True primes are actually slightly angled, tapered marks, but are not available in very many fonts, For this reason, the glyphs most often used to set measurements are the typewriter quotes (also called straight or dumb quotes) available in just about all fonts. Primes, more commonly referred to as inch and foot marks, are different from quotation marks in that they more neutral in appearance (as opposed to matching each typeface). A good way to determine if the correct glyph is being used is to compare it to a comma, as in most fonts, the comma is the same design as the true quote. The actual glyph used for an apostrophe in typesetting is the closed (or right) single quote-not a typewriter quote, or an open single quote which frequently appears by default when typing as software is not yet smart enough to know the difference in usage. They have an open (or left) and a closed (or right) version, and are design-sensitive, meaning they look different for each typeface, as they are intended to match, or blend with each design.Īpostrophes are used to indicate possession and omission. Quotation marks, also referred to as smart quotes, typographer’s quotes, and sometimes curly quotes (although they don’t have to be the curly design) are used to set off a word, passage, or group of sentences. There are distinct differences between ‘smart’ typographer’s quotes, ‘dumb’ typewriter quotes, and true primes. So ranting aside, here is all you need to know to be on the right side of the law-typographically speaking! They are wrong, as every design job is a group effort, and any error reflects poorly on the entire team, and most especially, the client. This can be due to lack of knowledge, but also because too many creative professionals don’t think it is their job to be concerned about this. That is because the misuse of any of these glyphs is one of the most widespread of all type crimes in digital typography, committed by students (who have an excuse), novices, and seasoned professionals alike. If you think you’ve heard me ranting about this topic before, you are right. ![]() ![]() Understanding the distinction between these marks and the task of getting them right can be challenging, but essential for the creative professional. But today’s computers are intended to set professional typography, not just typing for the casual user, therefore the proper glyphs are available in most fonts. The confusion between them harkens back to the days of typewriters when there was just one style-now called ‘typewriter quotes’-to represent them all. Quotation marks, apostrophes, and primes (also known as inch and foot marks) are some of the most misunderstood and misused elements in typesetting.
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