Typesetting Essentials for Desktop Publishers
About Typography and What Specific Parts of Letters are Called
Jan 31, 2009
Desktop publishers need to have at least a basic understanding of typesetting and its terminology so that they can accurately design the text part(s) of their projects.
Understanding and using typesetting terminology correctly will also improve communication with professionals like typesetters and printers because the same precise terms are used, therefore avoiding vagueness. The following list of essential typesetting terms will help; italics refer to definitions within the article.
Typesetting Terminology A to C
The characters that form sentences and text are called types. They started out as metal or wooden blocks, with one per letter and character that typesetters had to arrange manually. Today, typesetting is done digitally by designers and desktop publishers and has become a less time-intensive process.
- Aperture: the partially enclosed, usually rounded space of a letter; examples: c, n, s and the lower part of e.
- Apex: the top part of a character where two strokes meet. It can be pointed, rounded or cut off, depending on the font; example: A.
- Arm: The arm of a letter is similar to the arm of a person, namely its horizontal part that does not connect to a stroke or a stem at one or both ends (see picture of t-yoga pose.) Examples: E, F, K, L, r, t, z.
- Ascender: a vertical stem above the x-height on some lowercase letters. When the line spacing of a paragraph is very narrow, ascenders and descenders might almost touch, which should be avoided for a cleaner look and better readabiliy. Examples: b, d, h.
- Baseline: an imaginary line on which a line of text stands. In the previous sentence fragment, only the g and y of “imaginary” extend below the baseline, all other letters rest on it.
- Beak or cat’s ear: the decorative stroke at the of a letter’s arm. Note that some typefaces like Arial and Verdana do not have beaks. In comparison to a serif, a beak is more pronounced; examples: E, F,K, L, r, R, T, t, Z, z.
- Bowl: the curved part of a letter that encloses negative space; examples: b, B, d, D, g, o, O, P, p and q, Q.
- Bracket: an optional connection between stem and serif or stroke and serif that not all typefaces have. Brackets can be curved or wedge-like; examples: H, M, N, V, W.
- Chin: right-angled strokes; example: G.
- Counter: the enclosed or partially enclosed negative space of a letter; examples: a, A, b, B, c, C.
- Crossbar: a horizontal stroke where both ends connect to the stems of a letter; examples: A, H.
- Cross stroke: horizontal strokes that cross the stem; examples: f, t.
Typesetting Terms D - L
Typographers are typefaces, typography and printing specialists who choose the typefaces for publications and advise the typesetter. Today, this task is often part of the responsibility of graphic designers or desktop publishers.
- Descender: a vertical stem below the baseline in some lowercase letters; examples: p, q.
- Diacritical marks: the accent marks over some letters indicating a different pronounciation; examples: ä, é, ñ, û.
- Drop cap: an initial within the margins but running several lines down a paragraph.
- Extender: a stroke that reaches above the x-height or below the baseline. Ascenders and descenders are extenders.
- Eye: the enclosed space in “e.”
- Hairline: the thinnest part of any letter in a particular typeface that consists of strokes of varying widths, for example a serif typeface.
- Leaders: dots that form a line to lead the reader from one part of text to another, for example a table of contents.
- Leading (pronounced ledding): the distance from one baseline to another; also called line spacing.
- Leg: a downward stroke touching the baseline; examples: k, K, R.
- Ligature: two letters combined to form a new one with a distinct pronunciation like Æ or æ but also letters moved closer together for aesthetic reasons. Examples: fi, fl, ll.
- Link or neck: the curved connection between the bowl and the loop of a double-storey g.
- Loop: a fully or partially enclosed counter; examples: b, d, g, o, p, q.
Typesetting Vocabulary M - Z
Professionals who create new typefaces based on the knowledge of existing ones are called type designers. Though it is relatively easy for anyone with a desktop publishing software program to design their own fonts today, only professionals with experience will know which typefaces will work out for design and printing in the long run.
- Negative space: the space between and around a letter or, in an images, the space between and around the object of an image.
- Sans serif: a typeface without serifs, the extra strokes on some letters. This font, for example, is a sans serif font. Popular ones are Arial, Helvetica, Verdana and Futura.
- Serif: the extra stroke at the end of horizontal or vertical strokes; examples: E, K, L, r, R, T, t, Z. Typefaces are divided into serif (with serifs) or sans serif (without serifs). Popular serif fonts are Book Antiqua and Times New Roman; they are further divided into bracketed or unbracketed.
- Spur: a less pronounced beak or serif.
- Stem: the main stroke of a letter. Not all letters have stems (c, C, s, S) and some might have two (H, M, N). Examples: b, B, l, L and Y.
- Stroke: the main diagonal part of a letter, for example the thicker diagonal part in M, N, V, w, Y. Arms, crossbars, bowls and stems are considered strokes.
- Tail: the end of the descending stroke in g, j, K, p, q, R, y.
- Terminal: the connection, usually curved, between a stroke and a serif, for example, the bottom part of j, but also inside a letter (g).
- X-height: the distance between the baseline and the top of a lowercase letter’s body. All the letters of the word xenia would be within x-height, except the dot of the i.
Apart from the DTP terminology pertaining to their field, desktop publishers should also be comfortable with essential printing terms and basic image editing terminology.
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