Bachelor of Graphic Design Typography and Type Design 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What term describes the space between lines of text in typography?
- Kerning
- Leading (Correct answer)
- Tracking
- Baseline
Correct answer: Leading
Leading is the vertical space between lines of text, named after the lead strips used in traditional typesetting.
Question 2: Which typeface classification is characterized by thin, uniform strokes and no serifs?
- Old Style
- Transitional
- Sans-serif (Correct answer)
- Slab Serif
Correct answer: Sans-serif
Sans-serif typefaces have no decorative strokes (serifs) at the ends of letterforms and feature relatively uniform stroke widths.
Question 3: What is kerning in typography?
- Adjusting space between specific letter pairs (Correct answer)
- Setting overall letter spacing
- Increasing line height
- Changing font weight
Correct answer: Adjusting space between specific letter pairs
Kerning is the manual adjustment of space between specific pairs of letters to achieve visually balanced spacing.
Question 4: Which measurement unit is most commonly used for body text size in print design?
- Pixels
- Picas
- Points (Correct answer)
- Ems
Correct answer: Points
Points (pt) are the standard unit for measuring type size in print design, with 72 points equaling one inch.
Question 5: What is a ligature in typography?
- A decorative border around text
- Two or more letters joined into a single glyph (Correct answer)
- A type of serif font
- The weight of a typeface
Correct answer: Two or more letters joined into a single glyph
A ligature is a special glyph that combines two or more letters into a single character, such as 'fi' or 'fl'.
Question 6: What does the term 'x-height' refer to in typography?
- The height of capital letters
- The height of lowercase letters excluding ascenders (Correct answer)
- The total cap height
- The descender depth
Correct answer: The height of lowercase letters excluding ascenders
X-height is the height of lowercase letters, typically measured by the height of the letter 'x', excluding ascenders and descenders.
What term describes the space between lines of text in typography?