White space, also known as negative space, refers to the open space between design elements on a web page. It includes all blank space on a page between text, including individual letters, words and paragraphs, as well as the blank space between graphics and other page elements.
White space is more than just the background of a page. In fact, it is an integral part of successful web design. White space provides a spatial relationship between visual items, guides a reader’s eyes from one point to another, and allows us to absorb the material being displayed. Further, it can provide an overall sense of spaciousness and neatness to a site. White space is particularly important when it comes to the Internet because reading on the Internet is more visually demanding and involves more eye strain than when reading material in print.
White space should be considered an important layout technique in web design. Without it, there is no balance between elements on a page. Further, the text can become unreadable to the viewer and the graphics can lose their emphasis. By properly incorporating white space into a page’s design, both the layout’s appeal and the visual power of your message are increased. The most appealing web pages are those that are easy on the eyes, replacing an overabundance of images, backgrounds, and fonts with a lot of white space.