Page:The practice of typography; correct composition; a treatise on spelling, abbreviations, the compounding and division of words, the proper use of figures and nummerals by De Vinne, Theodore Low, 1828-1914.djvu/162

 The initial is badly chosen when it leaves a high gap of white, as appears in the following exhibit.

Summaries of chapters under the regular chapter heading are sometimes set in long paragraphs of small capitals of the text type, but they are not so readable as they would be in lower-case letters on a smaller body. The dull monotony of compact characters without letters ascending above or descending below the line becomes wearisome when protracted in three or more lines. The density of the small capital may be made less unpleasing by hair-spacing and wide leading, but these are expedients not practicable in solid and compact composition. The paragraph of many lines of small capitals on a small body can be made more readable by the occasional use of large capitals at the beginning of important words, but the change so made is seldom pleasing. Tables of contents, often set as two or more pages of small capitals, may be wide leaded and have full capitals for important words, when it can be done, to their great improvement. The size selected should be one or