In traditional letterpress, this refers to the individual cast metal or carved wood blocks that carry a single raised character on their top surface. Compositors arrange these physical pieces into lines and blocks to form the text of a page. In digital contexts, the word still refers to the characters themselves as a collective medium, distinct from the artwork or layout.
Heard on the job
We need to sort the type back into the cases before the end of the shift.
Insider tip
Rookies often confuse type with typeface; type is the physical object or the collective text, while a typeface is the specific design of the characters.
Do not mix it up with
- Typeface: Type refers to the physical blocks or the text itself, while typeface is the artistic design of the letters.