An older unit of type measurement used in foundry typesetting, sitting halfway between nonpareil (six points) and minion (seven points). It translates to a 6.5-point body size. Because it required specialized casting and was difficult to distinguish from its neighbors, it saw limited use in dense reference works before the point system standardized sizing.
Heard on the job
We found an old case of minionette in the back, but good luck finding any spacing material that matches it.
Insider tip
Historic type sizes often varied slightly between foundries until the point system locked them down.
Also heard as
- Emerald