Typographic anatomy

apophyge: small curved part, usually ¼ circle, which connects the main stem with the terminals or serifs.

arm: horizontal stroke that is free at one end.

bowl: it refers to the loops that lean on the baseline.

cross: horizontal stroke in the letters «T», «t» and «f».

crossbar: horizontal stroke in the letters «e», «f», «t», «A», «H» and «T».

ear: small stroke that comes out of the head of the closed tail lower case «g».

elbow: 90º joint formed between the straight strokes of the «G».

encounter: Abrupt joint of two strokes that intersect at a point.

eye: embossing of the type that stick out of the shoulder, which, impregnated with ink, produces the imprint.

flourish: stroke.

foot: see leg.

head: it refers to the upper part of the sign.

hook: curved and closed stroke. teardrop: End usually found in the curved strokes in the head of some lower case, for instance the «a», la «f» and the «c».

interior counterform: space which is totally or partially enclosed inside a letter.

joint: gradual coming together of two strokes that meet to become one.

leg: diagonal stroke that serves as support for some letters.

loop: curved stroke that encloses a counterform.

nail: small stroke, in the shape of a nail, which appears in some «G» letters.

neck: stroke that links the head with the tail in the «g».

shoulder: part of the kind that is below the eye and which leaves no impression.

stem: main stroke of the letter. // descender: has a calligraphic origin, it refers to the direction in which the stroke was made. Usually, descenders are thin and ascending ones are thick. ascender: see above.

stroke: is each one of the strokes that conforms the letter.

tail: descending stroke that makes «Q» different from «O». It also applies to the descending stroke in «g».

terminal: supplementary element of the stem in those letters that have it. Also called serif.

vertex: straight and sharp joint of two strokes.