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Graphic Design vocabulary · Typography

Ligature

Meaning in graphic design, with examples

nounCommon term

In graphic design, ligature means: A single glyph that combines two or more letters.

In Turkish: bitişik harf glifi, ligatür

How it is used

Distinguish a designed ligature from letters merely touching through tight spacing.

Example sentences

  1. The fi ligature prevents the dot from colliding with the f.

    One combined glyph resolves a collision between neighbouring letter shapes.

  2. We disabled decorative ligatures in the product codes.

    Separate letter shapes make the individual code characters easier to inspect.

Common collocations

  • standard ligature
  • discretionary ligature
  • kerningAdjusting the space between two particular letters so that the gaps look even, for example pulling the A and V closer together in the word ‘AVENUE’.
  • typefaceA particular design of letters, numbers and symbols that share the same style, such as Helvetica, Garamond or Futura, usually available in several weights and styles.

More terms: Typography

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