Module: Numbers

Old style, proportional and tabular numbers will be demonstrated and explained. Fractions and superior and inferior figures will be examined. If it has to do with the typographic handling of numbers, it will be in this module.

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  Oldstyle Figures

  Oldstyle figures are a style of numeral which approximate lowercase letterforms by having an x-height and varying ascenders and descenders. They are considerably different from the more common “lining” (or “aligning”) figures which are all-cap height and typically monospaced in text faces so that they line up vertically on charts.

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  Proportional vs. Tabular Figures

  Figures, be they lining or oldstyle, can have two different spacing formats: proportional and tabular. Generally speaking, proportional figures are appropriate when numerals are going to be read in text, and tabular figures are preferable when numerals will be read in columns.

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  Lining Figures

  Numbers are a frequently occurring element in text and design, from invitations to financial reports. They are used to specify quantities, dates, prices, measurements, phone numbers, and a myriad of statistics and other data. In typography, the symbols used to represent numbers are commonly referred to as figures or numerals.

• 

  Oldstyle Figures

  Oldstyle figures are a style of numeral which approximate lowercase letterforms by having an x-height and varying ascenders and descenders. They are considerably different from the more common “lining” (or “aligning”) figures which are all-cap height and typically monospaced in text faces so that they line up vertically on charts.

• 

  Oldstyle Figures

  Oldstyle figures are a style of numeral which approximate lowercase letterforms by having an x-height and varying ascenders and descenders. They are considerably different from the more common “lining” (or “aligning”) figures which are all-cap height and typically monospaced in text faces so that they line up vertically on charts.

• 

  Superior and Inferior Figures

  Superior and inferior figures are numerals that are smaller versions of full-size lining figures. These diminutive numerals most commonly appear in diagonal fractions, but they are also used for footnotes and endnotes, chemical and mathematical notations, and occasionally for indicating the cents in prices in display settings.

• Fractions

  Can you find the fractions on your keyboard? If not, you’re not alone. Believe it or not, there are no designated keystrokes for fractions on a Mac. PCs offer a few (1/4, 1/2, 3/4), but they’re so well-hidden most users can’t find them anyway. Yet fractions appear fairly often in copy, so what’s a person to do?