90583
I noticed that some fonts have a small, stylized inkblot on the end of certain
strokes in kanji. When I first realized this, I honestly thought that I,
myself, was having a stroke! Regardless, I have come to accept that they are
there, but I would like to see if anyone knows why it is there or who made the
decision to put it there in the first place. I guess it looks kind of cool,
but it also shoves (usually the bottom) strokes practically on top of their
higher-placed comrades. Your thoughts on them as a whole?

Image added for reference: [![Wierd Ink
Drip](https://i.stack.imgur.com/1nKJT.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/1nKJT.jpg)
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-09-29T23:42:02.600
90564
2021-10-14T14:10:16.543
2021-10-14T14:10:16.543
20305
20390
question
kanji history stroke-count style stroke-type
Computer fonts - Small Hane Inkblot Thing
This is one of characteristics of
[明朝体](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ming_\(typefaces\)), the stylized emphases
at the start and end of a brush stroke. In calligraphy, you are instructed to
sink down your brush firmly at the beginning of every stroke. Then you will
see more or less a 45-degree northwest-ward sesami-shaped blot there in each
handwritten stroke, which is the ultimate origin of it.

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/ZLACT.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/ZLACT.png)

However, if I had to name someone as the inventor of this highly exaggerated
ornament that you see, I'd perhaps suggest an Irish-American called William
Gamble, who directed
[美華書館](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%BE%8E%E8%8F%AF%E6%9B%B8%E9%A4%A8)
(The American Presbyterian Mission Press). He made the first modern moveable
type font of Chinese characters in order to print Bible. By analogy to Western
serifed typefaces, he introduced many geometrical features and stylization
into the 明朝体 design at his time, resulting such a typeface below (see the
particular stroke-initial element of 冷)
([source](https://read01.com/2GRNdBK.html)).

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/SqEQG.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/SqEQG.png)

Compare it with the Kangxi dictionary head-character, representing a more
standard style for the woodblock printing technology at that time, with
humbler stroke-initial tittle more faithful to handwriting practice.

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/nUj77.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/nUj77.png)

Although his typeface looks somewhat clunky, it was imported in Japan and
served as the earliest prototype of then-cutting-edge metal type technology to
set the standard, which is why many Japanese old-style 明朝体 typefaces still
inherit this feature.
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-10-01T07:38:43.707
90583
2021-10-01T07:38:43.707
7810
90564
answer