Counter (typography)

In typography, a counter is the area of a letter that is entirely or partially enclosed by a letter form or a symbol. The stroke that creates such a space is known as a "bowl". Latin letters containing closed counters include A, B, D, O, P, Q, R, a, b, d, e, g, o, p, and q.

Latin letters containing open counters include c, f, h, s etc.
The digits 0, 4, 6, 8, and 9 also have counters.
An aperture is the opening between an open counter and the outside of the letter.

Back to Letterform Anatomy →

Source: Wikipedia · Image: Wikimedia Commons · Public domain

LETTERFORGE

The art of letters — calligraphy, hand-lettering, and type that speaks.

Get new guides by emailOccasional emails. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

InformationAbout Contact Privacy Policy Terms of Service Disclaimer Affiliate Disclosure Cookie Policy

Every entry, image, and fact is drawn from Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons, used under public-domain and Creative Commons licenses. No content is AI-generated.