Basic type explained by andy bainbridge

Analysis of characters

apex

stem

ascender

counter

ear

ascender

stem

arm

cap height

x-height

baseline

bracket

crossbar

link

loop

descender

serif

spur

bowl

leg

Analysis of characters

Apex The outside point at which two strokes meet, as at the top of an A or M, or at the bottom of M.

Leg The downwards oblique stroke of the R and K, can also be called the tail.

Arm The projecting horizontal or upward stroke not enclosed within a character, as in E, K or L.

Link A connecting stroke when the g has a bowl and loop.

Tail The short stroke that rests on the baseline in R and K,or below it in Q. In R and K it can also be called the leg.

Ascender The lower-case letter stem that rises above the x-height, as in b, d or k.

Loop The portion of the g that falls below the baseline when it is entirely closed.

x-height The lower-case character height when ascenders and descenders are excluded.

Baseline The line on which the x-height rests.

Pica Unit of typographical measurement equal to 12 points, 1/6 or 0.166 of an inch or 4.218mm.

Body Size The unit height on which the character is mounted. See also Point size. Bowl The oval stroke that encloses the counter, as in b, p or O. Bracket The curving joint between the serif and the stem. Cap height The height of the upper case in a font, taken from the baseline to the top of the character. Counter The white space within a bowl. Crossbar The horizontal stroke in A, H, f or t; also known as a bar or a cross stroke. Descender The lower-case letter stem or lower part that falls below the baseline, as in p or g. Ear A small projecting stroke sometimes attached to the bowl of the g or the stem of the r.

Point The basic unit of typographical measurement, approximately 1/72 or 0.0138 of an inch or 0.351mm. Point size Equivalent to the body size, the height of body on which the type is cast. Serif The small stroke drawn across and out of a stem, arm or tail. Spine The main curved stroke of an S or s. Spur The projection seen sometimes on the bottom of a b or G. Stem The principle vertical or oblique stroke in a letter, as in L, B, V or A. Stress The inclination suggested by the relationship of thick and thin strokes in a letter, Characters can have an inclined or vertical stress.

Stroke The principal line within a character.

Serif

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890 Bembo

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890 Perpetua

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890 Times

Sans Serif

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890 Gill Sans

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890 Trade Gothic

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890 Helvetica

Geometric

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890 Futura

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890 Eurostyle

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890 Kabel

Slab Serif

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890 Rockwell

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890 Clarendon

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890 Serifa

Script

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890 Brush Script

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890 Shelley Andante

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890 Snell Roundhand

Glyphic

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890 Friz Quadrata

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890 Felix

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890 Amerigo

Black Letter

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890 London Text

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890 Fette Fraktur

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890 Cloister Black

Decorative

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890 AG Stencil

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890 Playbill

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890 Cooper Black

Contemporary

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890 blur

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890 Pacific

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890 VT100

Leading

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Range Left, Right & Justified

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12/14pt Ranged Left

12/14pt Ranged Right

12/14pt Justified

Font Family

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz

Helvetica Roman

Helvetica Italic

Helvetica Bold

Helvetica Light

Helvetica Condensed

Helvetica Extended

Font Weights

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz Helvetica Thin

Helvetica Light

Helvetica Roman

Helvetica Medium

Helvetica Bold

Helvetica Heavy

Helvetica Black

Kerning

VOLKSWAGEN Set Standard

VOLKSWAGEN Kerned

Kerning

volkswagen Set Standard

volkswagen Kerned

Tracking / Letter Spacing