C1 · 50 words
Typography and typesetting in Spanish
Size, spacing, page grid — how a page is built before it is read.
The dot at the head of a list is named after something thrown in both languages, but not the same thing. English calls it a « bullet », a small shot. Spanish calls it el bolo, which is a skittle — jugar a los bolos is to go bowling — so the dot is a little wooden pin standing at the start of the line. The word has a third life in medicine: el bolo alimenticio is the lump of chewed food on its way down. Round, small, and set up in a row: the same shape doing three jobs.
The words
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Verb (1)
maquetarto fit the text onto the pagesVerbC1
Hay que maquetar el libro entero otra vez.The whole book has to be fitted onto the pages again.
Phrase (29)
el tipo de letrathe typefacePhraseC1
El tipo de letra cambia el tono de la página.The typeface changes the tone of the page.
la familia tipográficaall the cuts of one typeface togetherPhraseC1
La familia tipográfica reúne todos los cortes.All the cuts of one typeface together make the family.
el cuerpo de letrathe size of the typePhraseC1
El cuerpo de letra se mide en puntos.The size of the type is given in points.
el ajuste de paresthe space corrected between two particular lettersPhraseC1
El ajuste de pares corrige el hueco tras la V.The space corrected between two particular letters fixes the gap after a V.
la caja altathe capital lettersPhraseC1
La caja alta se lee peor en párrafos largos.The capital letters read worse in long paragraphs.
la caja bajathe small lettersPhraseC1
La caja baja da la forma que el ojo reconoce.The small letters give the shape the eye knows.
la letra de palo secothe type without those strokesPhraseC1
La letra de palo seco resiste mejor en pantalla.The type without those strokes holds up better on a screen.
la altura de la xthe height of a letter with nothing sticking upPhraseC1
La altura de la x hace grande una fuente pequeña.The height of a letter with nothing sticking up makes a small face look big.
la línea de basethe line the letters stand onPhraseC1
La línea de base alinea las dos columnas.The line the letters stand on lines the two columns up.
el grosor del trazothe thickness of the strokesPhraseC1
El grosor del trazo distingue la fina de la negra.The thickness of the strokes tells the light from the bold.
la anchura del tipohow wide the letters are drawnPhraseC1
La anchura del tipo ahorra espacio en la columna.How wide the letters are drawn saves room in the column.
la mancha de textothe block of text on the pagePhraseC1
La mancha de texto queda alta en la página.The block of text on the page sits high.
el texto justificadothe setting with both margins straightPhraseC1
El texto justificado exige partir palabras.The setting with both margins straight forces words to be broken.
la bandera derechathe setting left straight and right raggedPhraseC1
La bandera derecha deja el borde irregular.The setting left straight and right ragged leaves the edge uneven.
el río de blancosthe white gaps that line up down a paragraphPhraseC1
El río de blancos atraviesa el párrafo justificado.The white gaps that line up down a paragraph run through it.
la línea viudathe single line left alone at the top of a columnPhraseC1
La línea viuda queda sola arriba de la columna.The single line left alone at the top of a column looks stranded.
la línea huérfanathe single line left behind at the foot of a pagePhraseC1
La línea huérfana se queda al pie de la página.The single line left behind at the foot of a page is left there.
la partición de palabrasthe breaking of a word across two linesPhraseC1
La partición de palabras sigue reglas de sílaba.The breaking of a word across two lines follows the syllables.
el guion de divisiónthe hyphen that does the breakingPhraseC1
El guion de división desaparece al rehacer el corte.The hyphen that does the breaking disappears when the text is reset.
la raya tipográficathe long dash used in place of bracketsPhraseC1
La raya tipográfica es más larga que el guion.The long dash used in place of brackets is longer than the hyphen.
las comillas angularesthe pointed quotation marksPhraseC1
Las comillas angulares abren la cita en español.The pointed quotation marks open a quotation in Spanish.
la retícula de maquetaciónthe grid the whole publication is set onPhraseC1
La retícula de maquetación ordena toda la revista.The grid the whole publication is set on orders the magazine.
la numeración de páginasthe page numberingPhraseC1
La numeración de páginas va al pie, fuera de la mancha.The page numbering goes at the foot, outside the text block.
