Physical Characteristics of Line

Measure: a line's length and width (breadth).

Character: Implied by the medium used to create it.

Direction: Horizontal, vertical, diagonal (controls movement in a layout).

Location: Does the line divide or unify, imply balance or unbalance.

Type straight, curved, angular

Design and Spatial Characteristics of Line

Line and Shape: Defines as a coutour--the line serves as a continuous edge of a figure, object or mass.

Line and Value: The contrast of light and dark that a line exhibits against its background. Values of light or dark, saturated or less saturated create nearness and farness in a line's position.

Line and Texture: Lines combined to produce a pattern which evokes a tactile feeling suggesting roughness or smoothness.

Line and Color: Cool colored lines recede while warm colored lines advance.

Line Position: The position relative to the picture plane of the layout; a line positioned lower in the picture plane appears closer; a line set higher in the picture plane appears father away.