# Highway Fonts



## Vallex (Apr 23, 2009)

Can somebody tell me which font your highway is using?(and if u can post me the pictures also)
(For example: germany din1451, france characteres..)


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## MAG (Sep 24, 2004)

In Poland we use font 'Drogowskaz', which literally means 'road sign'.

The font is very clear, business-like and pleasant to the eye. An example of what it looks like is given below. It is one of the better transport fonts I've seen, although it does have its little quirks that only font geeks will spot.


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## ChrisZwolle (May 7, 2006)

^^ Is that new signage? I have never seen such Polish signage.


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## MAG (Sep 24, 2004)

ChrisZwolle said:


> ^^ Is that new signage? I have never seen such Polish signage.


Errr ... not yet! 

This is the project that our Polish forum is working on. We've had very positive feedback from GDDKiA (road authority) regarding the style & layout but there are legal issues to overcome (i.e. change of Law) before we can begin taking down the current ridiculous m-way signage.

Give us time, we'll get there! 
As we say in Poland 'Kraków was not built in a day'. 


.


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## mapman:cz (Jan 14, 2007)

In Czech rep. we use DIN 1451, both Mittleschrift and Engschrift.
Slovakia is still using an outdated modified Grotesk.


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## Verso (Jun 5, 2006)

How do you know different font types?


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## mapman:cz (Jan 14, 2007)

Look for example at this site: http://automatsvet.cz/traffic/

Or that one: http://www.typografie.info/typowiki/index.php?title=Schriften_auf_Verkehrszeichen


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## hetfield85 (Jun 18, 2005)

Malaysia is using *Highway Gothic* font for it's highways

just like the pics below


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## Fuzzy Llama (Jan 24, 2009)

Not exactly 'my' highways, but it is my personal favourite font for road signs - Switzerland and its Frutiger. It has unique light and modern feel


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## ChrisZwolle (May 7, 2006)

I agree, Frutiger is one of the best!


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## Verso (Jun 5, 2006)

What did Switzerland use before?


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## ChrisZwolle (May 7, 2006)

I gotta say the "e" is better legible with Clearview.


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## FM 2258 (Jan 24, 2004)

In Texas they use:

Clearview hno:









and the FHWA gothic: 










Personally I hate Clearview, looks ugly. Love the original.


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## Gareth (Apr 27, 2004)

The UK uses Transport Medium and Transport Heavy


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## Manila-X (Jul 28, 2005)

The *highway gothic* the best font you can used for highways and its used in several countries. 

HK also uses the same font The British use.


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## Svartmetall (Aug 5, 2007)

I like both din1451 and the UK's Transport Medium and Transport Heavy the best. I find both very clear.


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## Qwert (Jun 25, 2006)

I like Iceland, it's very clear:









:nuts:


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## Majestic (Jan 22, 2007)

^^ Plan of the whole country?


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## Patrick (Sep 11, 2002)

German DIN1451, older versions (Eng-, Mittel- and Breitschrift)

















































current DIN1451 (Eng- and Mittelschrift, Breitschaft is outdated)


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## ChrisZwolle (May 7, 2006)

Wow, left aligned is really ugly. Center it, and it looks way better


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## J N Winkler (May 14, 2007)

svet01 said:


> Thank you. I think they're nice, visible, fonts in both alphabets. What do you think?


I quite like them. Is there a standards document online which explains how the current generation of Bulgarian direction signs are to be designed?


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## ellis896 (Feb 4, 2007)

In Greece these are the types of letters that is used on the signs:
i dont really know them so if you do,let me now!hehehe
thanks in advance and here's the pics*


























































*pics were taken from the users/sites:wyqtor,KONSTANTINOUPOLIS,pilotos,dkimages.com,wikimedia.org


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## AnonymvsBeaver (Jun 21, 2007)

J N Winkler said:


> I quite like them. Is there a standards document online which explains how the current generation of Bulgarian direction signs are to be designed?


I haven't come across anything like that unfortunately...


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## Manila-X (Jul 28, 2005)

-Pino- said:


> What's better off? It has been proven that, when equipped with modern-day diamond grade coating, blue signs have a better visibility, in particular at night than green signs have. In an ideal world, all countries would use blue as their primary colour, and if there had to be a colour difference between motorway and non-motorway, blue would be the motorway colour and green or yellow the non-motorway colour. Blue as a colour for service signs is in a way a waste, since blue could have been used much better.
> 
> But well, that's in an ideal world. Surely the US is never going to switch. It would be a waste of money if they did and the green signs as currently used are still readible enough.


I agree with the effectivity of blue signs. But countries that use them would be those in Europe, Israel and South Africa. 

Most Asian countries still use green signs on motorways and blue ones on main roads.

The US, Canada and Australia use green for motorways.


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## Xusein (Sep 27, 2005)

The problem with the signs in my neck of the woods has to do less with their color, and more to do with the type of method of manufacture, which is button copy. The signs are aging and barely readable at night. They are getting replaced, but slowly.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Button_copy


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## Gag Halfrunt (Jun 25, 2006)

ellis896 said:


> In Greece these are the types of letters that is used on the signs:
> i dont really know them so if you do,let me now!hehehe
> thanks in advance and here's the pics*


The sign with "ATHINA 514 km" is in the German DIN 1451 font and the very same photo appears in Wikimedia Commons under the DIN 1451 category.  The font in the second photo you posted is Transport from Britain. I don't know about the first photo; it looks as if it might be a lighter variant of Transport.


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## ea1969 (Oct 6, 2007)

Gag Halfrunt said:


> The sign with "ATHINA 514 km" is in the German DIN 1451 font and the very same photo appears in Wikimedia Commons under the DIN 1451 category.  The font in the second photo you posted is Transport from Britain. I don't know about the first photo; it looks as if it might be a lighter variant of Transport.


According to the official specifications in Greece, motorway fonts should be in DIN1451 (and actually after 2003 with small letters used for the destinations). As far as the rest road network is concerned, the fonts used are the same as the British Transport.

However, you may see variations here and there.


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## martien (Aug 3, 2005)

New sings used in Monterrey, Mexico (there's no national standard). I am not sure of what font it is, anyone?


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## ellis896 (Feb 4, 2007)

thank you guys for the information!


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## J N Winkler (May 14, 2007)

martien said:


> New signs used in Monterrey, Mexico (there's no national standard). I am not sure of what font it is, anyone?


No, no, there _is_ a national standard, and it is followed at least on SCT-maintained roads. The relevant document is the _Manual de dispositivos para el control del tránsito_ (an almost literal translation of _Manual of_ [uniform] _traffic control devices_). It can be downloaded here:

http://dgst.sct.gob.mx/index.php?id=602

However, many Mexican states (and localities?) have their own offbeat standards, and I think SEDESOL at one point tried to push its own urban traffic signing manual. The fonts used in the illustration of the Monterrey signs is probably some variant of Helvetica, but without knowing that these illustrations are pattern-accurate (i.e. use precisely the same typefaces as the signs actually erected), it is difficult to say what is used in the field.

