Melbourne Museum of Printing | Our Glossary of Printing and Typography CHARACTERS, TYPEFACES, SERIFS, STROKES |
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SUGGESTION: HOW TO EXPLORE THIS GLOSSARY | |||||||||||||||||||
IF YOU KNOW THE NAME OF A TERM, GO TO THE ALPHABETIC PAGE eg to find PICA choose the Alphabetic Page N-Q. You will find several meanings of this word, and that it is mostly used in TYPE MEASUREMENTS. | |||||||||||||||||||
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO EXPLORE OTHER TERMS ABOUT TYPE MEASUREMENTS look in the Thematic Glossary about Typecasting and Type Measurements | |||||||||||||||||||
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ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THESE DEFINITIONS INCLUDE: | |||
usu = usually | cf = compare with | eg = for example | typic = typically |
NOUN, COUNTABLE | accent . . . . . . 2 | CHARACTERS |
a mark above, below or through a letter to change its value in the language: same as diacritic | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | accented character | CHARACTERS |
character with a mark to indicate a changed value - see Diacritic | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | acute accent | CHARACTERS |
diacritic above letter, usu vowel, often indicating a sharp sound: a mark rising to the right | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | ampersand | CHARACTERS |
symbol representing Latin word et, meaning and: often elaborately designed | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | asterisk | CHARACTERS |
reference mark in form of a star, usu raised: the most common reference mark | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | breve [breev] | CHARACTERS |
diacritic above letter, usu vowel, to indicate shorter sound or unstress (like inverted U) | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | bullet | CHARACTERS |
dot or other character to distinguish items in a list | ||
ABBREVIATION | cap(s) | CHARACTERS |
capital, or majuscule character, or type to be set "all caps" | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | cedilla | CHARACTERS |
diacritic below letter, usu C or G, to indicate softer sound: shaped like a hook or comma | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | character | CHARACTERS |
each letter, numeral, punctuation mark or other symbol in a fount | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | circumflex accent | CHARACTERS |
diacritic above letter, usu vowel, to indicate longer sound or an absorbed letter: shaped like roof | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | close quote mark | CHARACTERS |
(in English) the raised comma, usu identical to apostrophe, like a small figure 9 | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | dagger | CHARACTERS |
reference mark in the shape of a dagger | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | dash | LANGUAGE AND USAGE |
punctuation to separate ideas: normally uses the EM RULE character | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | diacritic | CHARACTERS |
a more exact term for an accent, a mark above or below or through a letter to change its value | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | diaeresis | CHARACTERS |
diacritic over vowel, indicating separation from adjoining vowel: two dots, like the umlaut mark | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | dingbat | CHARACTERS |
star, dot, flower, or other mark outside a fount: may be used for separation | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | diphthong . . . . 1 | LANGUAGE AND USAGE |
two vowels together, pronounced by sliding, common in English. eg: hay, buy, go, few, cow, boy | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | diphthong . . . . 2 | CHARACTERS |
two vowels joined together in one character: AE and OE are not liga tures. | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | double close quote | CHARACTERS |
to match the double open quote: a separate character with twin marks on one body | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | double dagger | CHARACTERS |
reference mark like a dagger with handles at both ends | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | double open quote | CHARACTERS |
a nice touch in some founts: a separate character with the two marks on one body | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | ellipsis [pl ..pses] | LANGUAGE AND USAGE |
punctuation consisting of three dots: normally full stops, spaced o ut with fixed thin spaces | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | em dash | CHARACTERS |
common name for em rule: the normal dash used for punctuation | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | em leader | CHARACTERS |
leader character (usu dots) of one em width: "a 6-dot em leader" | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | em rule | CHARACTERS |
