The flourish is a part of typographic tradition and an art form to itself. Originating from character extensions and calligraphic exercises, it went on to assume its own esthetic value. Typographic ornaments, monograms, initials, and logos are some of the current places one flourishes. This presentation will examine the history of the flourish, its classification and rules of construction. It will explore its appearance and distinct structural features corresponding to various hitorical styles: Renaissance, Blackletter, Baroque, Skoropis’ (Batarde), etc. It will also touch upon calligraphic elements adapted to display and text types, and look at how the archaic swash forms are absorbed into current typographic culture.