Slashes & Dashes

Carl Shank • September 7, 2022

Slashes & Dashes. In old typewriter days, we used a stoke (-) for a hyphen and a double stroke (--) for a dash. Those days are gone. The typewriter has given way to computer keyboards and word or layout programs. And so, it is appropriate that we discuss the three commonly used dashes in the computer and layout world — the em-dash, the en-dash, the hyphen. There are other kinds of dashes, such as the subtraction dash, which may or may not be the same length as the en-dash, and the figure dash (equal to the width of a standard numeral).


The shortest in length of the three, the hyphen is used to divide words that break at end of lines, or to connect compound words, such as non-believer. It is easily found on the keyboard to the right of the numeral zero. The longest of the three, the em-dash (— [Shift + option + - on a Mac]) is used in sentences that involve a break in thought or action, such as "There were the days—actually seeming longer than most—that tried men's souls."


The mid-sized en-dash is often used to indicate a range of values or a span of time or numerical quantities, such as 9–5 or Wednesday–Friday, similar to using the words "to" or "from." However, a figure dash may be more pleasing to the eye in numerical quantities. (See Sample Below) Bringhurst notes — "The hyphen is too short to serve this function, and in some faces the en dash (which is tradition­ally prescribed) appears too long. A three-to-em (M/3) dash is often the best choice. Three-to-em dashes are missing from many type fonts, but they are easily made on digital equipment, by condensing or shortening an en dash.") (Robert Bringhurst, The Elements of Typographic Style, Hartley & Marks, 1992, 78)


Normally, there is no space break between the beginning and the end of an em-dash. However, in some quarters, it is thought that a small space or even a regular space at the beginning and end of an em-dash makes the text more readable and flows better. And others prefer to use en-dashes instead of the longer em-dashes in a book or document. The key is always consistency of use, whatever dashes are used with whatever spacing. Whatever we do, we need to avoid the double hyphen approach (--) when seeking to use a dash in a sentence or phrase. The old typewriter days are gone and should be gone in our writing and typesetting.

Successful Layout & Design

Wide Is Beautiful

By Carl Shank • March 15, 2025
Wide Is Beautiful What makes a typeface beautiful? Aesthetically pleasing fonts or typefaces have differing qualities that make them suitable and beautiful in different contexts and uses. I have chosen six (6) wide or "extended" font faces to highlight the inherent beauty and usability of such type. The samples chosen range from well used Adobe fonts to a specialty antique wide font CARE Typography crafted from an old fashioned type book published by Frederick Nelson Phillips, Inc of New York back in 1945.

Italics

By Carl Shank • February 22, 2025
Italics . Typography historically received its most valuable improvements from the printers of Italy giving us three text-letters of greatest usefulness : (1) the Roman typeface, first founded by Sweinheym and Pannartz in 1465, and afterward perfected by Jenson at Venice in 147 1 ; (2) Italic and (3) Small Capitals, introduced together by Aldus Manutius at Venice in 1501. The first volume entirely in Greek was printed at Milan in 1476 ; the first book entirely in Hebrew, at Soncino in 1488. The transition from Gothic to Italic typefaces was part of the broader evolution of typography that took place during the Renaissance period, driven by shifts in cultural, aesthetic, and technological factors. Gothic script was primarily used for religious texts, legal documents, and early printed books like the Gutenberg Bible. It symbolized tradition, formality, and authority. Gothic, was characterized by its dense, angular, and ornate letters, often with sharp vertical strokes, tight spacing, and elaborate flourishes. It was designed to mimic the style of manuscript writing at the time.
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