Section 6 · Typography

Ascenders and Descenders

Definition

Ascenders are the parts of lowercase letters that rise above the x-height (as in “b,” “d,” “h”); descenders are the parts that drop below the baseline (as in “g,” “p,” “y”).

Why it matters

These extending strokes give words their recognizable outline and directly affect how much line spacing a setting needs to avoid collisions between lines.

Example