Graphic Design Terms

Concept

• boldness or thickness of a letter

• one word that doesn’t fit at the bottom of a page or column 

• A principle which may not be perceived visually as psychologically

• the text portion in a magazine article 

Letterform

• the imaginary line that the letter characters rest on

• over all shape of the letters, created with varying lines

• Type that is set to fit the contour of an illustration or photo 

• squeezed together, narrower that the normal type 

Font

• white spaces between words that create a vertical winding river in a body of text

• part of the letter that rises above the x-height 

• the space between lettering, can be adjusted so letters fit together better 

   

• very specific, includes size and weigh

Point

• squeezed together, narrower that the normal type

• heavy weight fonts

• refers to the letter size

• fluid, connected lettering that resembles handwriting

Weight

• boldness or thickness of a letter 

• space between lines of type, measured from baseline to baseline 

• when an image or printed color extends beyond the trimmed edge of a page 

• Type that is set to fit the contour of an illustration or photo

X-height

• the body height of a lowercase letter

• the imaginary line that the letter characters rest on 

• the space between lettering, can be adjusted so letters fit together better 

• large fonts used for headlines 

Ascender

•  part of the letter that extends below the baseline 

  Visual tension

• one word that doesn’t fit at the bottom of a page or column

• part of the letter that rises above the x-height

• heavy weight fonts 

• p

Descender

• Type that is set to fit the contour of an illustration or photo

• part of the letter that extends below the baseline

• Little crossbar type line at the tips of a letter

• the space between lettering, can be adjusted so letters fit together better

Visual tension

• design that is used in marketing to entice the consumer to make a last second impulse buy, like the very cool ice cream container placed in a freezer near a check-out register 

   

• the text portion in a magazine article 

   

• a symbol, mark, or identifying name that represents a company, product, or service

• a way of using the energy and movement available in various features of the image to draw the eye into the picture.

Bleeding

• when an image or printed color extends beyond the trimmed edge of a page

• Type that is set to fit the contour of an illustration or photo 

• the space between lettering, can be adjusted so letters fit together better 

   

• white spaces between words that create a vertical winding river in a body of text