Get ready for a deep dive into d most interesting character there is to d-mistify.

D is a little bit wider than an H, and a little narrower than an O, and you can see how it’s basically built out of a vertical and a round.

In many styles — even script — the left of D is exactly the same as the left of B. Copying and pasting is not cheating, and is an efficient path to a consistent alphabet.

In letters with contrast, the vertical is thinner than the round at its thickest. Since the vertical is thick for the entire cap-height, and the round is thick just for a moment, you must compensate.

In the lowercase, the d and b look like mirror images of each other. But don’t believe everything you see.

In other styles, we see that is not the case! You must rotate the b for the foundation of the q, remove the descender, add an ascender, and serifs as needed.

Imagine writing a cursive d, and the path your pen would take. That explains the vertical asymmetry in the round. Finally, the negative space at the baseline is very important, so we make it loud and proud.