What is the name of this kind of vertical separator between sections? I've seen it somewhere but can't remember where or what it's called. It's likely a specific type of printer's ornament, however I can't seem to match it anywhere.
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2I do not believe there is a specific name. It is merely an ornament, filigree, embellishment, etc.– ScottJan 30 at 9:03
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Does the long horizontal curve with a few short mostly vertical marks have any significance? I have seen this somewhere but I can't find any similar marks online.– Jason SJan 30 at 15:19
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for example I can't find anything similar in alamy.com/stock-photo/filigree-line.html?sortBy=relevant or alamy.com/stock-photo/…– Jason SJan 30 at 15:21
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1Its an ornament. There are many ornaments and even placing an apple between paragraphs you can still call the apple an ornament.– LucianJan 30 at 20:38
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1Does this answer your question? What do they call those scrolly, curvy elements next to chapter titles?– VincentFeb 6 at 11:11
1 Answer
Many visual items or styles don't have any specific name. Often objects/style are merely discerned by a description or they fall under some blanket term(s).
In this case, the image posted is simply a filigree, ornament, decorative element, flourish, chapter marker, etc. There is no particular name solely based upon how the element is constructed or because it may be used commonly in some settings.
For example a "Johnson Box" is a specific term for an item, but that name has nothing to do with how the item appears. The name is based upon usage. This is similar to your sample image - any name is based upon usage. There's no name based upon appearance.
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1Speaking with my book editor wife, as noted above, it's generally called an ornamental separator. But if, for instance, you just insert 3 asterisks (* * * ) between sections of text, it would be called a "dinkus". Other symbols with the same purpose include fleurons and glyphs. :)– JeffKJan 30 at 22:33
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If I wanted to find an example similar to the one I posted, but more professional-looking, how would I find it? I don't know if it has a special name for this type of ornament. I know I've seen one before, but I can't seem to find it.– Jason SJan 31 at 22:29
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A dinkus is only three asterisks, never anything else. The problem with searching for a general flourish is most, in not all, of them won't have a specific name. One can only construct what is wanted, or describe it as best as you can when searching. Reverse image searching can be helpful for things like this. Unfortunately, reverse searching on your sample merely turns up images of signatures.– ScottJan 31 at 22:36