Font Glossary

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X

Sans Serif Type:
Typefaces without serifs, such as Helvetica, Optima, or Futura. The term “sans seri” is derived from French and means “without serifs.”
Scalable Font:
A font which is defined mathematically and can be rendered at any size.
Serif:
A small stroke projecting from the main strokes of a character. Some popular serif typefaces are Times Roman and Century Schoolbook. Serifs can have many different shapes: bracketed (e.g. Times Roman), slab (e.g. Stymie), and hairline serifs (e.g. Bodoni) are are some examples.
Serif Type:
Typefaces with serifs, such as Times, Baskerville or Courier. Also called “roman,” see ‘Roman’.
Slab Serif:
Square or rectangular shaped serif at right angles to the character’s main stem and often of the same thickness. Slab serifs are a hallmark of Egyptienne typefaces.
Slope:
The angle or degree of inclination of italic or sloped characters.
Small capitals (small caps, abbr. SC):
Capital letters with the same optical height and proportions as the lower case letters of the same typeface. In PostScript and TrueType formats Small caps are often contained in separate small caps fonts and are designated with an SC after the font name. They contain the normal capitals and small caps instead of the lower case letters. Small caps have their own forms and proportions and, unlike false small caps, are not simply the capital letters at a reduced size. False small caps are recognizable by stroke thickness which seems too thin – the weights are scaled when the size is reduced – and characters which appear too light in comparison to the lower case letters. OpenType has no need for seperate small caps fonts, because the small caps can be integrated in the normal font.
Solidus (UK stroke; US slash):
Oblique line /
Spine:
The curved stroke forming the basic shape of the letter S/s.
Spur:
The finish mark at the top or bottom of the S or C, after the spine and before the arm.
Squared Serif Type:
A font or typeface whose serifs have a weight equal to or greater than that of the main strokes.
Std (OpenType Std):
The abbreviation Std stands for a specific character set of an OpenType font. Std fonts conform with the Adobe OpenType “Std” character set; see “OpenType Font Character Sets”.
Stem:
The main vertical strokes of letters such as H, L, T, P, etc. The stem is generally more or less straight and is not part of a bowl. Some letters contain more than one stem, such as H, others contain no stem at all, such as O.
Stroke:
Smallest separate element of a character. Stems and arms, for example, could be referred to as strokes. Derived from the term for a mark made by a writing instrument, usually a pen or brush.
Subscript (inferior):
Small character which appears above the x-height.
Superscript (inferior):
Small character which appears above the y-height.
Swash:
Elaborate and flourished letters used for decorative initials, headings, and at the starts and ends of lines of text. Usually an alternate to a standard letter shape and most common in italic capitals.
Symbol:
Special characters and graphic elements usually used for scientific notation, mathematical equations, and ornamental decorations. Often many symbols are collected together into a font.