Ampersand
A stylized character of the Latin et used to represent the word and. Definition: The typographic symbol used to designate the word and (& ) is the Latin symbol for et which means and. The name, ampersand , is believed to be derived from the phrase “and per se and.” On a standard English layout...
Aperture
The partially enclosed, somewhat rounded negative space in some characters. Definition: The aperture is the partially enclosed, somewhat rounded negative space in some characters such as n, C, S, the lower part of e, or the upper part of a double-storey a. Also Known As: counter In typography, a counter or aperture is an area entirely or partially...
Apex
A point at the top of a character where two strokes meet. Definition: The point at the top of a character such as the uppercase A where the left and right strokes meet is the apex. The apex may be a sharp point, blunt, or rounded and is an identifying feature for some typefaces. Also...
Arc of Stem
A curved stroke that is continuous with a straight stem.
Arm
A horizontal or upward, sloping stroke that does not connect to a stroke or stem on one or both ends. Definition: The arm of a letter is the horizontal stroke on some characters that does not connect to a stroke or stem at one or both ends. The top of the capital T and the...
Ascender
An upward vertical stroke found on the part of lowercase letters that extends above the typeface’s x-height. Definition: In typography, the upward vertical stem on some lowercase letters, such as h and b, that extends above the x-height is the ascender. The height of the ascenders is an identifying characteristic of many typefaces. The ascenders...
Ascender Line
The invisible line marking the height of ascenders in a font.
Ascent Line
The invisible line marking the farthest distance between the baseline and the top of the glyph.
Axis
An imaginary line drawn from top to bottom of a glyph bisecting the upper and lower strokes is the axis. Definition: An imaginary line drawn from top to bottom of a glyph bisecting the upper and lower strokes is the axis. For typefaces that exhibit changes in the thickness of curved strokes, the inclination of...
Ball Terminal
A circular form at the end of the arm in letters. Definition: In typography, the terminal is a type of curve. Many sources consider a terminal to be just the end (straight or curved) of any stroke that doesn’t include a serif (which can include serif fonts, such as the little stroke at the end...
Bar
The horizontal stroke in letters. Also referred to as Crossbar. Definition: The (usually) horizontal stroke across the middle of uppercase A and H is a bar. The horizontal or sloping stroke enclosing the bottom of the eye of an e is also a bar. Although often used interchangeably, the bar differs from an arm and...
Baseline
The invisible line where all characters sit. Definition: In typography, the baseline is the imaginary line upon which a line of text rests. In most typefaces, the descenders on characters such as g or p extend down below the baseline while curved letters such as c or o extend ever-so-slightly below the baseline. The baseline...
