kirjainpaino

Kirjainpaino is a Finnish term that translates to "letter weight" or "typographic weight." It refers to the visual thickness or boldness of a typeface. This weight is a crucial design element that affects readability, hierarchy, and the overall aesthetic of text. Typographic weights typically range from extremely thin (hairline) to very thick (black or ultra-bold).

Common terms used to describe letter weight include thin, light, regular, medium, semi-bold, bold, extra-bold, and black. These variations allow designers to create emphasis and structure within a document. For example, a bold weight might be used for headlines to make them stand out from the body text, while a light weight could be used for captions or secondary information where less emphasis is desired.

The perceived weight of a letterform is influenced by several factors, including the stroke contrast (the difference between thick and thin strokes), the x-height (the height of lowercase letters like 'x'), and the overall form of the characters. Different typefaces will have different standard weights, and even within the same typeface family, the progression of weights can vary. Understanding and utilizing kirjainpaino effectively is fundamental to good typography.