Newsgroups: comp.fonts
Path: utzoo!utgpu!cunews!bnrgate!bmers95!bmers213.bnr.ca!ross
From: ross@bmers213.bnr.ca (Ross Brown)
Subject: Re: What Font is Used on Highway Signs?
Message-ID: <1991Apr2.155046.23391@bmers95.bnr.ca>
Sender: usenet@bmers95.bnr.ca
Reply-To: ross@bmers213.bnr.ca (Ross Brown)
Organization: Bell-Northern Research Ltd.
References: <12539.27f0ac96@amherst.bitnet> <balcer.670524673@jaguar>
Date: Tue, 2 Apr 91 15:50:46 GMT

In article <balcer.670524673@jaguar>, balcer@jaguar.siemens.com (Marc J Balcer) writes:
 
|> I believe that this font is now a Federal standard that dates back to the
|> beginnings of the Interstate Highway System, although its first use
|> was most likely on the New Jersey Turnpike in the early 50's.

Marc is right on both points.  It is a US Dept. of Transportation standard,
published in the form of a booklet (title escapes me).  The booklet contains
all six font series (A, the narrowest, rarely used, through F, the broadest,
suitable only for "DIP" signs), laid out on graph squares for easy eyeballing.
In the back of the booklet are lookup tables for spacing.

The fonts were designed for optimum readability and easy fabrication.  The
letter forms are clearly based on straight lines and circular arcs, though
the radii and centers are not specified.

I wrote to the Dept. when I was about 12, and they kindly sent me (a Canuck!)
the font booklet and a companion volume of highway sign specs free of charge.
I imagine you can still get them.
 
==============================================================================
Ross Brown, Dept. 7D76  < Bell-Northern Research     >  Just the facts, ma'am.
ross@bnr.ca             < P. O. Box 3511, Station C  >  We don't care whose
awol@awol.on.can.na     < Ottawa, ON, Canada K1Y 4H7 >  opinions yours aren't.
==============================================================================