el bolo tipográficothe dot that opens an item in a listPhraseC1
El bolo tipográfico abre cada punto de la lista.The dot that opens an item in a list opens each of them.
el pie de imagenthe line of text under a picturePhraseC1
El pie de imagen se lee antes que el artículo.The line of text under a picture is read before the article.
la corrección de pruebasthe reading of that proofPhraseC1
La corrección de pruebas es el último paso.The reading of that proof is the last step.
el punto tipográficothe unit type is measured inPhraseC1
El punto tipográfico no mide lo mismo en cada sistema.The unit type is measured in is not the same size everywhere.
las cifras elzevirianasthe figures that rise and fall like lettersPhraseC1
Las cifras elzevirianas bajan por debajo del renglón.The figures that rise and fall like letters drop below the line.
el espacio finothe very narrow spacePhraseC1
El espacio fino separa la cifra de la unidad.The very narrow space separates the figure from the unit.
Noun (f) (11)
la tipografíathe setting of type as a craftNoun (f)C1
La tipografía decide si un texto se lee.The setting of type as a craft decides whether a text is read.
la interlíneathe space between the linesNoun (f)C1
La interlínea abre el bloque de texto.The space between the lines opens the block of text out.
la versalitathe capital cut to the height of the small lettersNoun (f)C1
La versalita marca el apellido sin gritar.The capital cut to the height of the small letters marks a surname without shouting.
la ligadurathe two letters joined into one shapeNoun (f)C1
La ligadura une la f con la i.The two letters joined into one shape join the f to the i.
la cursivathe sloping cutNoun (f)C1
La cursiva señala el título de la obra.The sloping cut marks the title of a work.
la negritathe heavy cutNoun (f)C1
La negrita pierde fuerza si aparece en cada línea.The heavy cut loses its force if it appears in every line.
la redondathe upright cutNoun (f)C1
La redonda es el corte que lleva el texto corrido.The upright cut is the one the running text is set in.
la sangríathe step in at the start of a paragraphNoun (f)C1
La sangría marca el comienzo del párrafo.The step in at the start of a paragraph marks where it begins.
la capitularthe large letter that opens a chapterNoun (f)C1
La capitular ocupa tres líneas.The large letter that opens a chapter is three lines deep.
la galeradathe proof pulled before the pages are made upNoun (f)C1
La galerada vuelve llena de marcas rojas.The proof pulled before the pages are made up comes back covered in red.
la maquetaciónthe fitting of the text onto the pagesNoun (f)C1
La maquetación cambia con cada corrección.The fitting of the text onto the pages changes with every correction.
Noun (m) (9)
el interletrajethe space set between all the lettersNoun (m)C1
El interletraje aprieta demasiado el titular.The space set between all the letters is too tight in the headline.
el rematethe little stroke that finishes a letterNoun (m)C1
El remate cierra el trazo en el pie de la letra.The little stroke that finishes a letter closes it at the foot.
el ascendentethe part of a letter that rises above that heightNoun (m)C1
El ascendente de la l sobresale del renglón.The part of a letter that rises above that height stands over the line.
el descendentethe part of a letter that drops below the lineNoun (m)C1
El descendente de la g choca con la línea siguiente.The part of a letter that drops below the line runs into the next one.
el contrapunzónthe enclosed white inside a letterNoun (m)C1
El contrapunzón cerrado oscurece la letra.The enclosed white inside a letter darkens it when it closes up.
el sangradothe printing carried past the edge before trimmingNoun (m)C1
El sangrado evita una franja blanca al cortar.The printing carried past the edge before trimming keeps a white strip out.
el corondelthe space between two columnsNoun (m)C1
El corondel separa las dos columnas.The space between two columns keeps them apart.
el titulillothe running head at the top of the pageNoun (m)C1
El titulillo repite el capítulo en cada página.The running head at the top of the page repeats the chapter.
el filetethe thin rule drawn between thingsNoun (m)C1
El filete separa el pie de imagen del texto.The thin rule drawn between things separates the caption from the text.
This list belongs to Art and culture — 29 lists and 1450 words that can also be practised as a whole.
Practise this list
From these 50 words, as many per round as you like — up to all of them: first what is due today, then new ones. First you choose, then you fill the gap, then you write it yourself. Mistakes come back again shortly.