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I see it all the time in Facebook posters and memes where each row of text is of a different sized font, but with the margins justified. There are even animations that use this feature. What is this called?

Sample usage: "How to [my word]" as a google query.

Reason for asking: I am sure that there must be an automated way of doing this feature without a compass and slide rule, and that such a feature should be "googleable".

(The content in these examples happens to be religious as I randomly took the first two examples from my Facebook feed. However, I have seen this feature in political memes and animated infomercials.)

sample picture with text feature

Edit: Add vertical text justification example

enter image description here

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    This question is better suited for the graphic design area of stack exchange.
    – michael_timofeev
    Commented Nov 1, 2015 at 16:01
  • Thank you. Should I double post, and then answer my own question here when I get an answer there?
    – BrianWilson
    Commented Nov 1, 2015 at 16:06
  • It up to you. I suggested it because there is a word that describes the design style that you posted, and people in the graphic design area know their stuff. I know how to do this and do it regularly but can't recall the word.
    – michael_timofeev
    Commented Nov 1, 2015 at 16:08
  • Ok. I will post there and then follow up here when I get an answer.
    – BrianWilson
    Commented Nov 1, 2015 at 16:09
  • It's not hard to create this effect. Depends on which program you use, but all of them are capable of this. A vector based program works best in my opinion.
    – michael_timofeev
    Commented Nov 1, 2015 at 16:11

5 Answers 5

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An at least related word to what you are asking is copyfitting

http://printwiki.org/Copyfitting

And

https://www.student.cs.uwaterloo.ca/~cs200/Adobe/Info7.html

Copyfitting is the process of deciding which typeface, point size, leading (line spacing), and line length are necessary to fit a certain amount of text into a given space. With careful planning, these choices need only be made once, at the beginning of a job.

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This blog calls the style "block-justified" text.

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The process of spacing letters apart to determine the total width of the line is called kerning. In this poster kerning is used to make each line the same width. Try "How to kern".

Here's a link from the HMH Dictionary of the English Language.

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    Glad to see you edited your answer from a question. It would be nicer if you could include any reference/research/link in a dictionary into your answer.
    – user140086
    Commented Nov 1, 2015 at 15:30
  • Kerning is used when the letters are all the same size. In this case, they are not. The letters were converted into text outlines and then expanded keeping the aspect ratios locked. If you'll notice, the Kerning is the same for all lines.
    – michael_timofeev
    Commented Nov 1, 2015 at 15:37
  • I'm not sure which aspect ratios you are referring to. But look at the distances between the W and A of "WAY" on the second and fifth lines. It is about the same on each. So the letters of the second line are (proportionally if not absolutely) more widely-spaced.
    – Daron
    Commented Nov 1, 2015 at 15:44
  • To get this effect, you create outline from the text, group the outlines, then lock the aspect ratios, so that when you expand the entire group of letters they expand proportionately. Otherwise, when you expand the group it will expand unevenly. I suppose you could increase the font size until it matches the margins...but that will not create a perfect alignment.
    – michael_timofeev
    Commented Nov 1, 2015 at 15:57
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I don't think there is any word specifically coined to represent 'where each row of text is of a different sized font, but with the margins justified.'

However, I believe that typography would be a suitable word to encompass the meaning of the situation.

Through changing the font sizes or fonts but keeping the margins aligned, you are changing the typography of something.

Typography

the style and appearance of printed matter.

• the art or procedure of arranging type or processing data and printing from it.

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  • Sometimes it is hard to justify changing the font size mid-sentence :P
    – Daron
    Commented Nov 1, 2015 at 15:35
  • But perhaps there is more to it than that. Usually when you justify you just space the letters as necessary. But in this case some of the letters have had their proportions stretched to fit as well. For example compare the Ws of the first and last "WAY"s
    – Daron
    Commented Nov 1, 2015 at 15:46
  • Thanks @Daron. I misread the answer and changed my answer.
    – Ronald
    Commented Nov 1, 2015 at 15:52
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The text in the poster uses justification.

A common type of text alignment in print media is "justification", where the spaces between words, and, to a lesser extent, between glyphs or letters, are stretched or compressed to align both the left and right ends of each line of text.

Fully justified text is also known as "flush left and right":

Justified alignment—flush left and right—compresses or expands letter and word spacing to fit a given line and can produce awkward hyphenation of words.

(Originally cross-posted with @Ronald, then deleted, now undeleted as @Ronald changed his answer.)

EDIT: If you need a Google query, try "How to justify text".

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