<!DOCTYPE html>
<p>Outlines shouldn't affect layout. This obviously also applies inside multicol.</p>
<p>Below, the word "PASS" should be seen on a straight line three times, with large letter spacing, inside a blue box.</p>
<div style="-webkit-columns:4; -webkit-column-gap:0; padding:2px; width:4em; height:7em; line-height:2em; background:blue; color:white;">
    P<br>P<br><span>P</span><br>
    A<br>A<br><span style="outline:2em solid transparent;">A</span><br>
    S<br>S<br><span style="outline:0.5em solid transparent;">S</span><br>
    S<br>S<br><span>S</span><br>
</div>