ATELIER YINPRESSION
agate burnisher
A tool for polishing gold leaf. Polishing is essential to achieve a mirror-like finish.
automatic pen
A pen that can write very thick lines or multiple lines at once.
baseline
The line that serves as a reference for aligning the height when writing letters.
ascender
It refers to the part that protrudes above a letter, such as "b," "h," or "k."
balsa wood
A wooden board that dentists use to hold the tongue. On the other hand, calligraphers sometimes used it as a pen.
book hand
A general term for a style of writing typically used in manuscripts. It is carefully written and regarded as more formal.
bowl
It refers to the round part of letters that are entirely enclosed.
codex
A book-like document with multiple pages bound together. In modern times, it especially refers to a manuscript made of materials such as parchment or papyrus.
counter
The space within a letter, such as the bowl of an 'o' or 'p', is referred to as a counter. This term also applies to letters that are not completely closed, like the letter 'c', which also contains counters.
broad pen
This refers to a pen (nib) that can draw wide, thick lines like a marker.
cola pen
A pen made from aluminum, typically crafted from a cola can.
cypher
A symbol that employs one or more letters from the alphabet to signify an individual or organisation. Unlike a monogram, a cypher does not require the letters to intertwine or share any elements of the alphabet.
descender
Refers to the part that protrudes downward, such as "g," "p," or "q."
documentary hand
A general term for writing used mainly for making documents such as contracts and certificates. They have a rhyme feature for writing quickly.
filigree
Some extremely thin, decorative lines that arranged around illuminated letters.
diaper
A pattern commonly found in medieval manuscripts, characterised by a checkerboard design in red, blue, and gold, adorned with diamonds and flowers. This pattern is frequently utilised as a background for paintings.
eszett
The 'eszett' is a ligature representing 'ss'. The left part resembles a long 's', while the right part is a 'z'. Commonly used in Germany, the eszett typically appears only in lowercase.
flourish
Decorative lines that extend from or float above a stroke and are often not considered part of the letterform. Also known as flourishing.
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.
gilding
A general term for methods in which gold leaf is applied.
gouache
A kind of watercolour. Compared to regular watercolours, the gouache is opaque. In the field of calligraphy, it is commonly mixed with water to create an ink.
gesso
An adhesive base for applying gold leaf. A raised, three-dimensional finish is produced by applying gold leaf with gesso.
glair
This refers to egg white, which is used as a glaze to give a glossy finish.
gum ammoniac
A type of adhesive used to apply gold leaf. Unlike gesso, it creates a flat finish.
gum arabic
A medium used in watercolor paints, mixed to adjust viscosity.
hairline
An extremely thin line element within a letter, as thin as a hair.
illumination
A general term that includes miniature paintings and decorative lettering on manuscripts.
gum sandarac
It is a resin powder that is crushed into tiny bits and sprinkled on paper or parchment to prevent ink from bleeding.
half r
A variation of r used when a rounded letter such as "b", "o", or "p" precedes the r.
iron gall ink
An ink widely used during the medieval period, nearly black in colour. It has good colouring properties; however, it tends to corrode metals and other materials.
ligature
Two letters joined together to form one letter.
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 normal for everything else.
miniscule
Another term for lowercase letters.
line filler
A decorative element frequently seen in Gothic manuscripts, comprised of small painted boxes that fill short lines to create even spacing.
majuscule
Another term for capital letters.
monogram
A design that layers multiple alphabets together to create a harmonious visual representation. This technique is typically employed to signify an individual or organisation. Most of the time, it involves the intertwining of alphabets and the sharing of elements between different letters.
nib
This refers to the nib used for calligraphy. There are two types: pointed nibs and broad nibs.
open counter
The spaces that are not completely closed, such as 'c', are called open counters.
parchment
Parchment is created by scraping the hides of animals, including sheep, goats, and cows.
nib angle
This describes the angle at which the pen rests on the paper. For broad pens, there are typically two angles: 30 degrees and 45 degrees.
papyrus
Papyrus is a paper made by slicing and pasting together the stems of the Cyperus papyrus. It is the origin of the English word "paper." Unlike woven fabric, which has fibres interlacing in different directions, papyrus is created by pasting pieces together with the fibres aligned in the same direction on one side. Additionally, because it is made from aquatic plants, papyrus is water-resistant.
pointed pen
This refers to a pen (nib) with a pointed tip that split when pressed, allowing for thicker lines.
quill
A writing tool made from bird feathers. The most common are goose or swan feathers, but they can also be made from feathers of other birds. The fluff and barbs on the feathers can interfere with writing, so they are usually removed, leaving only the shaft of the feather.
reed pen
A pen crafted from a cut reed straw is often used in Arabic calligraphy, but it is also utilized in Latin calligraphy. Bamboo can serve as an alternative material.
rulling pen
A tool designed for drawing straight lines is known as a crow's beak in Japan, due to its unique shape. Historically, it was primarily used for drafting. In the art of calligraphy, it serves not only for creating lines but also for writing letters.
recto
The front page of one leaf of a manuscript, that is, the right-side page. It is often omitted and not written.
reservoir
This is where the ink is stored in the nib. Depending on the manufacturer, it may be detached from the nib or sold separately.
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.
shell gold
When used as paint, gold powder is dissolved in glue and then solidified. It is also called “gold mud” in East Asia.
slant
The angle of the letters, such as in italic.
stem
This refers to the vertical lines found in letters.
short s
The modern 's' is sometimes called a 'short S', in contrast to the 'long S', which has an old history and is no longer used.
spacing
This refers to the spacing between letters. Making the spacing the same is called adjusting the spacing.
swash
A decorative stroke that is added to a letter or extends from a stroke. Unlike flourish, a swash is a simple, single stroke.
tempera
A technique for ancient painting that uses eggs, with various recipes utilizing either egg whites or egg yolks.
tironian notes
The Tironian notes are a shorthand system in which the abbreviation "et" was widely utilised.
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.
tilde
The horizontal line over a word is called 'tilde', and lets the reader know that there are some letters abbreviated.
vellum
Vellum parchment is a type of parchment made from calfskin. It is white, smooth, and known for being the most expensive type of parchment.
x-height
This refers to the height of a character, such as "a," "e," or "o," which does not protrude upward or downward.
recto