horiz rule (normally in centre of body) one (relative) em long: used as dash or for longer lines | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | em space | CHARACTERS |
space (between words, as an indent) equal to a relative em (current body size) | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | full stop [US period | LANGUAGE AND USAGE |
the dot which ends a sentence or denotes an abbreviation. Period [US] | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | grave accent [gra:v] | CHARACTERS |
diacritic above letter, usu vowel, to indicate heavy sound. A mark falling from the left. | ||
ABBREVIATION | L/C or LC | CHARACTERS |
lower case | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | leader character | CHARACTERS |
char with qty of dots or dashes: helps to lead the eye, eg in an index. Also for dotted lines. | ||
EQUIVALENT TERM | leaders | CHARACTERS |
see also dotted lines, vertical leaders, rule formes | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | leaders [leeders] | CHARACTERS |
line of characters to lead the eye across a page usu dots or dashes | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | ligature . . . . . 1 | CHARACTERS |
two or more charac made as one type or glyph: often kerned pairs like ff, fi | ||
MISCONCEPTION / INAPPROP TERM | ligature . . . . . 2 | CHARACTERS |
NOT the letter combinations AE and OE: these are diphthongs, separa te characters | ||
NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE | lining figures | CHARACTERS |
numerals all sized like capitals: also called modern figures: see old style figs | ||
ABBREVIATION | logo | CHARACTERS |
logotype | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | logotype | CHARACTERS |
word cast as a single type: later included trade symbols etc | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | low apostrophe | CHARACTERS |
an alternative apostrophe cast lower to align with x-height letters not common | ||
NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE | lower case . . . . 2 | CHARACTERS |
miniscule characters, often simplistically called small letters | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | macron | CHARACTERS |
diacritic above letter, usu vowel, to indicate longer sound or syllabic stress (straight bar) | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | majuscule | CHARACTERS |
early term for capital letters: of greater proportions | ||
ABBREVIATION | MICR | CHARACTERS |
magnetic ink character recognition [system used on bank cheques etc] | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | minuscule | CHARACTERS |
early term for non-capital letters: of smaller proportions | ||
EQUIVALENT TERM | modern figures | CHARACTERS |
same as lining figures | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | nonbreaking space | CHARACTERS |
space character which is treated as letter for word-break purposes | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | old style figures | CHARACTERS |
figures varying in height: 1,2,0 are x-height; 6,8 ascend; 3,4,5,7, 9 descend | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | open quote mark | CHARACTERS |
(in English) the turned comma, like a small figure 6 | ||
VERB | overstrike | CHARACTERS |
produce non-standard character or effect by printing a character over another | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | paragraph symbol | CHARACTERS |
reference mark, a stylised, reversed P; also used as proofreader's mark | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | pi character . . . 1 | CHARACTERS |
character not included in a fount: it must be accessed by special means | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | raised comma | CHARACTERS |
the apostrophe/close quote matrix was struck from the comma punch in higher pos'n | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | reference mark | CHARACTERS |
symbol used in text to direct the reader to a footnote (exc numbered footnotes) | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | required hyphen .. 1 | CHARACTERS |
hyphen needed for hyphenated words: not added by word-break | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | section symbol | CHARACTERS |
reference mark, also used to indicate a new section (rare) | ||
EQUIVALENT TERM | slug . . . . . . . 1 | CHARACTERS |
solid circle character, also called a bullet [magazine speak] | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | small capitals | CHARACTERS |
alternative alphabet of capitals sized like l/case letters: common in Roman faces | ||
ADJECTIVE | subscript | CHARACTERS |
reduced size and lined below baseline: common for maths and science characters | ||
ADJECTIVE | superscript | CHARACTERS |
reduced size and lined above baseline: common for maths and science characters | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | swash letter | CHARACTERS |
