INITIAL LETTERS

Initial letters are large, ornate capital letters that are sometimes used at the beginning of a paragraph to dress up the page and add white space. They come in all sorts of styles. When an initial letter is used, the remainder of the word it begins is generally capitalized. You may use either regular capital letters or slightly smaller capitals of the same style of type.

ORNAMENTS

Ornaments, such as stars (called "dingbats" in publisher's lingo) and dots (called "bullets"): are used to add interest and beauty to a job. When using ornaments, you should always select something that goes well with the style of type you are using. Above all, do not overdo them. Fancy types and decorations should be used only if they make your newspaper page more effective. Decoration, just for decoration's sake, was abandoned at the turn of the century in favor of simple harmony and balance.

BORDERS

You should select borders with the same care you use to select a typeface, because the same general principles of typography apply. Figure 8-17 shows some typical ornaments and borders.

A study of type size and classifications could take up an entire book. The basics presented here will help you both in preparing an attractive publication and in conversing with the publisher. For all practical purpose, all you have to know is the answer to the question, "What kind of type is available tome?" A trip to your publisher or local printshop will give you that answer.

Figure 8-17. - Ornaments and borders.