Encyclopedia of Calligraphy

The terms used in calligraphy and related fields are explained on this page.

Not ready yet.

x-height

This refers to the height of a character, such as "a," "e," or "o," which does not protrude upward or downward.

descender

Refers to the part that protrudes downward, such as "g," "p," or "q."

half r

A variation of r used when a rounded letter such as "b", "o", or "p" precedes the r.

ascender

It refers to the part that protrudes above a letter, such as "b," "h," or "k."

nib

This refers to the nib used for calligraphy. There are two types: pointed nibs and broad nibs.

long s

A variant of the s that was commonly used in the old days. It has the shape of an f without a horizontal line. In the past, the usual s that we called short s was used only at the end of words, and long s was the norm for everything else.

folio(fol.)

A page in a manuscript. It means a leaf in Latin. The front and back of a piece of paper make up one leaf (1 folio). It is further divided into recto and verso. For details, see the entries for recto and verso.

recto

The front page of one leaf of a manuscript, that is, the right-side page. It is often omitted and not written.

serif

Serifs are the small decorative lines or ornaments that are attached to letters. They come in a variety of shapes. Letters with serifs are usually considered traditional and formal.

spacing

This refers to the spacing between letters. Making the spacing the same is called adjusting the spacing.

verso

The back of a leaf in a manuscript, i.e., the left-side page. It refers to the back of a turned page. In manuscripts, there are many cases where nothing is written on a back page. Therefore, manuscripts are counted as a folio(leaf), not a page.

ligature

Two letters joined together to form one letter.

hairline

文字の一番細い、髪の毛ほどの細い線のこと。カリグラフィーのほとんどの書体では細い線を出すことを美しいとする。

gilding

金箔や金泥などを取り扱う技法の総称。

gouache

水彩絵の具の一種。不透明水彩ともいう。通常の水彩と比べ色がマットで透けにくい。カリグラフィーでは水に溶いてインクとして使う。

flourish

ストロークからのびるもしくは宙に浮かぶ飾りのラインのこと。文字の一部とはみなされないことが多い。flourishingともいう。

illumination

写本などに施される細密画や飾り文字を含めた総称。金箔や金泥など黄金を取り扱うことが多いため、（本が）光り輝くと呼ばれるようになった。

filigree

文字の周りに細やかで緻密に配置された細い装飾的な線のこと。