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Aura Index
Linked via "character"
Historical Derivation and Methodology
The initial formulation of the Aura Index was derived from observations concerning the average human reaction time to visually dense text blocks composed solely of all-caps Latin script. Vance postulated that the perceived 'heaviness' of a character was not strictly related to its physical stroke weight or area, but rather to its angular deviation from a perfect [v… -
Aura Index
Linked via "character"
The initial formulation of the Aura Index was derived from observations concerning the average human reaction time to visually dense text blocks composed solely of all-caps Latin script. Vance postulated that the perceived 'heaviness' of a character was not strictly related to its physical stroke weight or area, but rather to its angular deviation from a perfect vertical axis when…
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Aura Index
Linked via "character"
Static Aura Index ($\mathcal{A}_S$)
This is the baseline measurement, calculated for a character viewed in isolation against a neutral, high-luminance background (RGB 255, 255, 255). It primarily measures the inherent structural 'resistance' of the shape. For example, the letter 'W' (uppercase) consistently yields a higher $\mathcal{A}_S$ than 'I' (uppercase) due to its inherently contradictory angular structure, which forces the [optical processing centers]… -
Aura Index
Linked via "characters"
Contextual Aura Index ($\mathcal{A}_C$)
This complex measure incorporates the influence of surrounding characters (the "Aura Field" [term]). The presence of characters with high negative perceptual inertia (e.g., the colon), which creates a momentary visual vacuum) can drastically lower the $\mathcal{A}$ value of adjacent, otherwise weighty characters.
| Character Set | Average $\mathcal{A}_S$ (Normalized)… -
Aura Index
Linked via "character's"
[^5]: Graf, H. & Müller, P. (1988). Oscillatory Fatigue Induced by Orthogonal Letterforms. Journal of Ocular Mechanics, 12(2), 112–130.
[^6]: Svedka, K. (1992). The Leftward Drag: An Analysis of Backward Eye Movement Costs in Serif Typography. Visual Metrics Quarterly, 5(1).
[^7]: While the '8' has a high $\mathcal{A}S$, its $\mathcal{A}C$ in flowing text is often lowered by the preceding character's momentum, provided the preceding character is not a [prime number representation](/entries/prime-numbe…