Typography Deconstructed

Ampersand

Logogram representing the conjunction word "and"

Aperture

Negative space in some characters

Apex

A point at the top of a character where two strokes meet.

Arc of Stem

A curved stroke that is continuous with a straight stem.

Arm

A horizontal or upward, sloping stroke that does not connect to a stroke or stem on one or both ends.

Ascender

An upward vertical stroke found on the part of lowercase letters that extends above the typeface's x-height.

Axis

An imaginary line drawn from top to bottom of a glyph bisecting the upper and lower strokes is the axis.

Ball Terminal

A circular form at the end of the arm in letters.

bar/crossbar

The horizontal stroke in letters.

Baseline

The invisible line where all characters sit.

Beak

A sharp spur, found particularly at the top of letters in some 20th centry Romans.

Bilateral Serifs

A serif extending to both sides of a main stroke.

Body Height

The complete area covered by all of the characters in a font.

Bowl

Rounded part of a letter.

Bracket

A curved or wedge-like connection between the stem and serif of some fonts.

Cap Height

The height of a capital letter measured from the baseline.

Counter

The open space in a fully or partly closed area within a letter.

Cross Stroke

A horizontal stroke that intersects the stem of a lowercase t or f.

Crotch

Inside angle where two strokes meet.

Descender

The part of the letters that extends below the baseline.

Diagonal Stroke

An angled stroke.

Dot

A small distinguishing mark

Ear

A small stroke extending from the upper-right side of the bowl

Eye

the enclosed space in a lowercase 'e'

Finial

A Curved End

Hairline

A thin stroke usually common to serif typefaces.

Hook

A curved, protruding stroke in a terminal

Leg

Descending portion of a letter.

Ligature

Two or more letters that are joined together

Lobe

A rounded projecting stoke attached to the main structure of a letter.

Open Counter

The partially open space within a character that is open on one end.

Serif

A stroke added as a stop to the beginning and end of the main strokes of a character.

Shoulder

The curved stroke aiming downward from a stem.

Spine

The main curved stroke of a lowercase or capital S.

Stem

Vertical, full-length stroke in upright characters.

Stroke

A straight or curved diagonal line.

Swash

A flourish addition replacing a terminal or serif.

Tail

A descending stroke

Teardrop Terminal

The teardropped ends of strokes

Terminal

The end of a stroke that does not include a serif.

X-Height

The height of lowercase letters

ascender line

The invisible line marking the height of ascenders within a font

Ascent Line

The invisible line marking the farthest distance between the baseline and the top of the glyph.

Cap line

A line marking the height of uppercase letters within a font.

descender line

The invisible line marking the lowest point of the descenders within a font.

descent line

The invisible line marking the farthest distance between the baseline and the bottom of the glyph.

diacritie

a ancillary mark of sign added to a letter

flag

the horizontal stroke present on the numeral 5

mean line

An imaginary line running along the top of non-ascending, lowercase letters

link

a stroke that connects the top ad bottom bowls of a lowercase and double-story 'g'

loop

The enclosed or partially enclosed counter below the baseline of a double-story g.

lowercase

the smaller form of letters in a typeface

old style figures

Numbers with varying heights, some aligning to the baseline and some below.

overshoot

Ascenders extending into the space of a following character.

quaint

an antiquated sort of glyph, used to recreate of a bygone age

spur

A small projection off a main stroke.

uppercase

A letter or group of letters of the size and form generally used to begin sentences and proper nouns. Also known as "capital letters".

vertex

the outside point at the top or bottom of a character where two strokes meet