Your central resource for typographic intelligence. Deep dives, technical guides, and the theory behind the fonts.
The height of the lowercase letters (typically the 'x') relative to the cap height. Fonts with large x-heights are generally more legible at small sizes.
A small line or stroke regularly attached to the end of a larger stroke in a letter or symbol within a particular font or family of fonts.
A typeface that does not have the small projecting features called 'serifs' at the end of strokes. They tend to be modern and minimal.
The process of adjusting the spacing between characters in a proportional font, usually to achieve a visually pleasing result.
The distance between the baselines of successive lines of type. In CSS, this is known as 'line-height'.
Two or more letters that are joined as a single glyph. Common examples include 'fi', 'fl', and 'ae'.
A type of serif font characterized by thick, block-like serifs. They are often used for headlines.
Sans-serif typefaces that emulate calligraphy and human handwriting, offering a warmer, friendlier tone than geometric sans.
Sans-serif fonts constructed from simple geometric shapes like circles and squares.
A font where each character occupies the same amount of horizontal space.
Letter-spacing that is applied to a block of text, rather than between specific characters (kerning).
The upward vertical stem on some lowercase letters, such as h and b, that extends above the x-height.
The portion of a letter that extends below the baseline of a font. Common in g, j, p, q, y.
The imaginary straight line on which a line of text sits. Descenders extend below this line.
The area of a letter that is entirely or partially enclosed by a letter form or a symbol (the whitespace inside).
A typeface that is intended for use at large sizes for headings, rather than for extended passages of body text.