Keystone Shoulder Sans

Its lowercase sits low: the x-height is 69% of the cap height, where the median for sans serif fonts is 71.6%, lower than 31 of the 35 other sans serif fonts. Ascenders on b, d, h, k and l line up with the capitals (99.6% of their height), and descenders on g, j, p, q and y drop 27.1% of the cap height below the baseline, shallower than 25 of the 35 other sans serif fonts. Keystone Shoulder Sans runs 10.5% narrower than the median for sans serif fonts: an average lowercase letter, spacing included, is 70% as wide as the capitals are tall (an average capital, 78.8%). The o is an upright oval, 0.86 times as wide as it is tall, and M is the widest capital, at 1.23 times the width of H. Round letters overshoot: O rises 2.3% of the cap height above H and dips 1.1% below the baseline.

The letters stand upright, with no measurable slant. Vertical stems measure 19.8% of the cap height, heavier than 25 of the 28 other sans serif fonts. Ink covers 46.6% of each lowercase letter's box (its advance width by the cap height), darker than 30 of the 35 other sans serif fonts. The contrast is mild: the sides of o and O are 1.28 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 45.9% of the cap height, and the blank space either side of a lowercase letter takes up 14.6% 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 Keystone Shoulder Sans will not line up exactly.

One other library font shares Keystone Shoulder Sans's underlying letter structure. Compared with Keystone Shoulder Sans, Keystone Shoulder Sans Outline draws the letters as hollow outlines and puts down 45% less ink.