What is justify?

Justification, in general terms, refers to the act of showing something to be right or reasonable. It's the process of providing or being a good reason for something.

In the context of typography and text formatting, "justify" refers to a specific alignment option. When text is justified, words are spaced evenly so that the text aligns with both the left and right margins. This creates a clean, rectangular block of text. The software adjusts the spacing between words (and sometimes letters) to achieve this. Different algorithms exist for achieving justification, influencing the resulting aesthetic and readability.

Common issues with justification include:

• Rivers of white space: Uneven spacing can create distracting patterns of white space within the text block.
• Word spacing problems: Excessive or insufficient word spacing can make text difficult to read.
• Hyphenation: Justification often relies on hyphenation to break long words and improve spacing. Proper hyphenation is crucial for readability.
• Text Alignment: Justification is one of the alignment options including left-aligned, right-aligned, and centered.

Whether or not to justify text depends on the design context and the desired aesthetic. While it can create a formal and polished look, it's essential to consider the potential readability issues and choose appropriate settings to minimize them.