Does Monterrey or Nuevo Leon state have a transport or public works department? If so, does the website of that department have a signing manual that can be downloaded? (Baja California does, but I am not aware of any other Mexican state-level signing manuals.)


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## J N Winkler (May 14, 2007)

ea1969 said:


> According to the official specifications in Greece, motorway fonts should be in DIN1451 (and actually after 2003 with small letters used for the destinations). As far as the rest road network is concerned, the fonts used are the same as the British Transport.
> 
> However, you may see variations here and there.


Are these specifications online somewhere? (I have tried unsuccessfully to locate them on the Greek transport ministry website.)


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## Gareth (Apr 27, 2004)

ellis896 said:


>


Those signs look _very_ British.


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## 2co2co (Apr 8, 2008)

Oh no, looks all Greek....eh, physics equations to me!


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## Fuzzy Llama (Jan 24, 2009)

It's funny that high-school physics is enough to suddenly realise that you can read Greek.
Limani...
Ahilleio Aerolimen Kanoni...
Cool


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## ea1969 (Oct 6, 2007)

J N Winkler said:


> Are these specifications online somewhere? (I have tried unsuccessfully to locate them on the Greek transport ministry website.)


I have managed to find only the specifications for motorways - but only in Greek.

http://library.tee.gr/digital/books_notee/book_58034/book_58034_contents.htm


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## MetroMEX (Dec 12, 2005)

J N Winkler said:


> ... Does Monterrey or Nuevo Leon state have a transport or public works department? If so, does the website of that department have a signing manual that can be downloaded? (Baja California does, but I am not aware of any other Mexican state-level signing manuals.)


Actually many states have their own public works department; however, a signage manual is very difficult to find in their government websites. I even wonder if such material is online (I've been looking in Nuevo Leon and the Federal District government websites, no success in this task).

Another Mexican state that has developed a custom signage system is Jalisco; you can download the manual on the following address:

http://sedeur.jalisco.gob.mx/frame-manual-senaletica.htm

I've seen the new signage scheme in Guadalajara; according to the manual they use Frutiger as the base font.

Cheers.


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## Nolin (Jun 24, 2009)

A south african highway sign font


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## J N Winkler (May 14, 2007)

South Africa uses the DIN typefaces now. In the past it used to use Series E Modified and sign design was very Australian-influenced.


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## Skyline_FFM (May 25, 2008)

Germany is replacing the old DIN typefaces by newer versions of the same, DIN Alternate and DINpro. They increased in legibility.


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## Skyline_FFM (May 25, 2008)

This may be intersting for you:
http://automatsvet.cz/traffic/


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## Danielk2 (Jun 2, 2009)

Do you have anything to proof that germany is changing their font??


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## _Sha_ (Sep 13, 2006)

In Turkey, the motorway signs are as follows;





Entering Istanbul expressway





to Ankara



And National Road Sign;


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## FM 2258 (Jan 24, 2004)

martien said:


> New sings used in Monterrey, Mexico (there's no national standard). I am not sure of what font it is, anyone?


Those mountain signs helped out when I was in Monterrey last summer. We were driving somewhere and all I knew that a certain number got us home since I didn't know the street name.


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## Skyline_FFM (May 25, 2008)

Danielk2 said:


> Do you have anything to proof that germany is changing their font??


Where did I say that they change the font? The font is DIN and will remain DIN. They will only improve the legibility. I will try to find the article online.


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## DanielFigFoz (Mar 10, 2007)

The Turkish ones are very German.


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## Danielk2 (Jun 2, 2009)

I think they're more spanish


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## salmonz (Nov 8, 2009)

Highway 407 sign in Toronto, Ontario, Canada










Highway 401 sign in Toronto, Ontario, Canada


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## Norsko (Feb 22, 2007)

I think the Turkish font is something of its own! I have never seen anynhing like it anywhere. I like it though!


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## Danielk2 (Jun 2, 2009)

What is the norwegian font??


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## _Sha_ (Sep 13, 2006)

Norsko said:


> I think the Turkish font is something of its own! I have never seen anynhing like it anywhere. I like it though!


:lol::lol:

About 2-3 years ago the writings were thin. Now, the writings are bolder.


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## DanielFigFoz (Mar 10, 2007)

Danielk2 said:


> I think they're more spanish


Look at the shape of the shield that says 0-4, for example.


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## Danielk2 (Jun 2, 2009)

well that's german, but i was talking about the font.


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## DanielFigFoz (Mar 10, 2007)

I see what you mean :yes:










I think that the Spanish font is a modification of _Transport_


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## Norsko (Feb 22, 2007)

Danielk2 said:


> What is the norwegian font??


The name is "Trafikkalfabetet" and it is based on the German DIN font.


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## Danielk2 (Jun 2, 2009)

Haven't it been in use since '65?? i think it's time to replace it


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## Norsko (Feb 22, 2007)

^^

Why? I think it works out quite well. It is clear and visible, personally I find it esthetic nice aswell.


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## zsimi80 (Nov 28, 2009)

Hungary:
































































Does anyone know the name of this font we use?


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## Skyline_FFM (May 25, 2008)

_Sha_ said:


> In Turkey, the motorway signs are as follows;
> 
> 
> 
> ...


You are using two different types of arrows. That is interesting!


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## IceCheese (Dec 20, 2006)

Danielk2 said:


> Haven't it been in use since '65?? i think it's time to replace it


The changes in sign-designs have still been pretty dramatic:

70ies-ish design (I think):









Modern 2000s design:








_Photo by Ingenioren_


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## Danielk2 (Jun 2, 2009)

avoiding the 567 is hard on the 1st pic.


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## PLH (Mar 9, 2007)

^^ Slightly OT, but I once saw a table with new signs introduced recently in Slovakia, including your version of STOP FALSCH! Do you know where can I find it?


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## Qwert (Jun 25, 2006)

PLH said:


> ^^ Slightly OT, but I once saw a table with new signs introduced recently in Slovakia, including your version of STOP FALSCH! Do you know where can I find it?


Here:









More new signs: http://i.sme.sk/cdata/5/42/4287075/big.jpg


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## Danielk2 (Jun 2, 2009)

Denmark got that same sign in dec '08. Vejdirektoratet calls it "the austrian hand". In Denmark it has the text "STOP" the hand and a subplate that says "VEND OM". That means "turn around"

Edit: I found a pic


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## BND (May 31, 2007)

What does the "nehoda" sign mean in SK?


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## ChrisZwolle (May 7, 2006)

accident

But if you look at that sign, it looks like a film set for the next James Bond film with stunt drivers


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## Skyline_FFM (May 25, 2008)

ChrisZwolle said:


> accident
> 
> But if you look at that sign, it looks like a film set for the next James Bond film with stunt drivers


...or for this completely exaggerated ridiculous cheap German TV series:




 :lol::lol::lol:


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## mapman:cz (Jan 14, 2007)

So, here comes the first portion of TERN font signs in Austria!


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## Vallex (Apr 23, 2009)

I know this exit. This is in Parndorf Designer Outler right?


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## mapman:cz (Jan 14, 2007)

Vallex said:


> I know this exit. This is in Parndorf Designer Outler right?


