Which term describes the practice of adjusting the vertical space of characters in typography?

The term that describes the practice of adjusting the vertical space of characters in typography is leading. Leading refers to the distance between the baselines of type, which ultimately influences the readability and overall aesthetic of the text. By adjusting the leading, designers can create more open or tightly packed text, depending on the desired effect. This aspect of typography plays a crucial role in determining how text appears on the page, as proper leading can enhance readability and contribute to the overall design of a document or webpage.

Tracking, in contrast, deals with the uniform adjustment of spacing between characters in a word, kerning focuses specifically on the spacing between individual character pairs, and alignment pertains to how text is positioned within a given space (like left-aligned, right-aligned, centered, or justified). While these terms all relate to typography, leading is specifically the term used for vertical space adjustments.