en or em dash
en or em dash
Out of context: Reply #18
- Started
- Last post
- 32 Responses
- gramme0
Furthermore, using em dashes with space either side is distinctly British; em dashes with no space is more or less North American; and spaced en dashes is a more contemporary approach, favored by people like Erik Spiekermann and Robert Bringhurst. Bringhurst even goes so far as to say that full-width em dashes belong to the "padded and corseted aesthetic of the Victorian Age." I wouldn't go that far, but I do agree that em dashes are more old-fashioned.
Personally, I go back and forth between close-set em dashes and open en dashes. Don't have a strong preference either way. Like I said before, it depends in part on the particular fonts being used.