Pivot Sans

Its x-height is 71.1% of the cap height, near the 71.1% typical of sans serif fonts in the library, taller than 8 of the 16 other sans serif fonts. Ascenders on b, d, h, k and l line up with the capitals (100% of their height), and descenders on g, j, p, q and y drop 30.5% of the cap height below the baseline, deeper than 14 of the 16 other sans serif fonts. It sets narrow: an average lowercase letter, spacing included, is 66.8% as wide as the capitals are tall (an average capital, 77.6%), 31.2% less than the median for sans serif fonts, so more words fit on a line. The o is close to a circle, 0.92 times as wide as it is tall, and W is the widest capital, at 1.28 times the width of H. Round letters overshoot: O rises 2.9% of the cap height above H and dips 1.6% below the baseline.

The letters stand upright, with no measurable slant. Vertical stems measure 12.9% of the cap height, heavier than 15 of the 16 other sans serif fonts. Ink covers 35.5% of each lowercase letter's box (its advance width by the cap height), darker than 15 of the 16 other sans serif fonts. Strokes keep nearly one thickness in every direction: the sides and the tops of o and O differ by 3%.

Its 3,966 characters include 3,756 Chinese and 105 Latin letters, plus 105 figures, punctuation marks and symbols; 53 of the Latin letters are accented or special forms beyond A to Z. The word space measures 31.8% of the cap height, and the blank space either side of a lowercase letter takes up 14.3% of its width. Spacing is adjusted with 119 kerning pairs, more than 10 of the 16 other sans serif fonts. The tightest of them is AY, which closes up by 22% of the cap height. The figures have different widths, so columns of numbers set in Pivot Sans will not line up exactly.

Pivot Sans is drawn on the same letter structure as 7 other fonts in the library. Compared with Pivot Sans, Marquee Round Inline cuts a thin line along each stroke and sets 31% wider. Frosty Duplex adds caps of snow, sets 14% wider and puts down 25% more ink. Emblem Bold sets 29% wider and puts down 30% more ink.