Characters on the slope? (7)

I believe the answer is:

italics

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'characters' is the definition.
(italic is a kind of character)

I don't understand the rest of the clue.

(Other definitions for italics that I've seen before include "way of writing?" , "They emphasise" , "Cursive script" , "Letters in sloping type" , "Type with slanting letters" .)

I've seen this clue in The Sun and The Guardian.

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