they've implemented tracking standards in brand guidelines.

Mid Level Questions

Q: What's the difference between tracking and kerning?

Expected Answer: Should clearly explain that tracking affects the overall spacing between all letters uniformly, while kerning is about adjusting space between specific letter pairs. Should provide examples of when to use each.

Q: How do you handle tracking in different design software?

Expected Answer: Should be able to explain how to adjust tracking in common design software like Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop, and understand how tracking settings might need to be adjusted across different platforms.

Junior Level Questions

Q: When would you use positive vs negative tracking?

Expected Answer: Should understand that positive tracking adds space between letters (good for small text) and negative tracking reduces space (often used in headlines), with basic understanding of when each is appropriate.

Q: How does tracking affect readability?

Expected Answer: Should demonstrate basic understanding of how proper tracking makes text more readable, and how poor tracking can make text difficult to read.