Type Form & Function

Letter Fundamentals

TYPE ANATOMY. Each letter part has its own name that refers to the form or counterform. The form is the positive space, such as the black shapes that make up this text. The counterform refers to the negative space bound within the form or around its extensions. Many of the terms used in the typography lexicon are the same as those used for anatomy and physiology. These terms have been built up over hundreds of years, and can change depending on the culture, language, and letterforms. Some of the more common terms that a designer should understand include x-height, counter, serif style, and stress. Being able to identify where a font hits the baseline, median line, and capline will also come in handy because fonts rarely share ...