# metric key to keep glyph centred? **URL:** \ **Category:** Glyphs\ **Created:** [September 23, 2026, 3:45pm UTC](https://forum.glyphsapp.com/t/metric-key-to-keep-glyph-centred/37336 "2026-09-23T15:45:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![rosalie](https://forum.glyphsapp.com/user_avatar/forum.glyphsapp.com/rosalie/32/6397_2.png) [@rosalie](https://forum.glyphsapp.com/u/rosalie)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2026, 3:45pm UTC](https://forum.glyphsapp.com/t/metric-key-to-keep-glyph-centred/37336/1 "2026-09-23T15:45:08Z")
I have a shortcut to center outlines within the width but… it would be nice to have a metric key that maintains it automatically and so warns when the glyph is not centred anymore. Like I would enter # on both sides and boom, the value for a centred glyphs would be calculated automatically. It would spare a lot of time. Or does it exist already? I haven’t find anything in the doc. ---
**Author:** ![SCarewe](https://forum.glyphsapp.com/user_avatar/forum.glyphsapp.com/scarewe/32/18952_2.png) [@SCarewe](https://forum.glyphsapp.com/u/SCarewe)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2026, 3:51pm UTC](https://forum.glyphsapp.com/t/metric-key-to-keep-glyph-centred/37336/2 "2026-09-23T15:51:34Z")
Do you mean `=|`? ---
**Author:** ![rosalie](https://forum.glyphsapp.com/user_avatar/forum.glyphsapp.com/rosalie/32/6397_2.png) [@rosalie](https://forum.glyphsapp.com/u/rosalie)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2026, 3:55pm UTC](https://forum.glyphsapp.com/t/metric-key-to-keep-glyph-centred/37336/3 "2026-09-23T15:55:30Z")
No, this is just mirrored from the other side. If I change the length of my outline, then both side bearings have to change for the glyph to be centred in the same width as before. And I want to avoid that. ---
**Author:** ![rosalie](https://forum.glyphsapp.com/user_avatar/forum.glyphsapp.com/rosalie/32/6397_2.png) [@rosalie](https://forum.glyphsapp.com/u/rosalie)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2026, 3:57pm UTC](https://forum.glyphsapp.com/t/metric-key-to-keep-glyph-centred/37336/4 "2026-09-23T15:57:31Z")
Or do you mean I just enter this on both side without value and it works? ---
**Author:** ![SCarewe](https://forum.glyphsapp.com/user_avatar/forum.glyphsapp.com/scarewe/32/18952_2.png) [@SCarewe](https://forum.glyphsapp.com/u/SCarewe)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2026, 3:57pm UTC](https://forum.glyphsapp.com/t/metric-key-to-keep-glyph-centred/37336/5 "2026-09-23T15:57:47Z")
I see. So you would like to keep the width the same (such as explicitly writing `=600` for the width key), combined with `=|`, but _without_ writing `=600`? That’s not currently possible. ---
**Author:** ![rosalie](https://forum.glyphsapp.com/user_avatar/forum.glyphsapp.com/rosalie/32/6397_2.png) [@rosalie](https://forum.glyphsapp.com/u/rosalie)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2026, 4:00pm UTC](https://forum.glyphsapp.com/t/metric-key-to-keep-glyph-centred/37336/6 "2026-09-23T16:00:11Z")
I just tried the thing and it actually works without blocking the width! But one of the value is blue. But hey, never thought of trying this, that’s progress. ![Screenshot 2026-09-23 at 17.58.39](https://forum.glyphsapp.com/uploads/default/original/3X/7/4/746b0d45743e30cfda84360ff1534a1f3ec61bd1.png) Edit: after re-starting, the `=|` goes back to a number value. So the fix would just be: allowing this situation 🙂 Edit2: it’s blue because I am dumb and wrote it the wrong way. ---
**Author:** ![GeorgSeifert](https://forum.glyphsapp.com/user_avatar/forum.glyphsapp.com/georgseifert/32/259_2.png) [@GeorgSeifert](https://forum.glyphsapp.com/u/GeorgSeifert)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2026, 4:04pm UTC](https://forum.glyphsapp.com/t/metric-key-to-keep-glyph-centred/37336/7 "2026-09-23T16:04:50Z")
`=xxx` in width and `=|` in the RSB. Leave the LSB without a key. And the key is always `=|` (not `|=`) ---
**Author:** ![rosalie](https://forum.glyphsapp.com/user_avatar/forum.glyphsapp.com/rosalie/32/6397_2.png) [@rosalie](https://forum.glyphsapp.com/u/rosalie)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2026, 4:11pm UTC](https://forum.glyphsapp.com/t/metric-key-to-keep-glyph-centred/37336/8 "2026-09-23T16:11:12Z")
> **evidence of my stupidity in here** > > \No but that is the thing, “fixing” the left side bearing is what I am trying to avoid. And as a matter of fact,\ when I write it correctly it works! So problem solved. Don’t mind me, Sebastian was right from the beginning 🙂 EDIT: I mis-read what you wrote Georg. ALL GOOD I got it now. Updated image for my fellow primates, this is the trick: ![Screenshot 2026-09-23 at 18.17.59](https://forum.glyphsapp.com/uploads/default/original/3X/0/d/0df99955b315b8d2570eb96b72379bcd50fc35e9.png) If you have multiple masters, use `==` in the width to block it locally. A bit annoying. ---
**Author:** ![gor.jious](https://forum.glyphsapp.com/user_avatar/forum.glyphsapp.com/gor.jious/32/9472_2.png) [@gor.jious](https://forum.glyphsapp.com/u/gor.jious)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2026, 4:55pm UTC](https://forum.glyphsapp.com/t/metric-key-to-keep-glyph-centred/37336/9 "2026-09-23T16:55:15Z")
The trick doesn’t seem to work in 3.5 ![ezgif.com-video-to-gif-converter](https://forum.glyphsapp.com/uploads/default/original/3X/1/e/1ee0260901810a0fcc56d391e36a7cead11922b8.gif) ---
**Author:** ![GeorgSeifert](https://forum.glyphsapp.com/user_avatar/forum.glyphsapp.com/georgseifert/32/259_2.png) [@GeorgSeifert](https://forum.glyphsapp.com/u/GeorgSeifert)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2026, 7:19pm UTC](https://forum.glyphsapp.com/t/metric-key-to-keep-glyph-centred/37336/10 "2026-09-23T19:19:54Z")
the update buttons seem to be broken. But Glyphs \> Update Metrics, does it.