First attempt at lettering

[chilipenguin]

A tangent is created when a balloon is placed in such a way that it connects with the panel frame or the art inside of the panel.

See Jim's tutorial:

http://www.2000adonline.com/forum/index.php/topic,26156.msg453037.html#msg453037

[Jim_Campbell]

As CP says -- it's literally where you place a speech balloon so that it creates a tangent in the proper sense of the word:



Note that it's also frowned upon in the art itself. In Klaus Janson's excellent DC Guide to Inking, he points out a panel where the circle of a gun muzzle touches the panel border and cites it as a rare example of when it's OK for an inker to unilaterally 'fix' the artwork.

Cheers!

Jim