CDA Typography & Visual Hierarchy Flashcards
6 cards from real CDA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 CDA Typography & Visual Hierarchy flashcards as text
What is a 'widow' in typography?
Answer: A short last line or single word left alone at the end of a paragraph
A widow is a short final line of a paragraph — often a single word — that appears isolated, which is considered poor typographic practice.
What is an 'orphan' in typography?
Answer: A single word or line from a paragraph carried to the top of a new column or page
An orphan is the first line of a paragraph isolated at the bottom of a page, or a single word stranded at the top of a new column.
What does 'font weight' describe?
Answer: The thickness or heaviness of a typeface's strokes
Font weight refers to the relative thickness of the strokes that make up letterforms, ranging from thin/light to bold/black.
What is the x-height in typography?
Answer: The height of lowercase letters, based on the letter 'x', excluding ascenders and descenders
The x-height is the height of lowercase letters (like 'x', 'a', 'e') and significantly affects the readability and apparent size of a typeface.
Which principle of visual hierarchy involves using contrasting colors or tones to make an element stand out?
Answer: Contrast
Contrast draws the viewer's eye by placing elements with starkly different visual properties next to each other, such as dark text on a light background.
What is a typeface family?
Answer: A collection of related fonts sharing a common design but varying in weight, style, and width
A typeface family groups all stylistic variations of a typeface — regular, bold, italic, condensed, etc. — under one unified design.