Letter Forms and Type Families

Letter Forms

• Basic alphabetic and numeric characters used in design
• Can be styled in many different ways
• Include special characters, accents, numerals, and details like weights and serif type

Type Families

• A type family is a collection of variations of a typeface or font
• Includes different weights, widths, and italics
• Examples: Univers, Times Roman, and Garamond

Type Cuts

• Roman: basic cut of a typeface
• Italic: a true italic is a drawn typeface based around an angled axis
• Light: a lighter or thinner version of the roman cut
• Boldface: a bolder version of the roman cut

Condensed and Extended

• Condensed types: narrower than the roman cut, useful for tight spaces
• Extended types: wider versions of the roman type, often used for headlines to fill a space

Type Weight Variations

• Many variations of typefaces exist, with diverse naming conventions
• Adrian Frutiger developed a numbering system to identify width and weight

Serifs

• A key characteristic to identify a typeface
• Help the eye move horizontally across the page
• Varieties include:
  • Unbracketed slab serif
  • Bracketed slab serif
  • Hairline serif
  • Wedge serif
  • Slur serif

Fractions

• Represented in two ways depending on the bar separating the numerator and denominator
• Diagonal or em fractions have a diagonal bar
• Horizontal or nut fractions have a horizontal bar

Superscript and Subscript

• Characters set at a reduced point size that are either top or bottom aligned
• Used in footnotes, chemical and mathematical formulae

Numerals

• Classified as old style (or lower case) and lining (or upper case)
• Old style numerals have descenders and do not align to the baseline

Diacritical Marks

• Accents and other symbols indicating a modified sound of a letter
• Examples:
  • Acute: sharp
  • Grave: heavy
  • Circumflex: bent around
  • Breve: short
  • Tilde: title

Punctuation

• Used to set text accurately and maintain the meaning
• Includes:
  • Ellipsis: a series of three dots indicating a text omission
  • Primes: typographic marks indicating feet and inches, hours and minutes
  • Quotation marks: used in justified text, sometimes allowed to extend into the right-hand margin

Parentheses, Brackets, and Braces

• Round brackets: used to enclose a word or explanation inserted into a text passage
• Square brackets: used to enclose words added by someone other than the original speaker or writer
• Braces: used to enclose words or text lines to be considered together

Apostrophe

• Used to indicate the removal of a letter or letters

Drop and Standing Capitals

• Create a strong visual entrance to a text block
• Drop capitals lead into the text, while standing capitals sit on the baseline
• Can be used to add dynamism to a text block

Learn about the basics of letter forms, including alphabetic and numeric characters, styling, and type families. Discover the variations of typefaces and fonts, including weights, widths, and italics.