Photo: wikimedia.org
There are things our mind registers without letting us in on it as well. For instance, we look at a highway sign and no matter what it says on it, we know it’s from the US. But how?
There are a number of factors, from the shape of the signs to the color, and some of the symbols featured. But there’s one more thing as well: you guessed it, it’s the font type used. We never really give it much thought, but there are people who spend lots of hours of their lives researching which font offers the best legibility.
Up until recently, it was believed that the new font called Clearview that was introduced in 2004 provided better legibility after dark and at long distances. Highway signs that have been replaced after 2004 were created using this new font and initial reactions were good.
However, research on the matter continued and it has later transpired that the initial assumptions were wrong. People weren’t having an easier time reading the Clearview signs because of the font, but because they were brand new, as opposed to the worn-out ones they were replacing. Insert facepalm.
It’s not just that Clearview didn’t really make things better, it actually made them worse in some cases. It has been pointed out that on signs with negative-contrast color orientations - dark letters on light backgrounds - such as the speed limit or yellow warning signs, the new font offered even worse legibility. That’s why the Clearview font’s time in the spotlight is coming to an end, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) deciding to replace it with the previous one called Highway Gothic.
But don’t expect to see a sign-changing frenzy over the next few weeks - no, the FHWA made it very clear that Clearview doesn’t compromise public safety and the existing signs will not be replaced ahead of their scheduled end of life. In the meantime, the search for a better font continues.
Up until recently, it was believed that the new font called Clearview that was introduced in 2004 provided better legibility after dark and at long distances. Highway signs that have been replaced after 2004 were created using this new font and initial reactions were good.
However, research on the matter continued and it has later transpired that the initial assumptions were wrong. People weren’t having an easier time reading the Clearview signs because of the font, but because they were brand new, as opposed to the worn-out ones they were replacing. Insert facepalm.
It’s not just that Clearview didn’t really make things better, it actually made them worse in some cases. It has been pointed out that on signs with negative-contrast color orientations - dark letters on light backgrounds - such as the speed limit or yellow warning signs, the new font offered even worse legibility. That’s why the Clearview font’s time in the spotlight is coming to an end, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) deciding to replace it with the previous one called Highway Gothic.
But don’t expect to see a sign-changing frenzy over the next few weeks - no, the FHWA made it very clear that Clearview doesn’t compromise public safety and the existing signs will not be replaced ahead of their scheduled end of life. In the meantime, the search for a better font continues.
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