All about Typestyles. Type and Fonts.

What is "Type"?
"Type" is, for our purposes, a designed lettering style, created to identify, direct, advertise, inform or embellish. We design with "type"- That's the LetterBank specialty. The right "type" can promote your business image, direct clearly, advertise effectively and embellish eloquently.

People may know instinctively what looks good. With LetterBank's help, you will also know how and why it looks good, and better still, what works best for your project. Whether you are designing a sign for an office in a professional building, or creating boat lettering, RV names and city markings, or creating a sign for your organization or school, LetterBank leads the way in customer satisfaction. "The more you know about signs, the better we look- LetterBank".
 

"Typestyle" designers often try to capture a period of time, a feeling or a mood in their typestyles. Using the correct style for your project is tantamount to success. Whether you want to catch someone's attention, or present information in a highly readable manner, LetterBank designs will help.

Ascenders?
The height of characters that rise above x-height . Ascenders may or may not exceed Capital Height.

X-height?
The height of the standard lower-case "x" as it occurs within a typestyle.

Descenders?
The portion of the lower-case letter that falls below, or "descends" the baseline.

Baseline?
The imaginary line along which flat-bottomed type, such as an x, h, l or k, "sits".

Capital height?
That's the vertical height of a 'square' letter. such as an E. X. H. N, K, F, and so on.

Terms to know

Readability
How easy to read your sign layout is.
All capital letters are difficult when used for other than one or two highlight words.

Legibility
How readily understood your sign lettering is. A simple sentence structure for a well-thought out singular thought is easier to understand.

Conspicuity
How well your wording and sign layout stands out from its environment (other signs, visual distractions, trees and shadows, etcetera).

LetterBank brings all the elements together for you.

Capitals? Lowercase? Upper and lowercase?
Certain abbreviations exist to help clearly define specific kinds of characters in typesetting. CAPS, or Capitals, refer to ALL UPPERCASE LETTERS. Lowercase are the "smaller", or dimunuative letters that usually make up the majority of a sentence. All capital letters are difficult to read- We strongly recommend upper and lowercase wording whereveer possible.

Why are only "square" letters measured?
"Round" letters, such as o, e, a, g, q and p "sit" slightly below the baseline in many typestyles. Look at the lowercase "a" in the example above left. Now compare the line it sits on to the "l" next to it. The "a" actually sits lower than the l.

How do I determine what counts when counting characters?
Count only letters, dollar signs and numbers. Standard punctuation and spaces are free. Extra punctuation (!!! @ / and & count as characters).

Where can I find out more?
Type design has an interesting past- and a promising future. Find out more about it by reading these books:

Order: Don Dewsnap's Sign Design Easy Type Guide
Order Robert Bringhurst 's The Elements of Typographic Style

Order Donald Ervin Knuth's The Metafont Book

Order Marvin Bryan's Digital Typography Sourcebook