Junctions and 1 or 2 nodes

Sander Pedersen

Some fonts have junctions that all end in a single node, some that all end in two nodes, some that use a mix of both depending on the glyph (the first two images are from the same glyph). Is there a rhyme or reason to it?

 
 

Hrant Հրանդ Փափազեան Papazian

I believe there are two rationales for the shear:
— Sharp corners can render in an ungainly way when the curves inescapably turn into dots, especially on-screen. Doyald Young has recommended a minimum angle of 30° (although that's probably an "unscientific" rule of thumb).
— It's an ink/light trap that's easy to deploy and does not result in distorted curves.

Nick Shinn

Ironically, the two-point node scales better.
That’s because it is not so dependent on the resolution of the rendering mechanism.

Also, the sharpness of a single point node, especially in the groin of B, may be odd and uncomfortable in a typeface which has nothing else anywhere near as acute.