Typographic Terms

Typography is the study of letter forms in graphic design. How you say something can be a supporting and expanding example of what you are trying to say.

Got a Light by DesertViper

What is typography?

Typography is the art and technique of arranging type, type design, and modifying type glyphs.

The earliest writing was scratched in clay or carved in stone.

With the invention of moveable type by Johan Gutenberg in 1436, the modern printing press was born.

From this early technology, we draw a great deal of our current terminology.

On one new slide per term, define each terms as it relates to typography. Include

an example or a picture if it aids in the explanation of the term.

typeface

• A design for a set of characters. Popular typefaces include Times Roman, Helvetica, and Courier. The typeface represents one aspect of a font. The font also includes such characteristics as size, weight, italics, and so on.

Arial

serif

This is one of the general categories of typefaces. Serif typefaces use small decorative marks to embellish characters and make them easier to read. Times Roman is a serif type.

Times New Roman

sans serif

• This is the other general category of typefaces. Sans serif typefaces are composed of simple lines. Helvetica is a sans serif type

Helvetica

uppercase• The capital letters of the alphabet are

uppercase glyphs. Uppercase letters are normally used at the beginning of sentences and as the first letter of proper names.

AaUPPERCASE

lowercase

• The little letters or non-capital letters of the alphabet are lowercase glyphs. They make up the bulk of written text, with uppercase or capital letters used primarily only to start sentences or proper names.

Bb lowercase

capline

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

THE END

midline (meanline)

• A line marking the middle of the letters within a font.

Hello

baseline

• The line along which the bases of all capital letters (and most lowercase letters) are positioned

Baseline

ascender

• The part of certain lowercase letters that extends above the x-height of a font.

• X-height -The height of those lowercase letters such as "x", which have no ascenders or descenders.

• For example : t, h, l, k, d, f, b, and i

t n

descender

• Is the part of certain lowercase letters that extends below the base line of the letter.

• For example: g, j, y, and p

p o

counter and bowl

• Counter is the curved negative space in some letters such as d, o, and s.

• Bowl is the circular or curved parts (counter) of some letters such as d, b, o, D, and B is the bowl. Some sources call any parts of a letter enclosing a space a bowl, including both parts of a double-storey g and the straight stem on a D or B.

O Negative space = counter/bowl

On the next slide, match the terms appropriately. Move the dotted lines and the arrows to

where they belong.

Alpha betuppercase

lowercase

serif

ascender

descender

sans serif

counter

baselinemeanline

capline