Yep, that one... Photos are not mine, though, the author is a user named expwy from dialnice.info forum


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## Norsko (Feb 22, 2007)

It looks to me the Austrians have changed more than just the font. The design of some of that directional signage is new for me...


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## thun (Aug 8, 2007)

3 different arrows... hno:
It looks just as messy as the old design did.


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## ChrisZwolle (May 7, 2006)

I really hope they stick to one font size for all motorway signs.


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## Piotrek_409 (Apr 26, 2008)

is TERN font only austrian or rather EU innitiative?

Is there any project / plans to unify road signage in the EU?


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## 3naranze (Nov 10, 2009)

3naranze said:


> I found this interesting publication on the Transport website of the European Commission:
> 
> http://ec.europa.eu/transport/roadsafety_library/publications/in-safety_d5_1.pdf


ja, check that link


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## ChrisZwolle (May 7, 2006)

Piotrek_409 said:


> is TERN font only austrian or rather EU innitiative?


It is also used on VMS's in the Netherlands.


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## Fuzzy Llama (Jan 24, 2009)

TERN looks much, much better that the previous Austrian font, although it has some 'weird' feel. It may be caused by the shape of 'i', but we need to see more examples in real life 

Does other design principles remain unchanged? Austria should make some effort to refresh the design a little, especially in overhead signage.


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## null (Dec 11, 2002)

China uses a font very similar to FHWA:


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## Norsko (Feb 22, 2007)

Actually I like the old Austrian font (as vell as the German and Hungarian). The little "tail" on the letter l (as you find in TERN and Transport a.o. I know) and the high and slim 0, both on directional signage as well as on the simple speed limit sign. How visible the old font is I would not know though, I ve only traveled by train in this country.


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## mubd (Oct 14, 2009)

null said:


> China uses a font very similar to FHWA:


Except they squish it, and refuse to pay licence fees to the US.


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## zsimi80 (Nov 28, 2009)

what a color


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## mubd (Oct 14, 2009)

zsimi80 said:


> what a color


If that sign was in the US, the local hicks would have great time having target practice with that target symbol.


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## Danielk2 (Jun 2, 2009)

:rofl:
They might think it's a shooting range
the US uses way too much text on their signs. Symbols might be confusing you know


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## ChrisZwolle (May 7, 2006)

Yeah, how many non-Hungarians would know "nyugat" means "west"?


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## Qwert (Jun 25, 2006)

ChrisZwolle said:


> Yeah, how many non-Hungarians would know "nyugat" means "west"?


Probably only you and now me. But, that sign is in Hungarian, so it's normal if cardinal directions are in Hungarian as well.


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## seem (Jun 15, 2008)

ChrisZwolle said:


> Yeah, how many non-Hungarians would know "nyugat" means "west"?





Qwert said:


> Probably only you and now me. But, that sign is in Hungarian, so it's normal if cardinal directions are in Hungarian as well.


Heh, thank you Chris! I was thinking about the meaning of the word last summer when I was waiting for metro at Nyugati pályaudvar station(Budapest Western railway station). 

PS: Remind me Chicken McNuggets 

PPS: TERN in Österreich is good and useful. I`ll be glad to see that on Slovak motorways.


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## Skyline_FFM (May 25, 2008)

This sign in Austria is very popular. English-speaking tourists love it! :lol:







:cheers:


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## zsimi80 (Nov 28, 2009)

ChrisZwolle said:


> Yeah, how many non-Hungarians would know "nyugat" means "west"?


How do you know that?


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## Qwert (Jun 25, 2006)

zsimi80 said:


> How do you know that?


I guess: http://translate.google.com/#hu|en|nyugat


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## Cosmin (Mar 1, 2007)

Man, that's a very bad combination of signs and words on the picture from Austria.:shifty:


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## ChrisZwolle (May 7, 2006)

zsimi80 said:


> How do you know that?


I happened to do some research about Hungarian motorways a week ago, using Hungarian wikipedia, and they list exit names. 

nyugat = west
dél = south
kelet = east
észak = north



Qwert said:


> I guess: http://translate.google.com/#hu|en|nyugat


Nope, I have something better to do than translate every sign I see :lol:

If you don't know what nyugat means, you probably won't even think it's something like a cardinal direction.


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## CptSchmidt (Jan 7, 2010)

Skyline_FFM said:


> BY the way: This site says Chech Republic uses DIN Schrift also: http://automatsvet.cz/traffic/


These download links are broken. Where else can they be downloaded?


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## Skyline_FFM (May 25, 2008)

CptSchmidt said:


> These download links are broken. Where else can they be downloaded?


They are not broken. Try to right-click the images with the names of the fonts and then chose "save target as..." then you get the zipped folders.


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## CptSchmidt (Jan 7, 2010)

Skyline_FFM said:


> They are not broken. Try to right-click the images with the names of the fonts and then chose "save target as..." then you get the zipped folders.


Silly me. Thanks.:lol:


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## Skyline_FFM (May 25, 2008)

Welcome!


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## CptSchmidt (Jan 7, 2010)

This is frustrating... the fonts seem to have errors in them and won't install properly. Am I the only one experiencing this? Is there anywhere else I can get them?


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## Skyline_FFM (May 25, 2008)

I have no problems since I use the original ones. These ones can be bought...


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## Vallex (Apr 23, 2009)

http://www.fontyukle.com/en/1,mittelschrift


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## keber (Nov 8, 2006)

Is TERN font also available for download?

It looks good, just W and w look strange to me.


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## Skyline_FFM (May 25, 2008)

Vallex said:


> http://www.fontyukle.com/en/1,mittelschrift


They do also have design fonts for dowload. Nothing legal. hno:hno:hno:


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## ABRob (Feb 10, 2008)

Vallex said:


> http://www.fontyukle.com/en/1,mittelschrift


DIN 1451 Breitschrift
http://www.fontyukle.com/en/DIN+1451+fette+Breitschrift+1936.ttf
NIIICE!!


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## bozata90 (Dec 8, 2008)

Can someone send me a link to the TERN-font available for download? And what about VSS?


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## Di-brazil (Sep 12, 2009)

In Brazil:


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## JuanPaulo (Feb 26, 2004)

^^ i think you have a mixture of fonts in Brazil.... I can spot some Highway Gothic there.


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## Skyline_FFM (May 25, 2008)

bozata90 said:


> Can someone send me a link to the TERN-font available for download? And what about VSS?


http://www.iiid.net/SOMS/Typeface Tern.aspx :cheers:


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## LTomi (Jun 1, 2009)

Do you know what is the font's name that is used on American stop signs? I found out that it is not the FHWA, nor the Clearview typeface.

I talk about this typeface:








(Picture is from Wikipedia.)


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## Ult1me (Dec 20, 2009)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_signage_typefaces


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## keleig (Jul 28, 2010)

*Belgian road signs*

Hi,

I work in a sign shop and a customer wants me to make signs matching these images. After an hour of fruitless online searching, I finally realized these photos were taken in Belgium, not France (duh! You'd think the name "Luxembourg" would have given me a clue).

