In
page layout,
illustration and
sculpture,
white space is often referred to as
negative space. It is the portion of a page left unmarked:
margins,
gutters, and space between columns, lines of type, graphics, figures, or objects drawn or depicted. The term arises from
graphic design practice, where printing processes generally use white paper. White space should not be considered merely 'blank' space — it is an important element of design which enables the objects in it to exist at all; the balance between positive (or non-white) and the use of negative spaces is key to
aesthetic composition. Inexpert use of white space, however, can make a page appear incomplete.