in Design
Old-style and lining figures
Numbers come in more than one shape. Choosing between old-style and lining figures, and why they behave differently on the page.
Most readers assume there is only one way to draw a number. In type, there are several. The two main kinds are old-style figures and lining figures, and choosing between them is one of the simpler ways to make a page of text more even.
The two kinds
Lining figures are the numbers most people picture: all the same height, usually close to the height of the capitals, standing on the baseline. They are the default in many fonts, especially those designed for screens and offices.
Old-style figures, also called text figures or lowercase figures, vary in height the way lowercase letters do. In most designs, 0, 1 and 2 sit within the x-height; 6 and 8 rise above it like ascenders; and 3, 4, 5, 7 and 9 drop below the baseline like descenders. Individual typefaces vary, and some treat certain numbers differently.
Why the difference matters
In running text, lining figures behave like capitals. A date, a year or a number in the middle of a sentence stands up above the lowercase and draws the eye to itself. A sentence with several numbers in it can look spotted.
Old-style figures sit in the text as lowercase letters do. They blend into the line, keep the texture of the page even, and are generally preferred for continuous prose in books, particularly in serif faces that were designed with them.
Lining figures come into their own alongside capitals. A number in a heading set in capitals, a postcode, or a string of letters and numbers will usually look better with lining figures, because old-style figures would look undersized beside capitals. Tables and charts often use lining figures too.
Proportional and tabular
There is a second distinction that cuts across the first. Proportional figures are each given a width that suits their shape, so a 1 is narrower than an 8. They look best in text. Tabular figures all have the same width, so that numbers line up in columns. They are essential in tables, financial statements and anything with columns of numbers to be compared.
A well-equipped font may therefore contain four sets of figures: proportional old-style, tabular old-style, proportional lining and tabular lining. Some also include small cap figures, superscript figures for note references, and numerators and denominators for fractions.
Choosing, applying and checking
In layout software, figure styles are selected through OpenType features, usually available in the character or paragraph settings. The best practice is to set the figure style in the paragraph styles, rather than by selecting text, so that every paragraph of a given kind uses the right figures automatically.
A typical book might use proportional old-style figures for the main text, lining figures for headings in capitals, tabular lining or tabular old-style figures for tables, and superscript figures for note references.
Folios, the page numbers, are usually set in the same style as the text figures. Old-style figures are common for folios in books, particularly where running heads are set in lowercase or italic.
Not every font includes old-style figures, and in some the default figure style is old-style while in others it is lining. Georgia, designed by Matthew Carter for screen use, is a familiar example of a typeface that uses old-style figures by default. Before committing to a text face for a book with dates, numbers or tables, check which figure sets it includes and how they look in context.
Numbers are part of the text, and they should look as though they belong to it.