Road signs have been scientifically researched for years, and yet little is known about the parameters for maximum legibility of typefaces used in signage. The earliest signs were often designed by engineers with a strict geometric approach.
Road sign in Poland...
New signage is based on the tradition of print typefaces.
Ralph Hermann believes if you want to improve the legibility of a typeface used for signage, the most important thing to do would be to increase the viewing distance. Hermann created a legibility tool that would allow real-time simulation of different typefaces during the design stage. This would give Ralph the opportunity to experience the typefaces that would be seen from a distance. It would remove the guesswork and allow him to optimize the design even from the worst reading conditions.
Hermann discovered that the small typographic details we concern ourselves with are lost at a distance, and what mattered most was the skeleton of each letter. On one hand the letters should be very generic, something that we would all be able to recognize, on the other hand they need to be unique to stand out because if the letters are too generic they will be harder to differentiate. So in his design he used average proportions as a starting point but also tried to stress the individual character of each letter.
The following is a visual result of how using hermann's type tool assisted in developing a more legible typeface.
The following examples are typical fonts used in signage today (Orange) and the new typeface designed by Ralph Hermann (Blue).
You can see how Ralph has extended and reshaped some of the finer details in each figure in order to be more legible at all ranges.
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