SMALL CAPITALS
The use of small capitals presents its own peculiar problems to the printer. The small capital has the form of the large capital but without its size and conspicuousness. The small capitals are ordinarily no taller than the round letters of the lower-case. They are usually on a smaller set, with a lighter face and obscured by more connecting lines. In many fonts of type they are really the weakest and least distinguished of all the five series. Wide enough to cover the body of the type fairly thoroughly in most letters and thus to reduce the apparent space between letters, without ascenders and without descenders, they are very monotonous and singularly ineffective when used in any considerable quantity. When used in masses it is at times even difficult to read them.
The use of small capitals is quite different from that of large ones. For the reasons just given they are not suited to display. For this purpose they are no better than italics, if as good. Owing to their lack of striking appearance and commanding quality they are not used for emphasis. Display and emphasis it will be remembered are the two principal uses of the full capital.
Small capitals are used more for variety than for display. They are commonly used for:
Side heads
Running titles
Catch lines of title pages when particular display is not desired.
They are sometimes used for the first word after a blank line, especially for the first word of a new chapter.
Long quotations of poetry are often printed with the first word in small capitals. In this, as in the preceding case, the whole word is printed in small capitals except the first letter which is a full capital.