letter with flourish: usu alternate: eg l/c e with long tail for end of word | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | tabular figures | CHARACTERS |
numeral characters with uniforn set-width, essential for setting tables | ||
EQUIVALENT TERM | tied letters | CHARACTERS |
ligature | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | tilde | CHARACTERS |
diacritic above letter to show fluid or nasal sound: a curly bar: ~: also used separately as symbol | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | turned comma . . . 1 | CHARACTERS |
before the open quote was cast separately, comps used an upside-down comma | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | turned comma . . . 2 | CHARACTERS |
many founts of handset cast even today have no open quote - comma must be turned | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | umlaut | CHARACTERS |
diacritic above vowel, to indicate changed value. Consists of two dots, like the diaeresis. | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | upper case . . . . 2 | CHARACTERS |
majuscule characters, often called capital letters | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | vertical rule | CHARACTERS |
fine vertical line: often matched up from one line to the next: may be double or modified | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | abrupt serif | CHARACTER PARTS AND STROKES |
serif shape suddenly changing direction from the stem | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | adnate serif | CHARACTER PARTS AND STROKES |
serif shape with flowing connection to stem | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | ascender | CHARACTER PARTS AND STROKES |
the rising stem of lowercase letters like b,d,h | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | ball terminal | CHARACTER PARTS AND STROKES |
terminal ending in a ball shape eg the tail of j in some typefaces | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | beak terminal | CHARACTER PARTS AND STROKES |
terminal ending in a spur shape: eg the tops of b, d, h, l in some typefaces | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | bowl | CHARACTER PARTS AND STROKES |
round or elliptical element of a character as in C G O b d q p | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | bracketed serif | CHARACTER PARTS AND STROKES |
serif shape with a wedge or bracket between serif and stem | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | counter . . . . . 2 | CHARACTER PARTS AND STROKES |
part of character enclosed by strokes: a punch cutter's term | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | descender | CHARACTER PARTS AND STROKES |
part of lowercase letters that descends below the baseline | ||
ADJECTIVE | double storey | CHARACTER PARTS AND STROKES |
l/case a or g which have the closed tail or curved finial. opp: simple a or g | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | finial | CHARACTER PARTS AND STROKES |
decoration or flourish at the end of a stroke, like teardrop or hook | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | flourish | CHARACTER PARTS AND STROKES |
stroke added to character for style rather than meaning | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | hairline . . . . . 1 | CHARACTER PARTS AND STROKES |
the thinnest strokes in design of characters | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | half-serif terminal | CHARACTER PARTS AND STROKES |
terminal ending in serif of which one side is suppressed | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | kern . . . . . . . 1 | CHARACTER PARTS AND STROKES |
part of the face of a type which overhangs the body (handset type) | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | kern . . . . . . . 2 | CHARACTER PARTS AND STROKES |
part of the face of a type which crosses the boundary of a neighbour (photo typeset) | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | lachrymal terminal | CHARACTER PARTS AND STROKES |
fancy term for teardrop terminal | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | serif | CHARACTER PARTS AND STROKES |
cross-stroke at end of stem or terminal: stone engravers use it for neatness | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | slab serif | CHARACTER PARTS AND STROKES |
serif as thick as the bold strokes of character: may be abrupt or a dnate in shape | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | stem | CHARACTER PARTS AND STROKES |
vertical stroke of a character like b d h k l p q B D E F H I K L M N P R T | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | teardrop terminal | CHARACTER PARTS AND STROKES |
terminal ending in teardrop shape | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | terminal | CHARACTER PARTS AND STROKES |
