User`s guide
There are many words with meanings that apply only to typography
(fig. 7.1). The following sections explain point, pitch,
monospacing, proportional spacing, character set, family,
orientation, stroke weight, italic, and oblique.
Point Size
Point size refers to the vertical height of a typeface. A point is a
unit of measure (equal to
1
⁄
72
of an inch) originally used by
typesetters to show the height of a piece of metal type. Computer
typefaces are harder to measure since they are not physical objects.
In proportional fonts, size is usually described in points, which
measure height rather than width. In points, a higher number means
larger characters. One vertical inch height is 72 points. The
following example shows text in 8, 10, 12, 24, and 36 point sizes:
ABCABCABCABCABC
X-Height
Type Size
(Point)
Cap Height
(Key Size)
Uppercase
Character (CAPS)
Lowercase
Character (l.c.)
Descender
Ascender
Serif
Base Line
Fig. 7.1 Typography Terms
Chapter 7
Professional Printing 7-11