tracking

tracking

(1) The recording of an event. See tracking cookie and e-mail tracker.

(2) In desktop publishing, the consistent letterspacing of text. Tracking is used to expand or contract the amount of text on a page by expanding or reducing the amount of space between letters. It differs from kerning in that it is applied to an entire font or to a range of text, whereas kerning refers to certain letter pairs.

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tracking [′trak·iŋ]

(electricity)

A leakage or fault path created across the surface of an insulating material when a high-voltage current slowly but steadily forms a carbonized path.

(electronics)

The condition in which all tuned circuits in a receiver accurately follow the frequency indicated by the tuning dial over the entire tuning range.

(engineering)

A motion given to the major lobe of a radar or radio antenna such that some preassigned moving target in space is always within the major lobe.

The process of following the movements of an object; may be accomplished by keeping the reticle of an optical system or a radar beam on the object, by plotting its bearing and distance at frequent intervals, or by a combination of techniques.

(engineering acoustics)

The following of a groove by a phonograph needle.

Maintaining the same ratio of loudness in the two channels of a stereophonic sound system at all settings of the ganged volume control.

(navigation)

Navigation which follows the movements of a craft but does not anticipate future positions.

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(text)

tracking - The spacing between characters in a line of text. This is defined when a font is designed but can often be altered in order to change the appearance of the text or for special effects. Tracking should not be confused with kerning which deals with the spacing between certain pairs of characters. See also leading.