Anatomy Of Typography For
Designers
Typography
is the art and method of arranging type to make the written language more
appealing. It’s the responsibility of a designer and is about much more than
making the words legible. The selection of typeface and how you make it work
with your layout, grid, basic color schemes, design theme and much more will
make the difference between a good, bad and a great design.
The utmost
basic and important element of typography is the letter, and each letter of the
alphabet is distinguished by its unique shape, or letter form. Thus, it’s
necessary to possess some basic knowledge of the terminologies before we step
into the arena of type.
Important Typographic Anatomy
Terms
· Baseline
of a Text
It
is a line which is invisible and where all the letters sit. Descender on
letters such as g or p extend down below the baseline or curved letters such as
c or o extend ever-so-slightly below the baseline. It is the point from which
other elements of type are measured including x-height and leading. It is also
significant in the alignment of drop caps and other page elements.
· · Cap
line or Cap Height
It is that imaginary line that marks the
upper boundary of capital letters and some lowercase letters’ descender. The
line to which capital letter forms extend above the baseline. It refers to the
height of capital letter forms that are flat.
· Maximum
X-heightThe space that exists in
the vertical direction for the lowercase “x” in any typeface is known as
X-Height. In other words, it is the distance formed between the baseline and
mean line of the body of characters in lowercase. The fonts with greater
X-heights are easier to read, so the X-Height is very important in the context
of font shapes. Maximum x-height means maximum readability so designer should
select a typeface which has maximum x-height.
·
Lowercase Ascender
It is an upward vertical stroke mostly founded on lowercase letters
that extends above the typeface’s x-height. It is the specific part of a letter
that extends beyond the top of the mean line, such as the letters ‘b’, ‘d’,
‘f’, ‘h’ ‘k’ etc.
· Descender in Typography
It is a downward vertical stroke generally found on lowercase letters
that extends below the baseline. It is generally the specific part of a letter
that extends below the baseline, such as the letters ‘g’, ‘j’, ‘p’, ‘q’ and
‘y’.
·
Leading or Line Spacing
It is the vertical space between lines of text. In other words, it may
also be referred to as the Line Height, which is the spacing between sentenced
text. Leading is very important. It can directly impact the readability long
blocks of text. If you decrease leading, then lines get closer to each other,
making a block of text appear more compacted. Decreasing the amount of leading
can cause descenders and ascenders to collide, and this could have an adverse
effect on readability. If the leading is increased, then it can reduce the pace
of a piece of text and add more white space. It gives a relaxed feeling when
reading those text blocks. If leading is too much, then it can cause continuity
problems, as the eyes of the reader is required to travel a greater distance
between lines of text. You’ll have to increase leading to improve the
readability of the text block, in case if you increase word-spacing (the space
between each word),
· Serif Typeface
It refers to the general category of typefaces
where a short line or stroke attached to or extending from the open ends of a
letter form. They are designed with a decorative feature at the end of each
letter, although some letters have the exception. These typefaces are
considered traditional and often used in printed matter like books are set in
serif typefaces.
· Sans Serif or Sans Letterform
Literally “without line”; the general category
of typefaces (or an individual typeface) designed without serifs. These
typefaces are designed with a geometric finish with no additional or decorative
features. These kinds of typefaces are considered modern and minimalist and are
currently trending. In print media, sans typefaces tend to be used more often
for headlines than body text. On screen, however, sans typefaces are generally
more readable.
· Round, Pointed or Flat Apex
It is the uppermost connecting point of a
letter form where two strokes meet; it can be rounded, sharp/pointed,
flat/blunt, etc. For example, the uppercase letter A or M where the left and
right strokes meet is the apex.
· Horizontal Arm
A horizontal stroke that does not connect to a
stem on one or both ends. The top of the capital T and the horizontal strokes
of the E are examples of arms.
· Bar or Crossbar
It is also known as crossbar. An enclosed
horizontal stroke. The horizontal stroke in letter such as A, H, e, and f.
· Round, Closed or Oval Bowl
The closed, round or oval curve of a
letter. It is an enclosed space within a character is created by a curved
stroke. For example, letters like d, b, and g.
· Counter or Closed Space or Aperture
An enclosed or partially enclosed area of white
space within a letter; could be bounded by curves, strokes, or stems of some
letters such as d, o, and s. It may be sometimes be used to refer only to
closed space, while partially enclosed spaces in m, n, or h are the aperture.
· Cross Stroke Typography
It is a horizontal line or a stroke that
extends across/through the stem of a letter. It intersects the stem of a
lowercase t or f. It varies from an arm and a crossbar because it
intersects/crosses over the stem. The, thickness, varying positioning, and
slope of the cross stroke is a recognizing feature of many type designs.
· Ear or Decorative Curl
A small stroke found on the upper right bowl of
some lowercase g. An ear is a decorative curl usually on the upper right side
of the bowl.
· Link, Neck or Terminal
It can be defined as a stroke that connects the
top and bottom bowls of lowercase double-story g. It is usually curved and
small stroke that connects the bowl and loop of a letter. It is also known as
neck or terminal.
· Ligatures
or Decorative Characters
When two or more letters that are connected to
form one character; primarily decorative. Some ligatures sin typography
signifies particular words such as the AE or æ. This is used, in case of
improving the appearance of type are usually character pairs or triplets that
have features that tend to overlap when used together. Altering the shape of
the characters or creating a smoother transition or connection between
characters is created by connecting crossbars, removing dots over the i, or
otherwise.
· Typography
Shoulder
A curved stroke extending down from a stem. It
is the curve at the beginning of a leg of a character, such as in letters “m”,
“h” and “n” in the picture shown below.
· Stem or
Vertical Strokes
The full-length vertical strokes which are the main
and heavy part of the letters are termed as stem. For example, in uppercase
letter “H”, there are two stems.
· Tail ,
Decorative or Descending Stroke
A descending stroke, often decorative. For
example, decorative stroke or the descending on the letter Q, often curved
diagonal stroke on K or R is the tail. The descender on some of the letters
like g, j, p, q, and y are also called tails.
Graphic designs are meant to show any brand in
a visually engaging manner. They need to be extremely user-friendly. This
makes the purpose of typography essential for a design. Typography makes the
letters come to life in your design. It has a great impact on how the designs
are received by people. It solidifies any brand image. It combines the both art
and science to give the best effect to your designs. So, make sure your
innovative design ideas are used with the help of some great typographical
decisions.
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