Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 9, 2026

Stroke ending

In typography, a stroke can end in a number of ways. Examples include:The serif, including: The regular serif The bracketed serif The half-serif The terminal, which is any stroke that does not end in a serif The finial, a tapered or curved end The swash, an extended or decorative flourish that replaces a serif or terminal on a letter The lachrymal, as found in Caslon, Galliard, and Baskerville The ball, as found in Bodoni and Clarendon The beak, a sharp spur, as found in Perpetua, Pontifex, and Ignatius. Also defined as the triangular serifs on the straight lines of capitals like E, F and Z. Hooked Pear-shaped

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Jun 9, 2026
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In typography (specifically typeface anatomy), a stroke can end in a number of ways. Examples include:

  • The serif, including:
    • The regular serif
    • The bracketed serif
    • The half-serif
  • The terminal, which is any stroke that does not end in a serif
    • The finial, a tapered or curved end1
    • The swash, an extended or decorative flourish that replaces a serif or terminal on a letter
    • The lachrymal (or teardrop), as found in Caslon, Galliard, and Baskerville2
    • The ball, as found in Bodoni and Clarendon3
    • The beak, a sharp spur, as found in Perpetua, Pontifex, and Ignatius.3 Also defined as the triangular serifs on the straight lines of capitals like E, F and Z.4
    • Hooked
    • Pear-shaped
References

References

  1. "Anatomy of a Typeface". Typedia.com. Archived from the original on 2018-02-12. Retrieved 2018-06-12.
  2. "Glossary | Teardrop". Rsub.com. Retrieved 2018-06-12.
  3. "Glossary | B". Rsub.com. Retrieved 2018-06-12.
  4. Bosler, Denise (2012). Mastering Type: The Essential Guide to Typography for Print and Web Design. HOW Books. p. 29. ISBN 978-1-4403-1369-1.