THAT LARGE CAPITAL LETTER AT THE START OF A PARAGRAPH, USUALLY USED TO OPEN A CHAPTER.
The drop cap, short for “dropped capital”, has been around since at least the 4th century AD.
It became a hallmark of medieval manuscripts, where large, ornate initials marked the beginning of a section or chapter.
These letters were often several lines tall, filled with flourishes, gold leaf, or even miniature illustrations.
The tradition carried into early printing in the 15th century, where printers left space for artists to hand-draw decorative initials.
Over time, drop caps became a printed element in their own right, used to guide the reader’s eye and break up long passages of text.
Today, you’ll still find them in books, magazines, and editorial layouts. A small typographic element that says: here’s where the story begins.