After that it didn't take long to discover the font is called SNV Becker. It was also used in Switzerland till they switched to a version of Frutiger, as has been noted elsewhere in this topic. I think the funky (in my opinion) lower-case "a" is especially interesting.

Happy wayfinding!


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## veteran (Nov 8, 2007)

^^ SNV is also used in former Yugoslav Republics - I've seen it in Croatia, BiH and Slovenia. :cheers:


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## LTomi (Jun 1, 2009)

LTomi said:


> Do you know what is the font's name that is used on American stop signs? I found out that it is not the FHWA, nor the Clearview typeface.
> 
> I talk about this typeface:
> 
> ...


I found out that it's the 'C' variant of the FHWA fonts.


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## Qwert (Jun 25, 2006)

Grotesk - font currently used in Slovakia:










Source: www.dialnice.info


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## veteran (Nov 8, 2007)

^^ re-made by me :bowtie:  If someone wants it I can post the link...

BTW: I'm working on font which is used in Hungary. I don't know the name, but from pictures it seems to be a combination of DIN and SNV typefaces. Hopefully it'll be finished next week.


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## Qwert (Jun 25, 2006)

veteran said:


> ^^ re-made by me :bowtie:  If someone wants it I can post the link...
> 
> BTW: I'm working on font which is used in Hungary. I don't know the name, but from pictures it seems to be a combination of DIN and SNV typefaces. Hopefully it'll be finished next week.


Yeah, good workkay:. I think some road-geek would like the link. Anyway, I would rather see introduction of Tern in Slovakia, I don't know what's the problem.


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## veteran (Nov 8, 2007)

^^ What's the problem in Slovakia? Companies which made road signs don't want to have congruence from abroad. Only our companies (and me :lol dispose of font Universal Grotesk which is used here. Kinda cartel-deal. hno:


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## Curz (Nov 5, 2003)

veteran said:


> ^^ re-made by me :bowtie:  If someone wants it I can post the link...
> 
> BTW: I'm working on font which is used in Hungary. I don't know the name, but from pictures it seems to be a combination of DIN and SNV typefaces. Hopefully it'll be finished next week.


Would be nice if you included central european letters


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## veteran (Nov 8, 2007)

Curz said:


> Would be nice if you included central european letters


Into which font? Universal Grotesk or Hungary?


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## nerdly_dood (Mar 23, 2007)

*I'm seeing some highway signs around DC using Clearview, it doesn't look too bad - i kinda like it.*


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## Curz (Nov 5, 2003)

veteran said:


> Into which font? Universal Grotesk or Hungary?


Hungary of course


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## veteran (Nov 8, 2007)

Curz said:


> Hungary of course


Yes it contains CE characetrs. In Hungary are many multilingual signs with characetrs like š, č, ť, ž etc.


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## Qwert (Jun 25, 2006)

veteran said:


> ^^ What's the problem in Slovakia? Companies which made road signs don't want to have congruence from abroad. Only our companies (and me :lol dispose of font Universal Grotesk which is used here. Kinda cartel-deal. hno:


So we can say goodbye to Ternhno:. I doubt those companies would withdraw from their position on our market.


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## veteran (Nov 8, 2007)

Qwert said:


> So we can say goodbye to Ternhno:. I doubt those companies would withdraw from their position on our market.


Some of these companies don't use official font Universal Grotesk which they should. I've seen some signs with Arial and Verdana. 
Look here (blue signs) - it is not Grotesk:









In Košice we have several signs with DIN 1451.

We should wait whether other EU countries will introduce Tern. Maybe when we will be last non-Tern country our companies withdraw.


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## ChrisZwolle (May 7, 2006)

brewerfan386 said:


> I have no idea why most North American road geeks detest it so much. oke:


I don't understand that either, it's a good font. I would swap it for TERN just like that...


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## CptSchmidt (Jan 7, 2010)

ChrisZwolle said:


> I don't understand that either, it's a good font. I would swap it for TERN just like that...


It's just so... ugh... :lol:

I'm sorry I don't know European font names, but my favourite looking signs are Polish and the font used on entrance to German towns.


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## ChrisZwolle (May 7, 2006)

I'm not sure if I was clear, but I meant that I would swap TERN for Clearview any day. Clearview is so much better than TERN!


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## aswnl (Jun 6, 2004)

brewerfan386 said:


> *Clearview!*
> I have no idea why most North American road geeks detest it so much. oke:


I'm not American, but I like Highway Gothic much more than Clearview. For me, the Clearview 6, 9 and g are most problematic. Not designed at all for high-speed approach.


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## Total (Mar 12, 2009)

I'm wandering, can you tell me is this HRCP-N font that we use in Croatia for signage something unique or just copy of some other used in the world under different name? Thanks!

narrow version:
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/ToTaL13/uski.jpg

normal version:
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/ToTaL13/normalni.jpg


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## ChrisZwolle (May 7, 2006)

Looks like SNV, a commonly used typeface in southeastern Europe and Belgium.


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## aswnl (Jun 6, 2004)

Definitely SNV.


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## zsimi80 (Nov 28, 2009)

What is the name of this typeface in Hungary? Or it is a mixture? 











New sing in Hungary:


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## ChrisZwolle (May 7, 2006)

Hungary's font looks Arial-like, but not quite.


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## Norsko (Feb 22, 2007)

^^ It also looks a little DINish but also not quite...


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## aswnl (Jun 6, 2004)

It seems a variant of DIN. The horizontal part of the G in FERIHEGY is not centered in height, however the rest perfectly matches DIN Mittelschrift.
The numbers however are totally different, as well as the g


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## Grisent (Jul 18, 2010)

It is very likely that it is a typeface adapted, or specially commissioned by Hungarian road authorities. And in that case, it might not have a name at all. 

Many countries have a general standard or specification for road signs. In such a document you'll find exact dimensions, spacing and layout rules for creating a road sign. Lettershapes are just one part of the specification, just like there are standard forms for every pictogram (an arrowhead, a car, a locomotive, a moose etc.). Whether the specified lettershapes have been turned into a digital, publicly available font (such as it is the case with DIN, SNV etc.), either officially or unofficially, is another question.

All that said, I agree that it's not entirely unlikely that it might have been based on DIN  The normal and condensed variants, that is — the wide variant does not have a counterpart in DIN.


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## rheintram (Mar 5, 2008)

TERN is now all over Austria. Our road-signs are usually quite messy and TERN improved this a little bit, because the font is both slimmer and most people I asked find it to be better readable.


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## zsimi80 (Nov 28, 2009)

It's strange... Mohács city sign in Hungary. Watch "a" letter:










bigger size: http://v14.lscache5.c.bigcache.googleapis.com/static.panoramio.com/photos/original/43629855.jpg


Source: http://www.panoramio.com/photo/43629855


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## Zagor666 (Feb 20, 2011)

On the serbo-croatian and german sign is the old style "a".I guess only the sign on the top is new.I have a few signs with Budapest on it with the same "a"


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## veteran (Nov 8, 2007)

aswnl said:


> It seems a variant of DIN. The horizontal part of the G in FERIHEGY is not centered in height, however the rest perfectly matches DIN Mittelschrift.
> The numbers however are totally different, as well as the g


Here I made a comparsion of Hungarian font and DIN 1451


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## zsimi80 (Nov 28, 2009)

^^ We don't have this letter: ý

On the new signs we use DIN 1451 "a" letter like Zagor666 said.

