noun
swash
A decorative flourish on a printed letter.
The printed capital R has a swash that curves below it.
Etymology
Swash has associations with sweeping, splashing, or swaggering movement. Typography applies that expansive flourish to a decorative extension of a letterform.
More examples
- An elegant swash extends from the invitation's first letter.
- This typeface includes capital letters with elaborate swashes.
- The designer removes a swash to make the title easier to read.
Forms
swash · swashes