At the most basic level, ‘r’ can be grouped with
‘h’, ‘m’, and ‘u’ as letters that share characteristics with the letter
‘n’. Indeed, in many sans serif typefaces, the ‘r’ is almost made by literally slicing off the right side of an ‘n’. However, particularly in serif type, the ‘r’ is distinct enough from its siblings that it warrants separate treatment.
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| Components of a lowercase ‘r’. |
The stem of the letter is taken straight from the left side of the ‘n’, with little modification. However, the terminal of the ‘r’ (sometimes called an
ear, though the term is usually reserved for the thing on the serif ‘g’) is much heavier, and the shoulder much steeper than the corresponding parts of the letter ‘n’. On top of that, finding an attractive shape for the ball terminal on the letter can be a challenge in itself, given the lack of space from the narrow shape of the letter.
Because of this, unlike the ‘h’, ‘u’, and ‘m’, it is usually not possible to construct a passable ‘r’ from ‘n’ parts. Perhaps you can get a good blank from half an ‘n’ and the terminal from an
‘f’, but don't expect stellar results.
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| Needs Viagra. |
Because the letter is much narrower than an ‘n’, its shoulder must be a lot steeper than that of the ‘n’. The terminal of the ‘r’ is probably the hardest part of the letter, since it’s so vital to the balance of the letter. It should be noted that unlike the
‘a’, ‘f’, or ‘j’, the terminal of the ‘r’
always has a blob (either that or it’s replaced with a serif). It just looks wrong without it. Just like with the ‘f’, it’s also important to lengthen the right side of its bilateral serif to keep the letter from appearing unbalanced.
