Typography Quiz Flashcards

Typography Basics

• Typography is the art of designing type to enhance readability and accessibility.
• Readability refers to the ease with which a reader can discern where text starts and ends.
• Legibility is the speed at which text is recognized by a reader.

Type Characteristics

• Typeface defines a specific design of an alphabet.
• Fonts refer to variations in type size and style within a typeface.
• A type family includes all different styles (like roman, italic, bold) within a specific typeface.

Serif and Sans Serif Types

• Serif typefaces have small bars at the ends of most strokes in the letterforms.
• Modern serif typefaces feature thin serifs with a cold, elegant appearance.
• Slab serif typefaces, also known as Egyptian, have thick serifs and little transition between thick and thin strokes.
• Old style serif typefaces exhibit angled serifs and curved strokes transitioning from thick to thin.
• Transitional serif typefaces feature refined serifs with clearly drawn strokes.

Specialized Typefaces

• Sans serif typefaces lack strokes on the ends of letters.
• Script typefaces mimic handwritten styles, resembling calligraphy.
• Display or decorative typefaces are distinctive and meant for attention-grabbing purposes.
• Blackletter typefaces are based on historical manuscripts, characterized by bold horizontal strokes.

Measurement and Spacing

• Points and picas are units used to measure type size, with 6 picas equating to 1 inch.
• Kerning involves adjusting the space between individual letters.
• Tracking refers to adjusting the space across a string or block of text.
• Leading defines the vertical space between lines of text.
• Word spacing options include open, classic, and tight designs.

Letter Anatomy

• The baseline is an imaginary line on which capital letters rest.
• Descenders are strokes on lowercase letters that fall below the baseline.
• Ascenders extend above the x-height of lowercase letters.
• X-height signifies the height of the main body of lowercase letters.
• Cap height measures the height of capital letters from baseline to capline.

Stroke Elements

• A stem is a major vertical or diagonal stroke in letterforms.
• Terminals are the ends of strokes that do not culminate in serifs.
• Shoulders are curved projections from a stem.
• Tails are diagonal strokes or loops at the end of certain letters.
• A stroke is any linear element within a letterform.

Other Features

• Legs refer to the lower diagonal strokes found in letters like K.
• The eye is the enclosed part of the lowercase 'e.'
• Counters are negative spaces that are fully or partially enclosed by letterforms.
• The spine is the central curved stroke of the letter S.
• An apex is the peak of the triangle on an uppercase A.
• Fillets are the contoured edges connecting the serif and stem.
• Crossbars connect two sides of a letterform or bisect the main stroke.
• Hairlines are the thinnest strokes in typefaces with varying weights.
• Ears are small strokes projecting from the upper right of a lowercase 'g.'
• Links connect the bowl and loop of a lowercase 'g.'

Test your knowledge of typography with these flashcards! This quiz covers essential terms and definitions related to typography, including readability, legibility, and typeface. Perfect for students and design enthusiasts looking to enhance their understanding of typographic principles.