Kerning pair to self
Audit code: kerning-pair-self
Definition
A kerning pair sets a value where the left and right glyph are the same — at run time this pulls a letter toward itself, which is rarely intended. Usually a typo in the pair editor (accidentally entering the same glyph in both slots). Delete unless the script genuinely needs self-kerning in a compound context.
How Patens surfaces this
The Patens audit module checks for kerning-pair-self across five teaching surfaces: the edit-panel inline issue list, the
project-wide audit page, the release pre-flight check, the family hub,
and the home-page project tile. Every surface shows the same plain-English
explanation and links back to this page. This rule is detection-only — there's no automatic fix because the
correction is design-dependent (it requires a judgment call about the
glyph's intended shape or the font's intended behaviour). The audit
message links to the specific glyph or field that needs attention.
Run this check yourself
Patens runs every audit rule live as you draw — including this one.
The editor (in private alpha) shows kerning-pair-self firing on real
glyphs, or check your own work from the CLI:
npx patens audit your-project.font.json