Day 11: Anatomy of a Letter

Every letter is made of parts — stems, bowls, counters, terminals, serifs, apertures. At reading size, these details disappear into texture. At poster size, they become shapes. Knowing the anatomy of type helps you choose typefaces with intention and talk about why one feels sharper, warmer or more mechanical than another.

Objective. Look closely at letterforms and understand their component parts.

Design a poster that celebrates a single letter, enlarged and labelled with at least four anatomical terms.

• One letter as the main subject
• Label at least four parts (for example counter, stem, bowl, terminal)
• Black, white and one accent colour
• One typeface for the letter, one for the labels

• A single letter drawn large and with care
• Accurate anatomical labels
• Clear hierarchy between letter and labels

Overlay the same letter from three different typefaces and annotate how they differ.