Catenary Stem Sans

Its lowercase sits low: the x-height is 68.3% of the cap height, where the median for sans serif fonts is 72.4%, lower than 44 of the 47 other sans serif fonts. Ascenders on b, d, h, k and l line up with the capitals (98% of their height), and descenders on g, j, p, q and y drop 29.6% of the cap height below the baseline, deeper than 33 of the 47 other sans serif fonts. Catenary Stem Sans runs 12.6% narrower than the median for sans serif fonts: an average lowercase letter, spacing included, is 67.3% as wide as the capitals are tall (an average capital, 77.4%). The o is close to a circle, 0.95 times as wide as it is tall, and W is the widest capital, at 1.34 times the width of H. Round letters overshoot: O rises 1.3% of the cap height above H and dips 1.2% below the baseline.

The letters stand upright, with no measurable slant. Vertical stems measure 12.6% of the cap height, heavier than 16 of the 28 other sans serif fonts. Ink covers 36% of each lowercase letter's box (its advance width by the cap height), darker than 29 of the 47 other sans serif fonts. The contrast is mild: the sides of o and O are 1.32 times as thick as their tops and bottoms.

Its 148 characters include 105 Latin letters, plus 43 figures, punctuation marks and symbols; 53 of the Latin letters are accented or special forms beyond A to Z. The word space measures 46% of the cap height, and the blank space either side of a lowercase letter takes up 15.7% of its width. The font carries no kerning, so spacing comes from each letter’s own side bearings. The figures have different widths, so columns of numbers set in Catenary Stem Sans will not line up exactly.