viivaston

Viivaston is a term found in Finnish typography and graphic design to describe a style of dashed lines or a line pattern composed of short line segments with gaps. In practical use, a viivaston line indicates a non-continuous boundary, separator, or guideline and is distinguished from solid lines by its broken appearance.

Etymology: The word derives from viiva, the Finnish word for line or dash, combined with a suffix used to form design-related nouns. The term is most often encountered in Finnish-language design literature and, when used in international contexts, is typically treated as a loanword.

Applications: In print and digital media, viivaston is employed to convey measurement references, separation of content, or subtle emphasis without creating a heavy visual barrier. In schematic drawings and diagrams, dashed lines styled as viivaston can indicate implied boundaries, hidden edges, or optional features.

Relation to other terms: Viivaston is related to broader concepts of line style and dash patterns found in CSS, SVG, and graphic design. It is sometimes contrasted with solid lines, dotted lines, or other dash configurations. While it has a specific linguistic footprint in Finnish, the concept is broadly familiar in design practice.

See also: Typography, Line (geometry), Dash pattern, Line style.