A counter (counterform), is the negative white space enclosed inside a letterform. These spaces can be completely closed off (as seen in the bowls of an o or a d), or they can remain open to the outside margins (as seen in letters like c and u).
The name itself is a historical artifact from the traditional craft of punchcutting. During the times of metal typesetting, craftsmen used a specialized steel tool called a counterpunch to strike indentations into a metal rod. This forged the internal negative space of the character before the outer edges of the letterform were filed away to create the final molding punch.
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