Typography Vocabulary(print out PDF here)

Ascender The part of a lowercase letter, as b, d, f, h, that rises above x-height.

Bitmap A binary representation in which a bit or set of bits corresponds to some part of an object such as an image or font

Byline Line that precedes the text of a story or article and names the writer of the piece

Character Single Letter, number, or other symbol used to represent information

Column Area of copy that runs vertically down the page of a newspaper or magazine

Column Rule A line used between two columns of type

Concave Curving Inward

Convex Curving or bulging outward

Copy All written or textural material in an advertisement

Copy Fit The process of specifying type in a particular font intended to fit into a designed area in the final composition

Counter A negative space within a character that may be fully or partially enclosed

Credit The small text next to the photograph or illustration that indicates the artist or photographers name

Cross Bar The horizontal or oblique stroke connected at both ends as in an A or H

Descender That part of a lowercase letter that extends below the main body of the letter

EM Unit of measure of print type equal tot he square of a type letter

Extender A term used to refer to both ascenders and descenders

Flush Left A typesetting term for the specification of line or paragraph alignment along a right-hand margin; the rag or rag-left edge is inferred if it is not specified

Folio The page number

Hairline Stroke The secondary Stroke of the letterform, usually thinner

Hanging Cap Also referred to as a hanging initial, a hanging cap is set larger than the body text and extends beyond the left margin of the body text and extends beyond the left margin of the rest of the para.

Hanging Indent A typesetting instruction used to indicate that the first line of a paragraph is set flush left while following lines are indented

Hanging Punctuation Punctuation set outside the margin so that the type aligns visually along the right or left side of the paragraph either flush left or flush right

Head Margin The space above the type, appearing on every page

Header The top portion of information that may be included in the head
margin of a publication

IBC Inside back cover
IFC Inside Front cover

Kerning Typesetting technique that overlaps the edges of two type characters to provide the illusion of even spacing and to reduce the amount of white space between letters

Leading Spacing between lines

Letterpress the printing method in which the raised surface of the type or blocks, transfers the ink onto the paper with the application of pressure

Ligature A combo of two or more characters that are joined into one form which are not commonly combined

Line Length Refers to line measure
Line Spacing Another term for leading
Linotype hot metal typesetting system

Masthead Defines the name on page one of a newspaper or periodical

Monospacing Refers to fonts which each character occupies the same amount of space

Monotone Also referred to as monoline, a typeface in which all of the strokes appear to be the same thickness

Orphan The first line of a paragraph left at the bottom of a column of type, separated from the rest of the paragraph or last line of a paragraph set at the top of a new column

Pagination Process of numbering pages

Pica Type setting unit of measure

Pull Quote A phrase from the body text that is set larger

Run In A head incorporated into the first line of body copy or introductory phrase of body text commonly set larger, bolder, in italic, small caps, diff font
Spine Main curved stroke of the letter s

Stem Stroke The main stroke of a character

Stroke Any line reguired as part of the basic construction of a letterform, not including serifs or swashes

Swash A fancy flourish that replaces the terminal or serif on scripts and alternate characters

Tail A stroke or arc of a character starting from a mail stroke or structure of a letterfrom and extending downward with one end free as seen in R, K, Q

Tilde (ñ ) Grapheme, that when used as a diacritic mark is placed above an n in some orthographies to indicate a palatalized sound ñ

Widow The line at the end of a typeset paragraph that is less than half the column width usually one or two words

x-height The invisible or imaginary horizontal rule that indicates the top of the body height of the lowercase letters, also called the x-height