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

Glyph:
The shape of a written character. For example, a roman ‘a’, an italic ‘a’ and a small caps ‘a’ are three different glyphs representing the same character.
Golden Section:
Harmonious page proportions. When a line is divided into two unequal sections such that the ratio of the smaller section to the larger is approximately equal to the ration of the larger section to the whole. When the sides of a rectangle, such as a page, have such proportions, it is called a golden rectangle. The measurements for such pages are often 3:5 or 5:8.
Grotesque:
European term for Sans Serif type styles. Referred to by Americans as ‘gothic’. In England the abbreviation, grot, is frequently used.