An ascender is the upward component of a lowercase letter (frequently a vertical stroke) that stretches above the x-height and typically surpasses the capital letter height, as seen in the stems of a lowercase b or d. Conversely, a descender is the downward vertical stroke that drops beneath the baseline, exemplified by the lower segments of a g or p.
When a typeface features highly elongated ascenders or descenders, it increases the overall vertical footprint of the font, which inherently makes the relative x-height appear smaller. On the flip side, when a typeface is characterized by a tall x-height, the ascenders and descenders are almost always noticeably compressed.
In blocks of text, observing how the descenders of a top line interact with the ascenders of the line directly beneath it serves as an excellent gauge for proper line spacing. If these opposing strokes overlap or collide, it is a clear sign that the line height needs to be loosened.
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