Letterform

• Ascender - A vertical line extending above other lowercase letters (b, d, h).
• Descender - A vertical line extending below other lowercase letters (p, q).
• Apex - The top of a pointed letterform (A).
• Vertex - The bottom of a pointed letterform (V, v).
• Stem - A strong vertical stroke (I, l).
• Arm - Any horizontal or high diagonal appendage protruding from a letter (t).
• Leg - A low diagonal appendage protruding from a letter (k).
• Crossbar - A horizontal line connecting two vertical strokes (A, H).
• Bowl - A rounded part of a letterform (o, p).
• Serif - A perpendicular line at the end of a stroke.
• Terminal - When a stroke ends without a serif.
• Finial - A type of terminal that tapers out to finish the stroke.
• Baseline - the majority of characters sit on this imaginary line
• Cap Height - another imaginary line where the top of the uppercase letters are. It is important to remember that the cap height is below the maximum height of the typeface
• Mean Line - this is an imaginary line that marks the top of the lowercase letters
• Counter - negative space within a letter both enclosed and non enclosed
• Tittle - the dot above a j or i