# Letterform

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{{Short description|Term to refer to a letter's shape}}
[[File:Eric_Gill_-_Alphabets_and_Numerals_(1909)_(V%26A).jpg|thumb|''Alphabets and Numerals ''(1909).<br>Letters carved by [Eric Gill](/source/Eric_Gill) for a book, ''"Manuscript and Inscription Letters for Schools and Classes and for the Use of Craftsmen"'' (Edward Johnston 1909).<ref>{{cite book |title=Manuscript and Inscription Letters for Schools and Classes and for the Use of Craftsmen ... With 5 plates by A.E.R. Gill.|date=1909 |author=Edward Johnston |oclc=	561934412}}</ref> He later gave them to the [Victoria and Albert Museum](/source/Victoria_and_Albert_Museum) so they could be used by students at the [Royal College of Art](/source/Royal_College_of_Art).]]
A '''letterform''', '''letter-form''' or '''letter form''' is a term used especially in [typography](/source/typography), [palaeography](/source/palaeography), [calligraphy](/source/calligraphy) and [epigraphy](/source/epigraphy) to mean a [letter's](/source/letter_(alphabet)) shape.  A letterform is a type of [glyph](/source/glyph), which is a specific, concrete way of writing an abstract [character](/source/character_(computing)) or [grapheme](/source/grapheme).

For example, medieval scholars may discuss the particular handwritten letterforms that distinguish one script from another.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Letterforms |url=https://rmc.library.cornell.edu/medievalbook/letterforms.htm |website=Evolution of the Medieval Book |series=Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library}}</ref>

The history of letterforms is discussed in fields of study relating to materials used in writing. [Epigraphy](/source/Epigraphy) includes the study of letterforms carved in stone or other permanent materials. [Palaeography](/source/Palaeography) is the study of writing in ancient and medieval manuscripts. [Calligraphy](/source/Calligraphy) treats the letterforms of decorative writing, usually in ink. In the field of [typography](/source/typography), [type design](/source/type_design) is the process of designing [typeface](/source/typeface)s that consist of sets of letterforms for use with metal print or computer. More broadly, letterforms may be discussed wherever letters appear stylistically—in [graffiti](/source/graffiti) for example.

==In context==

* Letterforms in alphabets: [Arabic alphabet](/source/Arabic_alphabet), [Cyrillic script](/source/Cyrillic_script)
* Letterforms in calligraphy: [Man'yōgana](/source/Man'y%C5%8Dgana), [Hentaigana](/source/Hentaigana)
* Letterforms in history: [Long s](/source/Long_s), [R rotunda](/source/R_rotunda)
* Letterforms in technology: [Typeface](/source/Typeface), [Computer printer](/source/Computer_printer)

== See also ==

* {{Annotated link |Glyph}}
* {{Annotated link |Grammatology}}
* {{Annotated link |Graphemics}}
* {{Annotated link |Sort (typesetting)}}
* {{Annotated link |Typeface anatomy}}
* {{Annotated link |Writing system}}

==References==
<references />

==External links==
* Letterforms in design: [http://www.themorningnews.org/archives/personalities/is_gotham_the_new_interstate.php Is Gotham the New Interstate] at [The Morning News](/source/The_Morning_News_(online_magazine))
* Named parts of a letter: [http://typomil.com/anatomy/index.html Type Anatomy 1.0]

Category:Typography
Category:Graphemes

{{writingsystem-stub}}

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Letterform](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letterform) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letterform?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.