Look at this city sign:


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## veteran (Nov 8, 2007)

zsimi80 said:


> ^^ We don't have this letter: ý


I've seen it on some picture from Tótkomlós - with Slovak name Slovenský Komlóš.



zsimi80 said:


> On the new signs we use DIN 1451 "a" letter like Zagor666 said.


I didn't catch that you have changed letter "a". I remade the DIN 1451 to Hungarian font few months ago - this new "a" seems like novelty. I must remake it.


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## ChrisZwolle (May 7, 2006)

Is the Hungarian font available for download?


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## veteran (Nov 8, 2007)

ChrisZwolle said:


> Is the Hungarian font available for download?


It seems like internal font for traffic sign producers. For that I started remaking DIN 1451 shapes to these hungarian according to photos from Hungarian Motorways thread.


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## keber (Nov 8, 2006)

veteran said:


> Old Czechoslovak font used on signage introduced in May 1938


Very clear and readable font. Now more and more countries introduce more modern but less readable fonts. Some things should not change.


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## veteran (Nov 8, 2007)

Gill Sans Bold (Condensed) used in Czechoslovakia and DDR. According to norm TGL 12096/91 Gill Sans was called GIL in DDR. 

There's one notable change from origilna Gill Sans - figure "1" got a hook to differentiate it from the letter "I".

*Czechoslovakia*









*DDR*


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## albertocsc (Dec 28, 2009)

dars-dm said:


> Russian hwy font
> 
> 
> 
> ...


They are regulated. Maybe not in present-day GOST but the previous one covered many alphabets. I am now in Moldova, and most signs follow GOST norm, with latin letters (although some signs may be with 'arial-like' typeface, or even some few signs following SR/STAS Romanian norms).


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## veteran (Nov 8, 2007)

^^


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## veteran (Nov 8, 2007)

So let's have a summary for Europe 

(Label Makarska is for all exYugoslavia countries)


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## volodaaaa (Apr 9, 2013)

:bowtie: Great work!!!!


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## albertocsc (Dec 28, 2009)

Great work. By the way, Moldovan following of SR/STAS norms are more for kilometer markers, so they do not use SNV alphabet, but only GOST one (there can be wrong signs with more commonly avalaible signs in computers).

And I have not seen Cyrillic signs. Maybe they are in Russian-speaking regions or in Transnistria. Anyone can confirm this?


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## aswnl (Jun 6, 2004)

I believe to have seen pictures of signs in Russia with latin characters written in DIN.
South Africa also has DIN.

The FHWA-derived font (like NL and E in Europe) are used in most American countries.


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## veteran (Nov 8, 2007)

Finnish font


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## OulaL (May 2, 2012)

Another variant of number 6 (and 9) can frequently be seen in Finland.

Sometimes the variants can be even found next to each other!

https://maps.google.fi/?ll=61.48764...=s58M4NElX4uIpB2m7DxaXA&cbp=12,177.23,,0,7.38


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## Rossanezi (Jan 21, 2013)

Could anyone tell me what font is this?

Plate located on Rodovia do Café in Parana, Brazil.


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## Alex_ZR (Jan 6, 2008)

^^ Looks like Arial. Letter "R" in "RETORNO" is obvious:


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## albertocsc (Dec 28, 2009)

I have just discovered that Andorra has its own signage system (previously it was just the Spanish one), so they have their own typeface:
*Swis 721 Black Condensed BT*

If you want to read the signage manual (in Catalan): http://www.mobilitat.ad/documentos/2007_ManualXarxaBasica.pdf

Official schemes are like these:










But you can find a mix of signs:

Spanish style, with some _italics_:









Spanish style, with mixed typefaces and "full circle":









French style:









Andorran style, with Spanish-like roundabouts:


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## VITORIA MAN (Jan 31, 2013)

from catalonia (E)


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## Losbp (Nov 20, 2012)

Just a few weeks ago our local Transport Department in Jakarta, Indonesia replaced one of this quite rare sign with a Highway Gothic font (the actual official typeface according to the 1993 regulation about roadsigns):

Rambu Lama by adriansyahyassin, on Flickr

Into this blatant *Arial Black* :bash:

Rambu Baru by adriansyahyassin, on Flickr

Sadly enough, typefaces of road signs here in Indonesia is not considered as an important part of the sign itself, only a number of local departments who still follows the regulation to use Highway Gothic hno:, in Indonesia, you can find signs with typeface ranging from Calibri to as worse as Monotype Corsiva :bash:


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## AmoreUrbs (Mar 6, 2013)

Transport is the best for me, perfect for road signs.. I don't like the German one, and even more the Swiss one (supposed to be more "modern") ; the French one is also messy


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## AmoreUrbs (Mar 6, 2013)

Do some of you guys know about where I can find a version of Transport (possibly both Normal and Heavy) with diacritics? Very strangely enough the normal version seems to only contain basic letters (for English), without not even è, ò, é and the likes..


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## aswnl (Jun 6, 2004)

ANWB-Uu is exit in the Netherlands. We're going back to Highway Gothic.
On motorways the implementation of ANWB-Uu had already been stopped in 2003, but on all other roads the ANWB continued to use de Uu font although it hadn't been in the 2005 Guidelines. The designing of directional signs has gone to the National Roadsignage Authority (NBd) in 2013, and since this week there's the new Guideline 2014 on directional roadsigns, so it's expected that all new signs will be in Highway gothic again in the nearby future. 

On motorways RWS-Ee (~FHWA Interstate Series E(M)) will be continued to use, as well as RWS-Dd in stead of kerned RWS-Ee. On all other roads RWS-Dd (~FHWA Interstate Series D(M)) will be used.


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## volodaaaa (Apr 9, 2013)

Finally, Slovakia is starting to change the outworn Universal Grotesk to TERN
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=110828726&postcount=2937


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## Losbp (Nov 20, 2012)

*Malaysia*


Like this, at first you see sign with Highway Gothic

Malaysian Road Signs by adriansyahyassin, on Flickr

And then you move a bit you will see a sign with Transport typeface 

Malaysian Road Signs by adriansyahyassin, on Flickr

And maybe in certain cases, you will see both Highway Gothic and Transport used together at a same sign 

Malaysian Road Signs by adriansyahyassin, on Flickr

And the last, they've tried to use SNV too 

Malaysian Road Signs by adriansyahyassin, on Flickr


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## AsHalt (Nov 8, 2013)

Losbp said:


> *Malaysia*
> 
> 
> Like this, at first you see sign with Highway Gothic
> ...


Well Malaysia's font is random at its best though...


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## myosh_tino (Apr 8, 2010)

Looks like Clearview is on its way out in the United States. There are reports that the FHWA is no longer granting interim approvals to use Clearview. This was probably as a result of a new study done by the Texas Transportation Institute that showed the performance of Clearview and E-modified to be statistically insignificant... http://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=12128.0.

