Calligraphic Terms

Minuscule. A lowercase letter

Majuscule. A capital letter. In this introductory tutorial, we will focus only on forming minuscules (lowercase letter).

Base Line. The guideline that defines the lower limit of all the minuscules without descenders.

Waistline. The guideline that defines the upper limit of all the minuscules that do not have ascenders.

Ascender. The upper part (above the waistline) of the minuscule.

Ascender line. The guideline that defines the upper limit of all the minuscules that have ascenders with loops.

Descender. The lower part (below the base line) of the minuscule.

Slant/ Axis. The degree to which the letter leans away from the horizontal. In Copperplate, the slant of 53-55 degrees are widely acceptable.