As with most art forms, calligraphy has it’s own set of terminology that is important to learn, especially when looking at or analyzing letter styles. Here are a few of the basics:
Parts of the letters:
- Majuscules – “capital” letters
- Minuscules – “small” letters
- Ascenders – parts of the letters above the main writing line: h, l, k, etc.
- Descenders – parts of the letters below the main writing line: g, y, p, etc.
- stroke – any mark made with the pen
- hairline – the thinnest stroke made with the pen
- serif – small strokes added to the letters
- counter – the inside of a letter
Letter proportion and guide lines:
- Baseline – the writing line
- x-height – the height of the minuscules without ascenders or descenders
- waist line – the top of the x-height from the baseline
- Ascender line – marks the top of the ascenders
- Descender line – marks the bottom of the descenders
The Triangle Calligrapher’s Guild site has an extensive Calligraphy Glossary of Calligraphy terms – “A Compendium of Calligraphic Hands and Terminology” by Don King.
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Your hyper-link to “excellent glossary of Calligraphy terms” is defective. Thought you might like to know.
Thank you – link has been updated.
The link to the glossary of calligraphy terms is, sadly, broken again!
Thanks – found a better one 😀