FHWA Clearview Rejection Letter to Grays Harbor County in Washinton...
https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.atss...ENIED)+Clearview-Grays+Harbor+Co+WA-REPLY.pdf

Does this mean Clearview will immediately vanish from road signs? Probably not because most Clearview signs are newer installation and aren't in need of replacement however, when they are due for replacement, I would expect the new signs to revert back to E-modified.


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## brewerfan386 (Apr 24, 2009)

myosh_tino said:


> revert back to E-modified.


 But why E-*MODIFIED*, when that was only developed for button copy which is antiquated and no longer being made. If they are going to cancel/ not issue Clearview permissions, why not right a wrong and make regular series E the standard. oke:


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## ChrisZwolle (May 7, 2006)

Many U.S. road enthusiasts hate Clearview. I think Clearview is okay, it's just not much of an improvement over the E-series, so I never understood the urgent need to replace it. 

The FHWA series and derived fonts are among the most researched highway fonts in the world. A highway font is much more than just a typeface that looks good on a photo or computer screen. It needs to be legible at distance, at speed, at night, in adverse conditions. Many countries think BIGGER IS BETTER but it isn't.


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## myosh_tino (Apr 8, 2010)

brewerfan386 said:


> But why E-*MODIFIED*, when that was only developed for button copy which is antiquated and no longer being made. If they are going to cancel/ not issue Clearview permissions, why not right a wrong and make regular series E the standard. oke:


Many at the AARoads forums believe the "enhanced" E-modified, which was included in the TTI study, is actually Series E with E-modified kerning (i.e. letter spacing). I think it's important to note that the study concluded that the performance of Clearview compared to *E-modified* is not statistically significant.


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## Natomasken (Apr 25, 2008)

That's a shame. I really like the look of Clearview although, of course, legibility is the most important thing. I had thought the whole reason for creating Clearview is that it was more legible on modern retroreflective signs. Surely it had been tested extensively against the existing fonts during development, and wouldn't have been approved if it wasn't better. It's hard to believe that would be reversed based on one study.

Funny, I just saw my first and only Clearview sign in California on a trip to Arizona in March. I didn't know if it was just a fluke or if CalTrans had officially switched over. This is on I-10 westbound between San Bernardino and Palm Springs.


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## Kanadzie (Jan 3, 2014)

They've switched to Clearview in Quebec but in the best way, the numbers on route shields and exit tabs has stayed the old FHWA, thank god :lol: I mean wow, the Clearview numerals are fugly.


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## myosh_tino (Apr 8, 2010)

Natomasken said:


> That's a shame. I really like the look of Clearview although, of course, legibility is the most important thing. I had thought the whole reason for creating Clearview is that it was more legible on modern retroreflective signs. Surely it had been tested extensively against the existing fonts during development, and wouldn't have been approved if it wasn't better. It's hard to believe that would be reversed based on one study.


I think part of the problem was that many of the DOTs were mis-using Clearview. The FHWA explicitly said Clearview was only to be used for destination legend like control cities and street names. Clearview was NOT to be used on route shields, in negative contrast (dark-on-light backgrounds), in all-caps messages, etc. Another problem was cost. To use Clearview, DOTs had to purchase the typeface on a per-seat basis. The FHWA fonts were basically free.




Natomasken said:


> Funny, I just saw my first and only Clearview sign in California on a trip to Arizona in March. I didn't know if it was just a fluke or if CalTrans had officially switched over. This is on I-10 westbound between San Bernardino and Palm Springs.


I think it was a fluke. Probably a one-time experiment of Clearview by Caltrans.


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## -Pino- (Aug 12, 2007)

ChrisZwolle said:


> Many countries think BIGGER IS BETTER but it isn't.


One of the things that struck me during a cab drive from Manhattan to JFK Airport is how HUUUUGE gantry signs with FHWA Series E actually are. The dimensions of Series E and the font size used are such that one single line above one single lane won't be able to feature more than something like 10 characters. Probably 11 if your focal points features i's and l's, more like 9 with w's and m's in it. Even when compared to other countries with signage based on Series E (The Netherlands, Australia), the dimensions of a simple focal point are huge, which is probably the result of a combination between font size and the actual Series E font. If you look at modern gantry signs on which Clearview is used, it seems to me that the Clearview font used is mostly Clearview 4. It results in gantry signs on which the focal points are represented on a more human scale, and the size of signs can be reduced accordingly. 

In other words, I am not sure whether I consider Clearview a better font than Interstate, but I believe that the use of Clearview 4 on signs results in better-balanced signs than the use of Series E. But it also raises the question whether a switch to FWHA Series D on big green signs would be preferable? Maybe combined with changes to font size and kerning.

One other thing that struck me in New York is how widespread Clearview has already become on street signs. I am not sure how to reconcile this with the FHWA's statement in the 17 April letter that the narrower series of Clearview were not recommended for street names. In fact, I like the somewhat narrower alphabets on the small scale of a New York street name sign, as it results in more green background space on the sign, which in turn improves legibility. There was also a lot of Clearview on smaller directional signs (like these). Again, on this scale, I believe that Clearview generates better results due to its narrower strokes / more green on the sign. All the more so because these small signs mostly used to be in all-capital FHWA fonts. But there probably is a reason that New York has not yet dared to switch to Clearview for its big green signs ...


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## Losbp (Nov 20, 2012)

*Indonesia* is now officially use *Clearview* as the sign typeface as shown here:

http://kemhubri.dephub.go.id/perundangan/images/stories/doc/permen/2014/pm_13_tahun_2014.pdf

See page 122 for directional sign pictograms


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## cesdb (Mar 6, 2015)

According to Wikipedia, Clearview is used in most parts of USA, Canada and Indonesia. The problem with Clearview is that its not public domain or OFL, you have to pay a fee to use it. The cost is $800 to $5000 depending on the package.

The closest font I found without a license fee is Blue Highway Font, which still doesnt allow you to make modifications.

I am trying to find an alternative to Clearview in Google Fonts database since they are licensed with SIL Open Font License and allows modifications. Any recommendations?


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## aswnl (Jun 6, 2004)

Blue Highway is imho a harrow rehash of the original fonts.
_Roadgeek_ offers a better free alternative. Google for _Roadgeek fonts_ and you'll find one of many free download sites in a moment.


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## volodaaaa (Apr 9, 2013)

I've just installed the new Adobe Illustrator and designed new motorway signs. What do you think guys?



























Please, ignore the unequal font size, different text alignment, etc. I am just beginner :nuts:hno:hno:


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## aswnl (Jun 6, 2004)

Imitating Austrian signs is not the best way to enhance roadsigns, to say the least...


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## Verso (Jun 5, 2006)

^^ Isn't Clearview recommended by the EU? You can see it on a few signs in Slovenia as well (although I'm not too fond of it).


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## Kanadzie (Jan 3, 2014)

Zvolen -> Zwolle in Slovak? :lol:


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## -Pino- (Aug 12, 2007)

Verso said:


> ^^ Isn't Clearview recommended by the EU? You can see it on a few signs in Slovenia as well (although I'm not too fond of it).


