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Common Calligraphy Terms
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Majuscule
Another term for uppercase letters.
Minuscule
Another term for lowercase letters.
Ligature
The combination of two or more letters into a single glyph.
Swash
A fancy flourish replacing or attached to a letterform, often at the beginning or end of a word.
X-height
The height of the main body of lowercase letters, such as 'x', excluding ascenders and descenders.
Serif
A small line or stroke regularly attached to the end of a larger stroke in a letter or symbol.
Kerning
The adjustment of space between pairs of letters to create a visually pleasing result.
Pen angle
The angle at which the pen is held to the writing surface, affecting the shape and thickness of the lines.
Counter
The open space in a fully or partly closed area within a letter.
Ductus
The series of strokes that make up a letter, including their direction, sequence, and pressure used.
Ascender
The part of a lowercase letter that extends above the main body of the letter (above the x-height).
Flourish
Decorative elements added to letters or writing, typically extending from the main forms.
Weight
The thickness of a stroke within a letter, impacting how light or bold a typeface looks.
Baseline
The line on which the letters sit.
Descender
The part of a lowercase letter that extends below the baseline.
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