Stress (font)

Typeface anatomy describes the graphic elements that make up printed letters in a typeface.

The strokes are the components of a letterform. Strokes may be straight, as in k l v w x z, or curved, as in c o s. If straight, they may be horizontal, vertical, or diagonal; if curved, open or closed. Typographers also speak of an instroke, where one starts writing the letter, as at the top of a c f, , and an outstroke, where the pen leaves off, as at the bottom of c e j k t y.

A main vertical stroke is called a stem. The letter m has three, the left, middle, and right stems. The central stroke of an s is called the spine. When the stroke is part of a lowercase and rises above the height of an x (called the x height) is called an ascender. Letters with ascenders are b d f h k l. A stroke which drops below the baseline is a descender. Letters with descenders are g j p q y. An arching stroke is called a shoulder as in the top of an R or sometimes just an arch, as in h n m. A closed curved stroke is called a bowl in b d o p q D O P Q ; B has two bowls. A trailing outstroke, as in j y J Q R is called a tail. The inferior diagonal stroke in K is called leg. A short horizontal stroke, as in the center of e f and the middle stroke of E F, is called a bar. When the strokes connect as in A and H or cross strokes as in t is also known as crossbar. A longer horizontal stroke at the top or bottom, as in E T, is called an arm. The bottom of the two-story g is called a loop; the very short stroke at the top is called the ear.i j each have a dot, jot, or tittle. Angles of strokes are called apices if at the top and vertices if at the bottom. w has one apex and two vertices; v has one vertex.

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Wikipedia