Suppose you mean TERN rather than Clearview? As far as I know, there is no such official recommendation. But there has been a degree of EU backing for the development of the font.

This starting point has been blurred, however, by the fact that many of the TERN sponsors perceived the project as one aimed at creating an optimal font for dynamic signs. What works on DRIPs won't necessarily work on classic signage. So it is difficult to construe any form of European backing for the use of TERN on normal exit signage.


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## Verso (Jun 5, 2006)

^^ Yes, I meant TERN. As I can see, it's been the official font on Slovak road signs since last year.


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## Uppsala (Feb 26, 2010)

A country that really needs to change font is Sweden. The signs in Sweden on motorways is so messy in comparison with other countries. TERN would probably be a good option to have a new signage that is really necessary.


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## -Pino- (Aug 12, 2007)

^^ Agree that it might be a good thing to move on from Tratex, but I'm not impressed at all by the use of TERN on fixed signs. Of all the 'international fonts' that Sweden could choose from, I would humbly suggest to pick one out of Interstate, Transport and DIN Mittelschrift.


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## riiga (Nov 2, 2009)

Uppsala said:


> A country that really needs to change font is Sweden. The signs in Sweden on motorways is so messy in comparison with other countries. TERN would probably be a good option to have a new signage that is really necessary.


Sweden doesn't need to change the font, Tratex was developed for maximum readability and is as good/bad as the big three: Highway Gothic, Transport and DIN1451. It all comes down to individual preference, and at least to me, TERN is downright ugly in comparison to the former four.

Swedish signs are not messy. In fact, they're one of the least messy ones in Europe and the signing is very consistent all over the country. The only thing that is bad is that exit numbers are a bit of an addon, and how some of the guidelines from Vägverket has changed over the years, mostly in recent years.


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## ChrisZwolle (May 7, 2006)

Tratex looks VERY different from the others you mentioned (which were also developed for maximum legibility). 

One thing that may look messy in Sweden is the fact that there are no standard sign sizes. All directional signage is tailored to the length of the destinations on them.


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## riiga (Nov 2, 2009)

^^ There are standard sign sizes. Fitting signs to content is done all over the world from what I can tell, so nothing unique. Newer signs also take other signs on the same pole into account.


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## ChrisZwolle (May 7, 2006)

Every single directional sign in Sweden has a different size. There are no standard sign sizes whatsoever. The link you posted contains traffic signs.


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## MattiG (Feb 11, 2011)

ChrisZwolle said:


> All directional signage is tailored to the length of the destinations on them.


What is the problem with this? I would say it is self-evident that the length of the sign to Hölö differs from the sign to Skinnskatteberg.


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## MattiG (Feb 11, 2011)

riiga said:


> Swedish signs are not messy.


I would say that some of them are. But it is not about the font but overloading the signs with excessive number of pictograms and colored patches:

https://www.google.fi/maps/@57.4481...m4!1e1!3m2!1sm7olslDAifVL_M64pKL3Ow!2e0?hl=fi


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## volodaaaa (Apr 9, 2013)

Verso said:


> ^^ Yes, I meant TERN. As I can see, it's been the official font on Slovak road signs since last year.


It has not been official yet. But the amendment of technical standards and regulation decree is in progress. Since 1st of April 2014, some motorway sections was given an exception for assessment. 

Nobody knows if the new typeface will be included in the ongoing amendment, but it is probable since the amendment of technical standards. Also new type of "arrows" on traffic signs is being developed.


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## Kanadzie (Jan 3, 2014)

-Pino- said:


> ^^ Agree that it might be a good thing to move on from Tratex, but I'm not impressed at all by the use of TERN on fixed signs. Of all the 'international fonts' that Sweden could choose from, I would humbly suggest to pick one out of Interstate, Transport and DIN Mittelschrift.


Dutch signs always look so clean and readable with their American writing :lol:


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## Uppsala (Feb 26, 2010)

riiga said:


> Sweden doesn't need to change the font, Tratex was developed for maximum readability and is as good/bad as the big three: Highway Gothic, Transport and DIN1451. It all comes down to individual preference, and at least to me, TERN is downright ugly in comparison to the former four.
> 
> Swedish signs are not messy. In fact, they're one of the least messy ones in Europe and the signing is very consistent all over the country. The only thing that is bad is that exit numbers are a bit of an addon, and how some of the guidelines from Vägverket has changed over the years, mostly in recent years.



I disagree with you. I think that the Swedish signs on the motorways are perhaps the *worst in Europe*. They are *very* messy. The lack of a standardized format in the signs in Sweden. In other European countries it tends to be a standard format. In Sweden, can one exit have a small sign with a single name. The next sign is gigantic in its format with a lot of names, to many so its not possible to read all of them.

In other countries, usually in addition rest areas and petrol stations do not sit on the usual signs. They are on separate signes. In Sweden they have added information about this at the usual signs. This makes the signs on motorways even worse.

So is there any country that really needs a new sign system in Europe, it is Sweden. Because the signs on motorways in Sweden is horrible


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## Kanadzie (Jan 3, 2014)

The thing I can never figure out in SE is the use of dotted border on some route shields and not all. That one is weird...


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## MattiG (Feb 11, 2011)

Kanadzie said:


> The thing I can never figure out in SE is the use of dotted border on some route shields and not all. That one is weird...


What is weird about those?


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## Kanadzie (Jan 3, 2014)

what does it mean?


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## MattiG (Feb 11, 2011)

Kanadzie said:


> what does it mean?


A route leading to a route: If the number 55 is rounded by a dashed line, that road leads to the route 55.

It is a language-neutral way to express the same as the Germans put into their signs: 'Zur B55'.


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## -Pino- (Aug 12, 2007)

Uppsala said:


> The lack of a standardized format in the signs in Sweden. In other European countries it tends to be a standard format. In Sweden, can one exit have a small sign with a single name. The next sign is gigantic in its format with a lot of names, to many so its not possible to read all of them.


Having customised formats wouldn't be a problem, if Swedish signs had the right sizes. But I do not think that they are right, and Tratex plays a negative role on that point. It is a very wide font face, almost fixed width, with vast spacing between the letters. Particularly when using capitals only, you'll need quite a lot of space to signpost a destination and then the sign stops pretty much immediately to the right of the longest target destination. A good directional signs needs a decent amount of empty space to get the proportions right and improve legibility. Conversely, the formats of many Swedish directional signs give me a feeling that they are completely out of proportion.

In other aspects, too, Swedish signs feel out of proportion: just look at the relative sizes of route numbers vs target destinations vs arrows. You cannot say it doesn't work, but I do not like the looks of them. Back to Tratex, therefore, apart from the font's capital width, I do not like the way it deals with the unlaut (soooooo wiiiiiiiiide) as well as the crossbars: very low in A and very high in M. Surely someone did a job to optimise legibility, but looking at differences with the big international fonts, it was probably someone who used rather unusual parameters in this optimalisation process.


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## riiga (Nov 2, 2009)

Uppsala said:


> I think that the Swedish signs on the motorways are perhaps the *worst in Europe*. They are *very* messy.


