English to Italian Science Printing & Publishing tipografia

The geometry of the pen is a simple one: let us imagine a vertical line
like the letter I. When I write with a broad-edged nib the edges of the
I are set at a fixed distance apart according to how wide my pen nib is.
The left-hand corner of the nib defines the left-hand edge of the letter
and the right-hand corner does the same for the other side. Because my
nib is rigid this distance and alignment never varies, and when I use my
pen the left- and right-hand edge of the stroke are made simultaneously.
But if I now draw the edges of the letter separately with a single point,
such as a pencil, which the geometric method requires, then there is no
longer any physical feature holding the edges in a fixed relationship, I
can move my pencil in and out as I please. The fixed geometrical relationship
between the left edge of a letter’s stem and the right-hand edge
is now fluid. There are many subtle changes in form encouraged by
breaking the PEN-BASED RATIONALE. It is, for instance, easier to write with
a pen when the broad edge of the nib is slightly slanted in relation to the
line one is writing (Fig. 45). In circular letters this has the effect of giving
the counter of the letter (the inside space) a slight tilt.