Character (typography)

See also: Character

In the beginning, in Typography, the character was a metal part having the drawing out of mirror of a letter or a sign a relief, allowing the impression. The characters were arranged in a box called breakage. To compose a text, they were taken and placed them on a dater which made it possible to align them, and in particular to respect the width defined for the text (justification). Once the composed lines, they were transferred on the framework to form the form (matrix of impression).

Each printable sign is thus in several specimens in breakage. There are several characters - metal parts - for a given printed sign, and even several character sets (Roman, Italic, fatty,…).

One also spoke about mobile character , in opposition to the impression by a plate engraved in the mass (as in Xylographie).

In a general way, a character represents an alternative of a typographical sign intended for the impression.

The characters are gathered in Fonte of characters of which they share the characteristics (body, Empattement S, grease, etc).

One distinguishes the characters from the high of breakage (capital or capital), arranged in top of the “case”, of the characters known as Bas-de-casse (tiny). Usually, in Imprimerie one speaks about capitals (about Latin caput, capitis “the head”) and lower case.

With the arrival of the Informatique one distinguishes the concept of Glyphe, which is a chart of a typographical sign or character. The character is thus a prototype who declines himself according to the police force, for example, for the character “has” (has capital), one has the glyphes

A, has , has , has , A, has , has , has , A, has , has , has ,…
Each data-processing character is referred by a number, the definition of the representation Binaire of the characters constituting a Codage of characters.

Anatomy of the characters

The Typographe S use a vocabulary varied and precise to indicate the various parts of the characters and their dimension.

Vocabulary

Names of the parts of the letters:

  • Ascending Approach
  • Axis
  • Bar
  • Downward Loop
  • Contreforme
  • Contrepoinçon
  • Untied
  • Footing
  • Oblique Barrel
  • Drop
  • Paunch
  • Full
  • Tail
  • Termination in hook
  • Cross-piece

See too

Dependant articles

External bonds

  • Of the typographical characters

  • Encyclopedia of Graphic arts

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