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#lang pollen
◊ ( define - meta title "type composition" )
◊ ( chapter - from - metas metas )
◊ margin - note { ◊ caption - runin { top } The keys of a manual typewriter .
◊ caption - runin { bottom } The keyboard of a modern computer . Even though the computer keyboard can produce many more characters and symbols than the typewriter , much of that power is hidden from the writer . }
◊ image [ #:border #f "typewriter.jpg"]
◊ image [ #:border #f "keyboard.jpg"]
Good typography starts with good typing . This chapter tours the nonalphabetic characters on the computer keyboard — some obscure , some underappreciated , and some well known but misused .
A text is a sequence of characters . Every character is a tool . Your goal: to always use the right tool for the job .
Today ’ s computer keyboards depict the available characters in almost the same way as a manual typewriter . But this depiction is misleading . The computer keyboard can produce many more characters than the ones visible on its keys . These include ◊ xref { accented characters } , ◊ xref { math symbols } , and ◊ xref { white - space characters } — invisible markers that are useful for getting consistent typographic results .
Beware . This chapter is more difficult than it looks . Typing is second nature for most of us . Habits are ingrained . After years of doing things one way , it can be hard to learn a different way .
But it ’ s worth it . By typing the right characters while writing and editing , you ’ ll save time and effort later on when you ’ re formatting and laying out your document .