free-standing end of a stroke: tops of ascenders, hooks of a,g,j | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | accent . . . . . . 3 | TYPE FACE DESIGNS |
the degree to which some strokes of a face are heavier than others: Bodoni has a strong accent | ||
ADJECTIVE | antiqua | TYPE FACE DESIGNS |
European term for Roman typefaces | ||
ADJECTIVE | backslanting | TYPE FACE DESIGNS |
slanting the opposite way from italic | ||
ADJECTIVE | blackletter | TYPE FACE DESIGNS |
typefaces pre-roman like Old English and Fraktur | ||
ADJECTIVE | bold | TYPE FACE DESIGNS |
having strokes thicker than standard or medium | ||
ADJECTIVE | bolded | TYPE FACE DESIGNS |
having strokes made more bold by a computer: may differ from a separately designed bold face | ||
ADJECTIVE | condensed | TYPE FACE DESIGNS |
narrower version of a typeface: puts more characters into a given length | ||
ADJECTIVE | cursive | TYPE FACE DESIGNS |
typeface that resembles handwriting: running style | ||
ADJECTIVE | egyptian | TYPE FACE DESIGNS |
type style with square (slab) serifs and almost uniform strokes. eg Rockwell, Karnak, Memphis | ||
EQUIVALENT TERM | expanded type | TYPE FACE DESIGNS |
same as extended type | ||
NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE | extended type | TYPE FACE DESIGNS |
typeface with wider body in relation to its height (opp: condensed) | ||
EQUIVALENT TERM | face | TYPE FACE DESIGNS |
typeface - either the design or the physical surface | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | family | TYPE FACE DESIGNS |
a number of related typefaces: eg a Roman and its Italic, its Bold, its condensed | ||
ADJECTIVE | gothic | TYPE FACE DESIGNS |
sans serif typeface with even strokes | ||
ADJECTIVE | grotesque | TYPE FACE DESIGNS |
sans serif typeface similar to gothic | ||
ADJECTIVE | italic | TYPE FACE DESIGNS |
slanted typeface, often with cursive features | ||
VERB | italicise . . . . 2 | TYPE FACE DESIGNS |
produce an italic version of a typeface by computer action: not normally the same as designed ital | ||
ADJECTIVE | modern | TYPE FACE DESIGNS |
type style with straight serifs and vertical shading | ||
ADJECTIVE | monospaced | TYPE FACE DESIGNS |
face in which all characters occupy the same set-width, as typewriter faces | ||
ADJECTIVE | oblique . . . . . 1 | TYPE FACE DESIGNS |
slanted version of face, like italic but without changes from the roman | ||
VERB | oblique . . . . . 2 | TYPE FACE DESIGNS |
modify a face by slanting it. Obliqued faces may be generated on the fly | ||
ABBREVIATION | OCR | TYPE FACE DESIGNS |
optical character recognition | ||
NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE | old style | TYPE FACE DESIGNS |
faces having angled stress and tapered serifs | ||
NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE | optical char. recog | TYPE FACE DESIGNS |
faces designed in the 1960's for computerised reading with simple scan software | ||
ADJECTIVE | outline | TYPE FACE DESIGNS |
face that is largely 'hollow': just the outline of each character | ||
NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE | proportional spacing | TYPE FACE DESIGNS |
set-sizes (body widths) varying to suit characters: most printing types conform to this | ||
NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE | roman [face] . . . 1 | TYPE FACE DESIGNS |
a roman is an upright, normal weight, serif face whether oldstyle or modern | ||
NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE | roman [face] . . . 2 | TYPE FACE DESIGNS |
the upright, normal version of a sans serif is often called the roman | ||
ADJECTIVE | sans serif | TYPE FACE DESIGNS |
meaning `without serifs': class of faces designed without serifs: lineale styles | ||
ADJECTIVE | serif [face] | TYPE FACE DESIGNS |
class of faces with serifs: old style, modern or stylised serifs exist | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | stress | TYPE FACE DESIGNS |
the angle within a bowl-shaped letter of the variation in stroke thickness: usu near vertical | ||
ADJECTIVE | transitional | TYPE FACE DESIGNS |
face with characteristics in between old style and modern | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | type family | TYPE FACE DESIGNS |
a basic typeface and its variants, designed to be used together: the Bembo family | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | typeface . . . . . 1 | TYPE FACE DESIGNS |
unifying characteristics of a fount of type: stroke weight, serif shape, stress | ||
ADJECTIVE | uncial | TYPE FACE DESIGNS |
style of manuscript lettering without capitals: some typefaces emulate this | ||
NOUN, COUNTABLE | whiteletter | TYPE FACE DESIGNS |
roman and italic faces (rather than blackletter like Old English) | ||
Persons wishing to use these are asked to contact the author at Melbourne Museum of Printing.
Comments and suggestions about terms and definitions will be very welcome.
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