The underlying rhythmic structure of horizontal lines spaced at the line-height unit. All type and imagery align to this invisible scaffold, creating vertical harmony across columns and spreads.

German art school (1919–1933) that fused fine art with industrial craft. Its curriculum — foundation course, workshop training, theoretical study — became the model for design education worldwide.

Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key (Black). The subtractive color model used in print reproduction. Each color is expressed as a percentage of ink density. Swiss designers developed precise CMYK systems for consistent print results.

The enclosed or partially enclosed space within a letterform — the interior of an 'O', the bowl of a 'P'. Counter size and shape are critical to legibility and the typographic texture of a typeface.

A complete set of related typefaces sharing a common design: weights (light to black), widths (condensed to extended), and styles (roman and italic). Helvetica Neue comprises over 50 fonts across its full family.

German: "shape" or "form". A school of psychology establishing that perception is holistic — the whole is different from the sum of its parts. Its seven principles (proximity, similarity, closure, etc.) underlie all design decisions.

The proportion φ ≈ 1.618:1, where the ratio of the whole to the larger part equals the ratio of the larger to the smaller. Appears throughout classical architecture, art, and nature. Used in Swiss design to proportion columns, margins, and type scales.

The space between columns in a multi-column grid. Gutter width determines how easily the eye distinguishes columns and flows across the page. Too narrow creates confusion; too wide breaks visual unity.

The organization of visual elements by importance, directing the reader's eye through the composition in a deliberate sequence. Achieved through size, weight, color, position, and spacing. Without hierarchy, all elements shout equally.

Text alignment where both left and right edges are flush, achieved by adjusting word and letter spacing. Common in Swiss book typography. Requires careful hyphenation to avoid "rivers" — diagonal paths of white space through the text block.

The adjustment of space between specific letter pairs to create optically consistent spacing. Distinct from tracking (uniform letter-spacing). "AV", "WA", and "To" are classic kerning pairs requiring manual correction.

The vertical distance between baselines, measured in points. Named for the lead strips used to separate lines of movable type. Tight leading (100–110%) creates texture; open leading (150–160%) improves readability for small text.

A graphic mark, emblem, or symbol representing an organization. Can be purely typographic (wordmark), symbolic (pictorial mark), or combined. Effective logos are distinctive in one color and legible at all scales.

The unprinted area surrounding the text block on a page. Classical margin proportions (inside:top:outside:bottom = 1:1:1.5:2) create visual weight at the bottom, stabilizing the page and providing space for notes and thumbs.

A grid composed of both columns and rows, creating a matrix of modules. Used extensively in Swiss editorial design. Modules can be combined in multiples to create varied layouts within a consistent system. Müller-Brockmann's defining contribution.

A single word or short line stranded at the end of a paragraph, visually isolated from its surrounding text. Considered a typographic error in professional composition, corrected by adjusting spacing, rewording, or forcing line breaks.

Text set with a consistent left margin and uneven (natural) right edge. Also called "flush left, ragged right." Avoids the word-spacing variations of justified setting. The preferred alignment for running text in many contemporary style systems.

A compositional guideline dividing the frame into nine equal parts. Points of intersection are considered optimal for placing visual interest. A simplification of the golden section principle for practical compositional decisions.

The small finishing stroke at the end of a letterform's main strokes, originating in Roman inscription technique. Serifs improve legibility at small sizes in print by guiding the eye along the line. Sans-serif faces (Helvetica, Univers) were central to Swiss modernism's rejection of tradition.

A graphic design movement emerging from Zurich and Basel in the 1950s. Characterized by mathematical grids, sans-serif typography, flush-left text, photography over illustration, and objective communication. Also called International Typographic Style.

Uniform spacing adjustment applied across a range of text — distinct from kerning, which adjusts specific pairs. Loose tracking (positive values) aids legibility at small sizes and creates an airy texture; tight tracking (negative) creates visual density in headlines.

A short line — typically a single word — that begins a new column or page, separated from the rest of its paragraph. Distinguished from orphans by position. Both represent typographic lapses that break reading rhythm and signal inattention to craft.