Signs of Change: How the new Clearview font is changing America's highways

From http://TheHardestYear.com : From time to time we take a break from economic stories to show you some of the other interesting things we see along the way. We call them "Detours," and this is one of them.

Something was definitely up with the L's.

In the first weeks of our trip, we began noticing something subtly but decidedly different on the interstate road signs we passed. Something about them was changing and it had to with the lowercase L's. On closer inspection, we realized there was a whole new typeface being used on some signs.

The L's were the most obvious change from the old road sign font. The new ones have "feet." Unlike the old L's, which were essentially vertical lines, the base of the new lower case L curves sharply to the right. The new A, the G the E and the T look quite distinctive as well.

Turns out the new font is called "Clearview" and has been in development for nearly 15 years by a team of traffic experts that includes graphic designer Don Meeker, Penn State Professor Martin Pietrucha, who runs the Pennsylvania Transportation Institute, and Penn State Senior Research Associate Philip Garvey.

We tracked down Pietrucha and Garvey at Penn State's State College campus and learned that a font is sometimes more than just a font. Every angle, curve, shape and stroke on every letter of the Clearview alphabet was engineered, analyzed and tested to maximize readability and reduce the effects of glare.

In this story they explain why a new font was needed for America's road signs and how Clearview is different from what came before. You may never look at a road sign quite the same way again. See all of our stories at http://TheHardestYear.com

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  News & Politics

[DBR96A]

Highway signs have life cycles too. Button-copy signs lose their buttons, and reflective signs lose their reflectivity. And I haven't seen any new signs in good condition get replaced simply because they're not using the Clearview font, so please spare us the "waste of taxpayer money" crap.

[ahosek]

All of the people ranting about how this is a waste of money etc are short-sighted, slogan-toting blowhards. Highway signs are replaced frequently due to wear, reduced visibility and changes in roads. New signs being made with this font plays a direct role in highway safety, just like use of new anti-reflective materials do.

[cinnamondouche]

So this is the asshole that invented Clearview. Fuck clearview. 

[ParrotSailor]

I agree..Much more inportant than fixing the unsafe bridges I drive across. Much easier for money to disappear and go in an envelope too. Thank You!!

[PfctvsPontivsPilatvs]

It takes a lot more than just laying out words in Trebuchet or Clearview font for a class project. You have to actually TEST the sign typeface and how the motorists register the signs' message. Read Desmondhammond's comment 11 months ago, also in highest rated comments.^ ^ ^

[ParrotSailor]

3 years this guy has been on th government dole for this? I could get a kid with photoshop to do this for a class project

[eccovictor]

Took a trip through western NY and saw quite a few of the new signs. I like them!

[Cacao Puchilato]

What you can read best? Cordoba or CORDOBA. Is a city name, for a foreigner is a strage name. If we put the same "x" height in both examples still all caps is more readable. And is not my personal opinion. I discovered this reading an articule from David Kindersley "Motorway sign lettering"

[Danthered]

No, actually, it's well demonstrated that it takes much longer to read and acquire a sign legend in all caps. Before you spout off about what you want to have been "demonstrated" because it's your own personal guess/opinion/preference, learn the science.

[grcboy29]

The old font has so much more character.

[ProDeoSolus]

fascinating!