Typeface anatomy
Encyclopedia
Typeface anatomy describes the graphic elements that make up printed letters in a typeface
.
The strokes of a letter are the lines that make it up. Strokes may be straight, as in , or rounded, as in . If straight, they may be horizontal, vertical, or diagonal; if rounded, open or closed. Typographers also speak of an instroke, where one starts writing the letter, as at the top of , and an outstroke, where the pen leaves off, as at the bottom of .
A main vertical stroke is called a stem. The letter has three, the left, middle, and right stems. The central stroke of an is called the spine. A stroke, usually a stem, which rises above the height of an (called the x height) is called an ascender; letters with ascenders are . A stroke which drops below the baseline
is a descender
. Letters with descenders are . An arching stroke is called a shoulder or sometimes just an arch, as in . A closed rounded stroke is called a bowl in ; has two bowls. A trailing outstroke, as in is called a tail. A short horizontal stroke, as in the center of and the middle stroke of , is called a bar. A longer horizontal stroke at the top or bottom, as in , is called an arm. The bottom of the loop-tailed g
is called a loop; the very short stroke at the top is called the ear. each have a dot. Angles of strokes are called apices if at the top and vertices if at the bottom. has one apex and two vertices; has one vertex.
The terminals (ends) of instrokes and outstrokes often end in serif
s in a serif font. A serifed or unserifed terminal may be described as a wedge, bulbous, teardrop, etc., depending on the design of the type. Some designs also have spurs, which are smaller than serifs and appear on angles rather than at a terminal, as on or .
Areas of negative space
(white space) formed by straight or rounded strokes are called counter
s. Closed counters are found in , and open counters in . Angles of white space, as in , are corners ( has three corners); the term is not used for angles of strokes. The small corner formed by a serif, whether rounded or angular, is called the serif bracket.
Typeface
In typography, a typeface is the artistic representation or interpretation of characters; it is the way the type looks. Each type is designed and there are thousands of different typefaces in existence, with new ones being developed constantly....
.
The strokes of a letter are the lines that make it up. Strokes may be straight, as in , or rounded, as in . If straight, they may be horizontal, vertical, or diagonal; if rounded, open or closed. Typographers also speak of an instroke, where one starts writing the letter, as at the top of , and an outstroke, where the pen leaves off, as at the bottom of .
A main vertical stroke is called a stem. The letter has three, the left, middle, and right stems. The central stroke of an is called the spine. A stroke, usually a stem, which rises above the height of an (called the x height) is called an ascender; letters with ascenders are . A stroke which drops below the baseline
Baseline (typography)
In European and West Asian typography and penmanship, the baseline is the line upon which most letters "sit" and below which descenders extend.In the example to the right, the letter 'p' has a descender; the other letters sit on the baseline....
is a descender
Descender
In typography, a descender is the portion of a letter that extends below the baseline of a font. The line that descenders reach down to is known as the beard line....
. Letters with descenders are . An arching stroke is called a shoulder or sometimes just an arch, as in . A closed rounded stroke is called a bowl in ; has two bowls. A trailing outstroke, as in is called a tail. A short horizontal stroke, as in the center of and the middle stroke of , is called a bar. A longer horizontal stroke at the top or bottom, as in , is called an arm. The bottom of the loop-tailed g
G
G is the seventh letter in the basic modern Latin alphabet.-History:The letter 'G' was introduced in the Old Latin period as a variant of ⟨c⟩ to distinguish voiced, from voiceless, . The recorded originator of ⟨g⟩ is freedman Spurius Carvilius Ruga, the first Roman to open a fee-paying school,...
is called a loop; the very short stroke at the top is called the ear. each have a dot. Angles of strokes are called apices if at the top and vertices if at the bottom. has one apex and two vertices; has one vertex.
The terminals (ends) of instrokes and outstrokes often end in serif
Serif
In typography, serifs are semi-structural details on the ends of some of the strokes that make up letters and symbols. A typeface with serifs is called a serif typeface . A typeface without serifs is called sans serif or sans-serif, from the French sans, meaning “without”...
s in a serif font. A serifed or unserifed terminal may be described as a wedge, bulbous, teardrop, etc., depending on the design of the type. Some designs also have spurs, which are smaller than serifs and appear on angles rather than at a terminal, as on or .
Areas of negative space
Negative space
Negative space, in art, is the space around and between the subject of an image. Negative space may be most evident when the space around a subject, and not the subject itself, forms an interesting or artistically relevant shape, and such space is occasionally used to artistic effect as the "real"...
(white space) formed by straight or rounded strokes are called counter
Counter (typography)
In typography, a counter or aperture is an area entirely or partially enclosed by a letter form or a symbol . Letters containing closed counters include A, B, D, O, P, Q, R, a, b, d, e, g, o, p, and q. Letters containing open counters include c, f, h, i, s etc. The digits 0, 4, 6, 8, and 9 also...
s. Closed counters are found in , and open counters in . Angles of white space, as in , are corners ( has three corners); the term is not used for angles of strokes. The small corner formed by a serif, whether rounded or angular, is called the serif bracket.
External links
- Type Anatomy
- Font Anatomy (source)
- eXtreme Type Terminology – Part 2 and Part 3
