Type Vocab Handout 4/21

Classifications of Fonts

Serif, Sans Serif, Script, and Display (Decorative).

Typeface

The specific design of an alphabet's letters, numerals, monetary symbols, etc. that's used together.

Type Family

All the various weights and versions of a particular typeface, including italics, outline faces, bold weights, light weights, and condensed, as well as extended varieties.

Serif Font

The small decorative elements on the ends of each character are called serifs.

Sans Serif Font

Letterforms without serifs, generally with a straightforward, geometric appearance.

Script Font

Typefaces based on handwritten linked letters which usually incorporate a slant to the right and flourish capitals.

Display Font

Fonts with extreme features such as swashes or exaggerated serifs, and intended for use at large sizes for headings, rather than body text.

Flourish

A fancy stroke at the end of a capital letter.

Italic

A letterform style more cursive than Roman but less cursive than script. It was originally designed to replicate handwriting.

Weight

The thickness or thinness of the stroke of a character letter form.

Shoulder

A curved stroke projecting from the stem of a letter form.

Baseline

Is the invisible line upon which a line of text rests on.

X-height

The height of the main body of lowercase letters in a typeface. It's normally based on the size of the font's lowercase 'x' and the approximate height of unextended lowercase letters (a, c, e, m, n...).

Ascender

Is the upward part of a letterform (often a vertical stroke) that extends above the x-height, such as the stem of a lowercase f or h.

Descender

It's a downward vertical stroke that extends below the baseline, such as the stem of a lowercase g or p.

Kerning

The spacing between any two letters (or characters) to ensure better readability.

Tracking

The horizontal spacing throughout an entire word or words.

Leading

The vertical spacing between lines of copy.