Anatomy of a Font

As human body has many parts for identification like head,
neck, shoulder, arms, tail, foot etc., Type Forms or Font face
are also divided into parts, which we study under ‘anatomy
of fonts’. Some examples you will see below:
• Shirorekha connotes headline
• Skandharekha, is equivalent to shoulderline
• Padarekha means baseline
In future you will come across words like tail, arm and
swish etc.
The size or formation of these anotamical parts of a font
actually help create the typical charactertics and expressive
qualities of any font family.
Uppercase and Lowercase
Capital letters are called “Uppercase” letters in typographical
terminology. During handcomposing, metal type of all capital
letters were stored in the upper section of wooden boxes, kept
in front of the person composing the text. Similarly, all small
letters are called “Lowercase” letters, which were stored in
the lower part of the composing box.
Ascender
Ascender is the portion of the alphabet that ‘ascends’ or
exceeds above the ‘x’ height of an alphabet as in b, d, t, l.
Descender
Descender is that portion of an alphabet that goes below or
extends downwards from the ‘x’ height of an alphabet as in
g, j, q, p.
X-height
Height of lowercase “x” is called “x-height”. This varies
considerably in typefaces. X-height contributes to the
readability of fonts.
Counter Space
The empty space or negative space inside a letter form is
called a counter. Shape of the counter varies according to
the designer who creates the font. Counter space also helps
in identifying different fonts. These shapes can be creatively
used in creating logos.


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Post By Computer Zoom Design