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Spacing

A consistent spacing system creates rhythm and visual harmony. Our spacing scale is based on a 4px base unit, following patterns from Carbon and Polaris.

Spacing tokens
TokenValueUsage
--space-10.25rem (4px)Icon padding, tight gaps
--space-20.5rem (8px)Inline spacing, small gaps
--space-30.75rem (12px)Component padding
--space-41rem (16px)Standard gutter, card padding
--space-51.25rem (20px)Section padding
--space-61.5rem (24px)Component margin
--space-82rem (32px)Section margin
--space-102.5rem (40px)Page padding
--space-123rem (48px)Large section gap
--space-164rem (64px)Hero spacing
--space-205rem (80px)Major layout breaks
Max widths
TokenValueUsage
--container-sm640pxNarrow content
--container-md768pxStandard content
--container-lg1024pxWide layouts
--container-xl1280pxFull-width pages
  • All spacing uses multiples of 4px (0.25rem)
  • Use scale tokens instead of arbitrary values
  • Padding: prefer --space-4 (16px) for card interiors
  • Gap: --space-2 (8px) inline, --space-6 (24px) block
  • Page margins: 24px mobile → 40px+ desktop