Typeface Anatomy
Typeface Anatomy
Typeface Anatomy
t ypeface anatomy
Quick Reference
Ascender
Handglovery
Stem Terminal Ear Bowl Eye Shoulder Serif cap-height
x-height
baseline
Crossbar Counter Aperture
Bracket Axis Overshoot
Link/Neck Loop/Lobe Tail
Descender
Typeface
The upward vertical stem on some An imaginary line drawn from top to The curved part of the character that
lowercase letters, such as ‘h’ and ‘b’, that bottom of a glyph bisecting the upper and encloses the circular or curved parts
Anatomy
extends above the x-height is the lower strokes is the axis. (counter) of some letters such as ‘d’, ‘b’, ‘o’,
ascender. ‘D’, and ‘B’ is the bowl.
baseline
aperture The imaginary line upon which the letters bracket
The aperture is the partially enclosed, in a font appear to rest. The bracket is a curved or wedge-like
somewhat rounded negative space in connection between the stem and serif
— Basic parts some characters such as ‘n’, ‘C’, ‘S’, the of some fonts. Not all serifs are
lower part of ‘e’, or the upper part of a bracketed serifs.
of a typeface double-storey ‘a’.
a
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t ype anatomy