Typography Evolved from Handwriting, Which Is Created By
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PARTS OF THE LETTER Typography evolved from handwriting, which is created by making a series of marks by hand; therefore, the fundamen- tal element constructing a letterform is the linear stroke (stem). Each letter of our alphabet developed as a simple mark whose visual characteristics clearly sepa- rated it from all others. PARTS OF THE LETTER By learning the vocabulary designers and typographers can develop a greater understanding and sensitivity to the visual harmony and complexity of the alphabet. PARTS OF THE LETTER As with any craft that has evolved over 500 years, typography employs a number of technical terms. We will be learning these terms throughout the semester. The following describes specific parts of letterforms. Knowing the letterform component parts will make it much easier to identify specific typeface in the future. serif: the short strokes that finish off the major strokes of the letterform. bracket: a curving joint between the serif and the stroke bracket A baskerville bodoni rockwell Atransitional Amodern slab serif extreme thick and thins nearly mono-weight stroke width A baskerville bodoni rockwell Atransitional Amodern slab serif extreme thick and thins nearly mono-weight baseline: the imaginary line defining the visual base of the letterform. all letterforms sit on the baseline. baseline xAapdeCGgQk cap height: the height of the upper case in a font, taken from the base- line to the top of the character. cap height baseline xAapdeCGgQk x-height: the height lowercase x. if you compare typefaces of the same point size they may not have the same x-height. all of the lowercase x’s are the same point size. xbembo xbaskerville xbodoni xrockwell xfutura old style transitional modern slab serif sans serif Immaculate typography is certainly the Immaculate typography is certainly the Immaculate typography is certainly the Immaculate typography is certainly Immaculate typography is certainly the most brittle of all the arts. To create a whole most brittle of all the arts. To create a most brittle of all the arts. To create a the most brittle of all the arts. To most brittle of all the arts. To create a from many petrified, disconnected and whole from many petrified, disconnect- whole from many petrified, disconnect- create a whole from many petrified, whole from many petrified, disconnect- given parts, to make this whole appear ed and given parts, to make this whole ed and given parts, to make this whole disconnected and given parts, to ed and given parts, to make this whole alive and of a piece – only sculpture in appear alive and of a piece – only appear alive and of a piece – only make this whole appear alive and of appear alive and of a piece – only stone approaches the unyielding stiffness sculpture in stone approaches the un- sculpture in stone approaches the un- a piece – only sculpture in stone ap- sculpture in stone approaches the un- of perfect typography. yielding stiffness of perfect typography. yielding stiffness of perfect typography. proaches the unyielding stiffness of yielding stiffness of perfect typography. 8/13 8/13 8/13 perfect typography. 8/13 8/13 ascender a stroke on a lowercase letter that rises above the x-height x bdfhl pjqy descender a stroke on a lowercase letterfom that falls below the baseline. apex A A A A bembo baskerville bodoni rockwell Afutura A old style transitional modern slab serif sans serif cross bar apex W W W bembo baskerville didot W old style transitional modern vertex final bembo baskerville bodoni aold style atransitional amodern terminal bowl bowl bowl: the rounded form that describes a counter. the bowl may be either open or closed counter: the negative space within xa letterform either fully or pc partially enclosed. counter counter example: of how counterform can be used in design and especially logos. eye e e e e e bembo baskerville bodoni rockwell meta e old style transitional modern slab serif sans serif cross bar barb C C C C C bembo baskerville bodoni rockwell futura C old style transitional modern slab serif sans serif b b G G G G G bembo baskerville bodoni serifa meta old style transitional modern slab serif sans serif Gspur link: the stroke that connects the bowl and the loop of the lowercase g. ear g g g g g bembo baskerville bodoni rockwell meta link g old style transitional modern slab serif sans serif loop the bowl at the lower part of the lowercase letter g. it can be open or continuous. Q Q Q QQ bembo baskerville bodoni rockwell futura Q old style transitional modern slab serif sans serif tail arm k crotch k k k k bembo baskerville bodoni rockwell futura old style transitional modern slab serif sans serif kstem leg R R R R R bembo baskerville bodoni rockwell futura R old style transitional modern slab serif sans serif leg stem barb ascender ear final arm bowl link apex cap height x-height baseline xAapdeCGgQk eye leg cross bar descender spur counter terminal loop tail.