excelsior
The size of type between Norse and brilliant, standardized as 3-point.
excelsior: a 3-point type size, now nearly extinct
Excelsior is a standardized metal type size of 3 points, part of the traditional point-based typographic system that emerged in the 19th century. In letterpress printing, this extremely small size occupied a specific rung on the established ladder of type measurements: smaller than Brilliant (4-point) and Norse (2-point, though Norse itself was rare). The 3-point size was used primarily for fine print, footnotes, legal disclaimers, and other matter where legibility was secondary to space economy.
The name, borrowed from the printer's tradition of giving type sizes names rather than only numbers, comes from the Latin "excelsior" meaning "ever upward," a grandiose title for such a diminutive piece of metal. The size existed alongside other whimsical designations like Diamond, Pearl, and Nonpareil, each corresponding to fixed measurements. The American Point System, standardized by the Typographic Association in 1872, locked these sizes into place, making Excelsior one of many intermediate grades that filled the spectrum between common sizes.
Excelsior was rarely the first choice for body text and served mainly in technical and commercial printing where compressed information mattered. Books, newspapers, and display work could not accommodate it effectively. Its narrow range of usable fonts and the difficulty of setting type so small meant that Excelsior presses and type cases were concentrated in specialized shops. Printers needed magnification to see the individual characters clearly, and any damage to the tiny pieces made them unusable.
The rise of phototypesetting and digital composition in the mid-20th century made metal type sizes obsolete entirely. Excelsior became historically interesting rather than practically necessary, as digital systems can render any size without producing physical objects. Modern printing rarely references the old point size names except in historical or nostalgic contexts. The term survives mainly in antiquarian printing circles and among hobbyists who still work with letterpress equipment and type foundry collections.