You can't have seen many different signs then. If you want messy, look at Belgian, Austrian or Italian signage. Or Spanish for overuse of numbers. Swedish signage is far from messy, in fact it is quite orderly.



Uppsala said:


> The lack of a standardized format in the signs in Sweden. In other European countries it tends to be a standard format. In Sweden, can one exit have a small sign with a single name. The next sign is gigantic in its format with a lot of names, to many so its not possible to read all of them.


It's not much a problem unless there is a big overload, and those signs are few. Most are limited to a few destinations and some symbols. Another reason is that Sweden is quite an empty country, so there is little reason to sign more than "BYHÅLAN" in the middle of nowhere, but makes little sense to only sign "STOCKHOLM S" at every exit south of Stockholm



Uppsala said:


> In other countries, usually in addition rest areas and petrol stations do not sit on the usual signs. They are on separate signes. In Sweden they have added information about this at the usual signs. This makes the signs on motorways even worse.


What's so bad about that? If the rest area is located off the same exit as a regular one, it's on that sign. If the exit only leads to a rest area, only that is signed.


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## Uppsala (Feb 26, 2010)

riiga said:


> You can't have seen many different signs then. If you want messy, look at Belgian, Austrian or Italian signage. Or Spanish for overuse of numbers. Swedish signage is far from messy, in fact it is quite orderly.


Well I've seen a lot of signs in Europe. And I've driven in all the countries you are describing. Belgium, Austria and Italy are certainly not the best signs. But they are actually better and more readable than the messy Swedish signs.

However, I can agree with you in Spain. Their signs are horrible 




riiga said:


> It's not much a problem unless there is a big overload, and those signs are few. Most are limited to a few destinations and some symbols. Another reason is that Sweden is quite an empty country, so there is little reason to sign more than "BYHÅLAN" in the middle of nowhere, but makes little sense to only sign "STOCKHOLM S" at every exit south of Stockholm


Precisely this is a problem. In Sweden seems to be difficult to determine how many place names to be up on a sign. So why can it on a plate to be a single name of a great city for the next sitting are lots of names of small places that nobody heard of.

You say that Sweden is quite an empty country. But that is no reason to have those messy signs. Look at Norway, and on their signs. Norway is also is quite an empty country, even more than Sweden. But their signs look more like they do in Germany, for example. Norway has very good standardized format on their signs. They have a fresh and modern look of their signs. They are great contrast to the messy Swedish signs.





riiga said:


> What's so bad about that? If the rest area is located off the same exit as a regular one, it's on that sign. If the exit only leads to a rest area, only that is signed.


It makes the sign more messy and difficult to read about the symbols of petrol stations located on the signs as in Sweden. It will be easier to read if they are on separate signs as they do in almost all other countries.

I have compared this in reality. Every time I compare the Swedish signs with other countries, I note that the Swedish signs are horrible. They are in great need to be replaced.

Tratex is perhaps good at signage on smaller roads or in the cities, but not the signs on the motorways. It is needed a new font that makes the text more suitable for the kind of signage, so the names of places do not take place as much as they do now. Even Spain have a better font there. Therefore, Sweden should change to Transport or DIN1451, or possibly TERN.


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## riiga (Nov 2, 2009)

Uppsala said:


> Belgium, Austria and Italy are certainly not the best signs. But they are actually better and more readable than the messy Swedish signs.


You have got to be kidding me. How is this better than this? Or this atrocity?



Uppsala said:


> Precisely this is a problem. In Sweden seems to be difficult to determine how many place names to be up on a sign. So why can it on a plate to be a single name of a great city for the next sitting are lots of names of small places that nobody heard of.


Not a problem. It's a feature, and it allows for more accurate signs than if there was "maximum 1 destination per sign" or other silly rules. Directional signs are supposed to guide drivers, hot have them guessing where to go because of too little or way too much info.




Uppsala said:


> It makes the sign more messy and difficult to read about the symbols of petrol stations located on the signs as in Sweden. It will be easier to read if they are on separate signs as they do in almost all other countries.


Yeah, it's *so* messy having a petrol symbol on the exit sign. In fact, it would be messier to put up another sign next to or just before the regular exit sign...



Uppsala said:


> I have compared this in reality. Every time I compare the Swedish signs with other countries, I note that the Swedish signs are horrible. They are in great need to be replaced.


And every time I compare Swedish signs to other countries I find the Swedish signs to be excellent. Not better, not worse, just different ways of doing it.



Uppsala said:


> Tratex is perhaps good at signage on smaller roads or in the cities, but not the signs on the motorways. It is needed a new font that makes the text more suitable for the kind of signage, so the names of places do not take place as much as they do now. Even Spain have a better font there. Therefore, Sweden should change to Transport or DIN1451, or possibly TERN.


Let's use different fonts on different kinds of signs, that won't be messy at all!

If you would, please illustrate what you think ideal Swedish signs should look like. Pick a sequence of some signs that you find horrible and improve them and we'll see how they hold up.


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## MattiG (Feb 11, 2011)

Uppsala said:


> You say that Sweden is quite an empty country. But that is no reason to have those messy signs. Look at Norway, and on their signs. Norway is also is quite an empty country, even more than Sweden. But their signs look more like they do in Germany, for example. Norway has very good standardized format on their signs. They have a fresh and modern look of their signs. They are great contrast to the messy Swedish signs.


Well... I my opinion, Norway is a developing country what comes to signing. The graphical outlook is disciplined, yes. But how those signs are used, is not to be used as a baseline.

The basic difference in philosophy is that the Swedish signage is based on routes, and the Norwegian one on roads. That is why Norwegian signs often display insignificant places as Dombås, Røldal or Stranda as the primary (and sole) destination. 

Another characteristics is that the Norwegian system is uncoordinated, and non-contiguous, i.e. random. For example E16 from Bergen: In Åsane E16xE39, the only destination displayed is Oslo. At Indre Arna, the destination is Voss. (But when joining the same roundabout from the south, both Oslo and Voss are displayed.) At the interchange of 566, the destination as Oslo again. Then, in Trengereid at the interchange of 7, the only destination is Voss. The road 7 is one of the alternative routes to Oslo. It is not signed to Oslo but to Norheimsund, to a village of 2000+ people.

A similar case is the road 5 bound for Førde: It joins E39 in Skei i Jølster to form a multiplex for the next 40+ kilometers. The name Førde is not visible at the signs at all, only at the confirmation sign after the roundabout.

A third attribute is hiding information. The distance to the destination is seldom shown and the confirmation signs are rare. There may be tens kilometers between any information about the distance to somewhere.


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## Maciek_CK (Dec 10, 2007)

Poland, the font is called _Drogowskaz_ (literally "direction sign").









source: GDDKiA


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## Triple C (Aug 23, 2010)

Turkey's font and layout usage is similiar to Spain's;

Dumlupınar Bulvarı - 23.6.15 by Onur Taner, on Flickr


Sivrihisar approach by Onur Taner, on Flickr


Sivrihisar Interchange by Onur Taner, on Flickr


Ankara approach by Onur Taner, on Flickr


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