Which Dash To Use?
There are three dash characters in every font: the hyphen, the en-dash, and the em-dash.
The hyphen is shortest, the em-dash is the same length as the point size of the type, and the en-dash is half the length of the em-dash. (However, some fonts, including several installed with Mac OS, ignore these typographic traditions, and their em-dash is quite long.)
- Here’s a hyphen: –
- Here’s an em-dash: —
- Here’s an en-dash: –
So which one should you use?
- Use a hyphen for hyphenating words and groups of words; just press the hyphen key.
- Use an en-dash for separating numbers and dates (25–30, May 19–20); press Option/Alt-hyphen for an en-dash.
- Use an em-dash where uneducated users place double-hyphens; press Shift-Option/Alt-hyphen for an em-dash. Using a space before and after an em-dash is optional.
Exceptions: you’ll notice that the width of the en-dash and em-dash vary by typeface. If the em-dash looks too long, try an en-dash instead.
Jay Nelson is the editorial director of PlanetQuark.com, and the editor and publisher of Design Tools Monthly. He’s also the author of the QuarkXPress 8 and QuarkXPress 7 training titles at Lynda.com, as well as the training videos Quark includes in the box with QuarkXPress 7 . In addition, Jay writes regularly for Macworld and Photoshop User magazines and speaks at industry events.
I was taught the historical origin of these terms could be different than that i.e., an em-dash is the width of a lower-case “m” and an en-dash is the width of an “n”.
Of course I am talking about metal type here so you’d have to include the serifs in those widths to reach the total width of the metal body or shank. There’s a good diagram on wikpedia “Metal type”
In many old roman book fonts an “m” could amount to about the same with as the point size in height. However comparing thse two methods differences would arise with condensed or extended fonts.
David: Yes, indeed that is the origin of the names of these dashes. Makes total sense, right? Unfortunately, when type went digital, the rules flew out the window. So now, dashes are generally (“generally”) designed as I described above.
We’ve developed a hybrid style manual for simple ascii text blogs and calendar items that uses the double hyphen for an em-dash, so I can’t completely agree that “uneducated users place double-hyphens” as you contend. We also vary from tradition in the use of AM and PM (7pm or 8:30am is better for our needs). All caps in a headline? We tend to capitalize only proper nouns, but there is some variation as needed.
Hi Jay
“Unfortunately, when type went digital, the rules flew out the window”
I did my apprenticeship at one of Australia’s leading “type houses” during the early 1970’s as an apprentice Hand & Machine Compositor. I have never been able to understand WHY “the rules fly out the window” with the advent of “digital”.
I have nothing against typographically “breaking the rules” if it is aesthetically pleasing – however – breaking the rules for the sake of breaking rules? Let’s at least start with basic standards!!!
I did work for Advertising Agencies on dedicated Typesetting machines (Compugraphic, Linotype) in Sydney during the 1980’s and when it came to “Rule” styles in text – there was only one accepted style – it was the EN Rule.
Double hyphens may turn-
-over at the end of a line as just demonstrated.
ENRules were always put in text – anywhere throughout the line or at the end of the line –
never at the beginning
– of a line
An EN Rule would have a word space – both sides of the Rule or at least a “Thin” space between the EN Rule and the next letter.
EM Rules were usually given a “Thin” space on either side which was used for Invitations etc. and leant an “old style” feel to text.
Mike: I totally agree that rules shouldn’t change without a reason. What I’ve seen in this digital age is this: when the people who are creating the new products (in this case fonts) don’t know the history of their craft, then they create problems without realizing it. If their product is successful, then it creates a new (broken) standard that others emulate. And it gets very complicated after that… :-)
While there is something to be said for “new blood” opening up new ideas for old practices, the additional complexity (and, often, ambiguity) places additional burdens on the people who use the new products.
I’ve seen this happen in typography, image editing, use of color, music, video, and just about every other creative field.
Mike: good point about spaces around dashes! Our newsletter (Design Tools Monthly) has very narrow columns, and so we always add a space on each side of an em-dash. Otherwise, things get ugly, quickly. For this same reason we also add a space after an angle bracket (but not before!) when typing out menu items. For example, File> Save. Otherwise, we often see this ugly break: File
> Save
Eek!
浴衣 下着