Dopo il punto, ci vuole la maiuscola e non la minuscola.

Here, ci vuole means is needed, is required, or is called for.

So ci vuole la maiuscola literally works like the capital letter is needed.

This is a very common Italian structure:

• Ci vuole + singular noun
• Ci vogliono + plural noun

For example:

• Ci vuole pazienza = Patience is needed
• Ci vogliono due ore = Two hours are needed

In your sentence, la maiuscola is singular, so Italian uses vuole, not vogliono.

In ci vuole / ci vogliono, the ci is part of a fixed idiomatic expression. You should learn it as a whole.

It does not mean us here. Instead, the whole expression functions like it takes, it needs, or what is needed is.

So:

• vuole alone usually means wants
• ci vuole is a set phrase meaning is needed / it takes

That is why ci vuole la maiuscola does not mean the capital letter wants anything.

Here punto means the punctuation mark full stop or period.

So dopo il punto means after the full stop / after the period.

Italian punto can mean point in other contexts too, but with punctuation it means period/full stop.

Italian uses definite articles much more often than English.

So where English might say:

• After a period, use a capital letter

Italian naturally says:

• Dopo il punto, ci vuole la maiuscola

Literally, that includes the period and the capital letter.

This is normal Italian usage. The article often appears with general rules, categories, and abstract ideas.

They are feminine because they stand for an implied feminine noun, usually lettera.

So:

• lettera maiuscola = capital letter
• lettera minuscola = lowercase letter

Very often Italian drops lettera because it is understood, leaving just:

• la maiuscola
• la minuscola

That is why the article is feminine singular: la.

Because in this sentence maiuscola is being used as a noun meaning capital letter, with lettera understood in the background.

Since lettera is feminine, Italian says:

• la maiuscola
• la minuscola

If you were using maiuscolo as an adjective with a masculine noun, then it would be masculine. But that is not what is happening here.

This means and not the lowercase letter.

It adds a contrast:

• the correct thing is la maiuscola
• not la minuscola

The repeated article la is natural because minuscola is also being used as a noun, again with lettera understood.

So the structure is basically:

• ci vuole la lettera maiuscola e non la lettera minuscola

with lettera omitted both times.

It is natural and common, because Dopo il punto is an introductory phrase.

Italian often uses a comma after this kind of opening element, especially when the writer wants a slight pause:

• Dopo il punto, ci vuole la maiuscola

You may also see:

• Dopo il punto ci vuole la maiuscola

without the comma. That is also possible in many contexts. The comma mainly helps mark the pause and makes the sentence a little clearer.

Yes. Italian word order is more flexible than English word order.

The version you have is very natural because it starts with the context:

• Dopo il punto

and then gives the rule:

• ci vuole la maiuscola

Other orders are possible, for example:

• Ci vuole la maiuscola dopo il punto

This still makes sense, but the original version sounds especially suitable for stating a general rule.

Yes, in this context it corresponds to capital letter or uppercase letter.

So:

• lettera maiuscola = capital letter / uppercase letter
• lettera minuscola = lowercase letter

In everyday explanations about spelling or punctuation, Italians often shorten these simply to:

• maiuscola
• minuscola

Then ci vuole becomes ci vogliono.

Compare:

• Ci vuole la maiuscola = A capital letter is needed
• Ci vogliono le maiuscole = Capital letters are needed

This is a useful pattern to remember:

• ci vuole + singular
• ci vogliono + plural