Term
Typography
The art and craft of shaping and arranging type so letterforms, spacing and hierarchy support the content.
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Understanding the term
Typography includes the choice of typeface, size, line length, leading, spacing and position on the page. A typeface is the design of the letterforms, while a font technically refers to a particular digital or physical instance of that design.
When Typography appears in a description, the term helps specify a work's form, status or history. Its precise meaning should always be read alongside information about material, technique, date and origin.
Specialist terminology is most useful when it can be supported. Signatures, labels, edition numbers, documentation and visible traces in the object can all help establish whether a term is accurate in a particular case.
Related entries
Continue through the glossary with terms from the same field.