What does x-height stand for?

X-height refers to the height of the main body of lowercase letters in a typeface. It is mainly based on the size of the font’s lowercase ‘x’ and occasionally the letters u, v, w, and z.

What is x-height in signs?

The x‑height of the sign may vary between 50 and 200 mm (i.e. the capital letter height varies between 70 and 280 mm). The appropriate x-height at a specific site will depend upon the speed of traffic, with the 50 mm x-height suitable for speeds up to 30 mph and 150 or 200 mm for 70 mph.

What is x-height and cap?

It specifically is the height of capital letters that are flat—such as H or I—as opposed to round letters such as O, or pointed letters like A, both of which may display overshoot. The height of the small letters is the x-height.

How does x-height affect legibility?

Factors contributing to a typeface’s legibility include the following: x-height: This term refers to the height of the lowercase x from its baseline. The taller the x-height, the more legible the typeface tends to be.

Why x-height is important to a letter?

X-height refers to the height of the lowercase x for a typeface, and it indicates how tall or short each glyph in a typeface will be. Typefaces with tall x-heights have better legibility at small font sizes, as the white space within each letter is more legible.

What is capline in typography?

Term definition Cap height or cap line is simply the distance between the baseline (bottom line, on which the letters are “sitting”) and the top of capital letters for a particular font.

What is a font’s baseline?

Definition: In typography, the baseline is the imaginary line upon which a line of text rests. In most typefaces, the descenders on characters such as g or p extend down below the baseline while curved letters such as c or o extend ever-so-slightly below the baseline.

How do you measure x-height?

The x-height refers to the distance between the baseline and the top of the lower case line in a typeface. Typically, this is the height of the letter x in the font (the source of the term).

What do typographers do?

A typographer is a person who designs the form and arrangement of type to make the written word more legible and aesthetically pleasing. Such a person might design a font, or define the point size, kerning, and other characteristics of a typeface.