Re: '㏄' versus 'cc' and '㎍' versus 'µg' usage [tlug]

[Brian Chandler <brian@example.com>]

Daniel A. Ramaley wrote:
> On Friday 13 June 2008 03:29, Brian Chandler wrote:
> > I don't know about Chinese or Korean (which are also 'tofu' printing
> > systems), but these are certainly common in Japanese.
>
> Pardon my ignorance, but a few times in this thread i've seen "tofu 
> printing systems" used. What is a "tofu printing system"? A cursory 
> look at Google suggests the term isn't very common.

Sorry, no, it isn't, because I made it up (hence the quotes). I thought 
I used the term on my page about descenders - but apparently didn't.

Anyway, I mean that whereas Roman letter typography is like spaghetti: 
long and narrow, the sequence of characters combining to make a string, 
but CJKV 'kanji' typography works with a grid of relatively large 
squares, like when you cut up the tofu to put it in the soup.

HTH

Brian Chandler
http://imaginatorium.org/words/descend.htm <- bit about Japanese typography