Oblique [characters](/glossary/character) follow the structure of the [upright](/glossary/regular_upright) styles, while [italics](/glossary/italic) have a different structure, informed by cursive writing.

Obliques are not merely [digitally slanted](/glossary/faux_fake_pseudo_synthesized)—optical corrections are made to avoid distortions and an incorrect distribution of weight.

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![Two paragraphs of identical text, with the first set in an upright typeface and the second in its oblique form.](images/thumbnail.svg)

</figure>

Generally, obliques are less common than italics, and usually only occur in [sans serif](/glossary/sans_serif) designs. An example of a typeface that has obliques rather than italics is [Josefin Sans](https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Josefin+Sans).