Overshoot

Overshoot is the slight extension of curved or pointed letterforms beyond the mathematical baseline, cap height, or x-height. Round letters such as O, C, and G, and pointed letters such as A and V, are designed to extend very slightly beyond these lines so that they appear the same height as flat-topped letters such as H and T. Without overshoot, round and pointed forms appear optically smaller than their flat-topped neighbours despite being mathematically equal in height. The degree of overshoot varies between typefaces and is one of the subtle factors that gives a typeface its visual rhythm and texture. In custom letterform and wordmark design, correctly applying overshoot is essential for creating letterforms that feel optically correct and harmonious when mixed with one another.