Typography Anatomy Flashcards
Aperture
The partially enclosed negative space by a curved strokes that includes openings in certain characters (for example: ‘c’, ‘s’, the lower part of ‘e’, and the upper part of ‘a’).
Apex
The point formed at the top of certain chracters such as A where the left and right strokes meet.
Arm
an upper horizontal or diagonal stroke that is attached on one end and free on the other; horizontal stroke as in ‘E’, ‘F’, ‘Z’; upward sloping stroke in a ‘K’, ‘Y’, ‘V’or free at both ends in a ‘T’.
Ascender
the part of a lowercase character that extends above the height of the lowercase x; a stroke on a lowercase letter that rises above the meanline.
Barb
the half-serif finish on some curved strokes (for example: ‘C’, ‘S’, ‘G’).
Baseline
the invisible line on which the base of characters sit.
Beak
the half-serif finish on some horizontal strokes (for example: ‘E’, ‘F’, ‘L’, ‘T’, ‘Z’).
Bowl
a curved stroke that creates an enclosed space (called a counter) in a letterform.
Bracket
the transitional shape, connecting serif to the stroke. Brackets are the supportive curves that connect the serif to the stroke, creating a somewhat softer look.
Cap height
the height of capital letters from the baseline to the carline (the top of caps), most accurately measured on a character with a flat top and bottom (as in ‘E’, ‘H’).
Capline
the invisible horizontal line that runs along the tops of the capital letters.
Chin
the angled terminal of a ‘G’.
Counter
the negative space that is fully or partially enclosed by a curved stroke.
Crossbar
the horizontal stroke that connects two sides of the letterform (as in ‘A’, ‘H’), crosses main stroke (as in ‘f’, ‘t’) or bisects stems (as in ‘E’, ‘e’, ‘F’).
Descender
a stroke on a lowercase letterform that falls below the baseline.
Ear
the small stroke that projects from the top of the lowercase ‘g’ and ‘r’.
Eye
refers specifically to the enclosed space in a lowercase ‘e’.
Leg
a lower horizontal or diagonal stroke that is attached on one end and free on the other (as in ‘E’, ‘K’, ‘R’, ‘Z’)
Link
the stroke that connects the top and bottom part (bowl and loop) of a two-storey lowercase ‘g’.
Loop
an exception to the bowls is the descender bowl formed by a double-storey ‘g’.
Meanline (midline)
the invisible line that establishes the height of the body of lowercase letters.
Overhang (overshoot)
the curves at the bottom or top of letters hang slightly below the baseline or above the meanline or capline. Without overhang, rounded or pointy letters would appear smaller than flat-footed letters.
Serif
the projections extending off the major strokes of a letterform. Serifs come in two styles: bracketed and unbracketed.
Shoulder
the transitional part of a curved stroke coming from the stem leading into the vertical stroke (as in ‘h’, ‘m’, ‘n’).
Spine
a left-to-right curving stroke in ‘S’.
Spur
a small, usually angular projection that extends from the main stroke, found on many capital ‘G’ and the terminal to a stem of a rounded letter (as in ‘a’, ‘b’, ‘q’).
Stem
a major vertical stroke (as in ‘F’, ‘T’) in the letterform or diagonal stroke in a letter that has no verticals (as in ‘V’).
Storey
The lowercase ‘a’ and ‘g’ come in two styles: one-storey (also called single bowl) and two-storey (also called double bowl).
The two-storey ‘a’ has a bowl with an arc over it, while the one-storey of ‘a’ has a bowl and vertical stroke.
Stress
the direction in which a curved stroke changes weight.
Stroke
a straight or curved line.
Tail
the descender of a ‘Q’, a decorative curved outstroke of capital ‘K’, ‘R’.
Terminal (or Finial)
the end of a stroke, which is not terminated with a serif.
Tittle (or dot)
is the rounded mark above the lowercase ‘i’ and ‘j’.
Vertex
the angle formed at the bottom of a letter where the left and right strokes meet, such as in ‘N’, ‘V’, ‘W’.
X-height
The height of lowercase letters usually based on the lowercase x, excluding ascenders and descenders; the distance from the baseline to the meanline.
