Letterform

DEFINITION

The shape of a letter (or character) of an alphabet, especially from the standpoint of its design or historical development ? i.e., in calligraphy and typography. When one is interested in letterforms, one pays particular attention to those aspects of a letter's shape that differentiate it from the shapes of other letters, as in the nuances distinguishing an "O" from a "Q," a "g" from a "q," or an "E" from an "F." When a person writes or designs a letter, the degree to which that person honors the essence of the letterform of that character determines the letter's legibility.Quote: "A-frame, C-clamp, D-ring, F clamp, G clamp, H hinge, I-beam, J-bar lift, K truss, L square, M roof, O-ring, P trap, S curve, T-shirt, U-turn, V neck, W-engine, X chromosome, Y theodite, and Z bar." Dan Tilque compiled this list of what he calls "shape words," terms in English that are composed of a single letter and a word or two, where the letter describes the shape of the object. Also see distortion, graffiti, font, fontography, graphic design, ligature, logo, text, type, typeface, and typography.