Words of the Week.

I think I am stuck on typography, but there are just so many fun word. Did you know that many point sizes have their own name. It’s true, here are a few:

Brilliant: A traditional term for a type size of 3.5 points. (You would have to have brilliant eyes to be able to see words that small.)

Canon:  A traditional term for a type size of 48 points.

Minion: A traditional term for a type size of 7.3 points. (I wonder why someone might set something in 7.3pt. instead of rounding it down to 7pt.)

Minikin: A traditional term for a type size of 3 points. (I think this is my personal favorite.)

Bourgeois: A traditional term for a type size of 8.5 points.

Brevier: A traditional term for a type size of 7.6 points.

Excelsior: A traditional size of type of about 4 points, or half the size of brevier

Great Primer: A traditional term for a type size of about 18 points.

Long Primer: A traditional term for a type size of 9.5 points.

Nonpareil: A traditional term for a type size of 6 points. The name is still sometimes used as an alternative term to indicate 6-point leading.

Paragon: A traditional term for a type size of about 20 points, originating in 16th-century Holland. It was also described as a two-line primer.

And then there are the prescious stones…

Gem: A traditional term for a type size of 4 points.

Pearl: A traditional term for a type size of 5 points.

Ruby: A traditional term for a type size of 5.5 points (this is also called an agate. I know you will impress your typography teacher if you use these these terms when talking project solution.)