Tungsten is spaced and kerned to perform in most circumstances without the need for manual intervention. In applications that offer multiple options for kerning type, always use the default kerning that’s native to the typefaces (labeled auto in Illustrator, and metrics in InDesign) — never use the setting for optical kerning.

So-called ‘optical kerning’ was originally developed as an automated assist for fonts that lack kerning. But applied to a professional typeface, it overrides the visual decisions made by the font’s designers, and instead spaces characters using a mathematical model. It routinely misjudges common pairs and ignores important context, creating erratic and disruptive rhythms. Because its algorithms are subject to change with each software update, ‘optical kerning’ can cause text to be reflowed without notice.

To keep things as dense as possible, Tungsten’s heavier weights introduce a percent sign whose contours are merged into a single shape. In the middle weights Medium, Semibold, and Bold, either construction can be used.

Some design applications include an all caps option that not only capitalizes lowercase letters, but invokes the feature in Tungsten that substitutes capital-aligned numbers and punctuation. This raises characters such as dashes and enclosures so that they center on the caps, and substitutes the forms of symbols designed to accompany Tungsten’s lining figures.