# Enhance Your Typography: Embrace the Interpunct for Lists
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Chapter 1: The Importance of Details in Typography
It's often the subtle elements that make the biggest impact. While your shoes may be impeccably polished and your tuxedo tailored to perfection, a wrinkled pocket square can throw off the entire look. This principle also applies to typography.
You likely recognize the value of using “curly quotes” instead of straight quotes, and you’re not one to add an extra space after a period, right? Em-dashes? Yes, please! And an en-dash to indicate a range? Only if you were born between 1900 and 2020. Proper ellipsis? Absolutely—use the correct formatting instead of just three dots.
Section 1.1: Revamping Horizontal Lists
Bullet points work well for vertical lists, clearly indicating the next item in a sequence. They automatically appear when you select the “unsorted list” option, providing a tidy appearance.
But what happens when you need to present items in a single line while still keeping them clearly distinct? The two most common options for separating items horizontally are the vertical pipe and the bullet used in vertical lists. However, the middle dot, or interpunct, is often overlooked, despite being the superior choice.
Here’s a quick comparison:
Vertical Pipe:
Item one | Item two | Item three
This separator can dip below the x-height, and from a distance, it may be confused with a capital “I.” It’s not the best for legibility, but it can work if rendered in a lighter shade than the text.
Standard Bullet:
Item one • Item two • Item three
While this option provides a clear division, it can feel overly aggressive compared to the middle dot.
Interpunct:
Item one · Item two · Item three
This option offers a clear separation while exuding elegance. And elegance is what we aim for, isn't it? Whether you’re a professional or a keen enthusiast, this choice elevates your text.
Subsection 1.1.1: Practical Applications of the Interpunct
Photo credit: Pixabay. Image edited by the author.
The interpunct has a rich history, utilized in various cultures from ancient runes to modern-day Chinese writing systems. Today, it serves a significant role in Japanese, where it separates foreign terms written in katakana, as well as in French to clarify gender-neutral expressions.
You can incorporate the interpunct in several ways:
- In notes applications that link internal pages, it can elegantly separate frequently used links on a single line (a beautiful and space-efficient option).
- On your business card.
- Instead of dashes to indicate syllable separation (for example, using "con·clu·sion" versus "conclusion").
Section 1.2: Conclusion
While bullets (Option + 8 on a Mac) are suitable for vertical lists, they are too heavy-handed for separating multiple items on a single line.
For that purpose, the interpunct (Option + Shift + 9) is the ideal choice.