A baseline is an imaginary line upon which most letters in a typeface sit; its presence determines its overall look and feel and is used for text horizontal alignment purposes. Each capital letter in a font has a separate baseline, giving each character its identity within that typeface family. It can be seen when looking down upon capital letters.
Typography basics serve an integral purpose: they offer readers a constant visual reference point and facilitate tracking text progress while marking where one line ends and another begins.
Typefaces vary considerably when it comes to baselines used. Some have what is referred to as a dominant baseline – where most letters sit – while others employ an average mean line between all baselines in their typeface family.
Typographic baseline usage varies based on both typeface and document purpose. For instance, the baseline may intentionally be offset in headlines to create a more dynamic look. In contrast, the body text’s baselines typically remain left aligned for an easy reading experience.
Baselines are imaginary lines upon which most letters rest; in typography, certain characters, like “h” and “b,” extend below this imaginary line. In contrast, others, like “p” and “q,” have parts that rise above them. Baselines are essential in establishing text spacing – in general, equaling the height of letters on baselines as an index to the distance between lines of text.
Baseline is another term commonly employed in project management. It overviews what’s happened on an initiative or at any particular point in its progress. A baseline can serve as an essential point of comparison when tracking future developments in similar endeavors.
