You’ve seen them. Even if you didn't know the name.
Look closely at the word "fish" in a high-quality book. Notice how the top of the "f" leans over and hugs the dot of the "i"? That's a ligature. It’s not just a fancy design choice. It’s a fix. It is a functional bridge between two characters that would otherwise look like they’re fighting for space.
Basically, a ligature is a single glyph created by joining two or more letters.
In the old days of metal typesetting, certain letter combinations were a nightmare. If you placed a physical piece of lead with an "f" next to one with an "i," the overhanging hood of the "f" would literally smash into the "i." Printers had two choices: let the letters collide and look like garbage, or cast a brand-new piece of lead where both letters lived together on one block. They chose the latter. That’s why we have them.
What is a ligature and why do typographers obsess over them?
Most people think fonts are just static collections of letters. They aren't. Typography is actually a complex system of spacing and optical illusions. When you type, the software is constantly making micro-adjustments to make sure your eyes don't get stuck on "clunky" spots.
Ligatures solve the "collision" problem. Take the "fi" or "fl" combinations. In many serif fonts, the "f" has a terminal—that little hook at the top—that extends into the territory of the next letter. Without a ligature, the "f" and the "i" look like they're awkward teenagers at a school dance who don't know where to put their arms.
The common stuff you see every day
You probably use ligatures without realizing it. The ampersand (&) is the world's most famous ligature. It started as a shorthand for the Latin word et, which means "and." Over centuries, the "e" and the "t" blurred together until they became the curvy symbol we use today. Some fonts still make it look like an "E" and "T" if you look at the italic version.
Then there’s the German "ß" (Eszett). It’s a mashup of a "long s" and a "z."
In modern English digital typography, we usually stick to the "Standard Ligatures." These include:
- fi
- fl
- ff
- ffi
- ffl
These are the workhorses. If you’re using a professional font like Adobe Garamond or Caslon, these happen automatically. Your computer swaps the individual letters for the joined version because it knows it looks better.
The weird world of discretionary ligatures
Now, this is where it gets nerdy. Beyond the "required" ligatures that prevent crashes, there are "discretionary" ligatures. These are purely for vibes.
Think of the "st" or "ct" connections you see in old-timey documents or high-end wedding invitations. There’s no physical reason for an "s" and a "t" to be joined. They don't collide. But connecting them with a sweeping overhead loop adds a sense of flow and elegance. It feels "calligraphic."
Honestly, you have to be careful with these. If you turn on discretionary ligatures in a long paragraph of text, it becomes harder to read. The eye isn't used to seeing "ct" joined together in a modern blog post. It creates a visual "hiccup." Use them for logos or headings, sure. But for body text? Keep it simple.
Coding ligatures: The modern revolution
In the last decade, ligatures moved out of the world of print and into the world of software development. This was a massive shift.
Programmers use symbols like ->, =>, !=, and == constantly. In a standard font, these are two separate characters. But with a coding font like Fira Code or JetBrains Mono, the font uses ligatures to turn these into single, clean symbols.
For example, != (not equal) becomes a single "≠" symbol with a slash through it.
It doesn't change the underlying code. The computer still sees the two separate characters. But for the human programmer, it’s much easier to scan. It reduces mental load. Some purists hate it—they argue that the font should represent exactly what is typed—but for many, it’s a game-changer for productivity.
How to tell if your font is doing it right
Not all fonts are created equal. A cheap, free font you found on a random website might not have any ligatures programmed into it. When you type "office," the two "f"s might look awkwardly spaced.
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High-end OpenType fonts (files ending in .otf) are where the magic happens. These files contain "features" that tell your software: "Hey, if you see an 'f' followed by an 'i', swap them for this special combined shape."
You can check this in Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, or even Microsoft Word. In Word, you have to go into the Font advanced settings to turn them on. In CSS for web design, you use the property font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures;.
Technical limitations and the "search" problem
Here is a weird fact: ligatures can sometimes break things.
In the early days of the web, if a browser used a ligature for "fi," and a user tried to search (Ctrl+F) for "find," the browser might not recognize the "fi" ligature as two separate letters. It saw it as one weird symbol.
Modern browsers and PDF readers are much smarter now. They map the ligature back to the original characters in the background. But it’s still a reason why some accessibility experts tell you to be cautious with heavy decorative ligatures. If a screen reader for the visually impaired hits a poorly coded ligature, it might stumble.
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A quick guide to using ligatures in your work
If you want to level up your design or just make your documents look less "amateur," follow these rules of thumb.
Stick to the basics for long reading. Turn on standard ligatures (fi, fl, ff) for anything longer than a sentence. It’s subtle, but it makes the text feel "expensive" and professional.
Avoid ligatures in tight tracking. If you are manually squishing the space between letters (tracking) to fit a headline into a tight spot, turn ligatures off. Since ligatures are a single fixed width, they won't shrink with the rest of your letters, and it will look like a mistake.
Check your branding. If you're designing a logo, ligatures are your best friend. They make a wordmark feel like a custom piece of art rather than something someone just typed into a text box. Look for opportunities where the crossbar of a "T" can become the top of an "E," or where two "O"s can overlap.
Watch the "fj" combination. This is a rare one in English (think "fjord"), but many fonts don't include it. If you have an "f" followed by a "j" and there’s no ligature, the dot of the "j" usually gets swallowed by the "f." It looks messy. If your font doesn't have it, you might need to manually adjust the kerning.
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Actionable steps for your next project
- Audit your font library: Open your design software and look for the "OpenType" panel. See which of your fonts actually support "Standard" versus "Discretionary" ligatures.
- Enable them in CSS: If you’re a dev, add
text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;to your global CSS. This forces browsers to prioritize ligatures and better kerning. - Manual Tweak: For logos, don't just rely on the font's auto-settings. Type the letters, convert them to outlines, and try drawing your own connections.
- Test for Readability: If you use a ligature and someone has to squint to recognize the word, delete it. Clarity always beats decoration.
Ligatures are the bridge between writing and art. They remind us that even in a digital world, our letters have a history rooted in physical objects and the practical need to keep things from breaking. Use them wisely and your typography will immediately stand out from the default-settings crowd.