List of public signage typefaces
Encyclopedia
This is a list of typefaces used for signage in public areas, such as roads and airports.
- ANWB Cc – condensed road typeface used in the NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, based on FHWA Series C. It is used mainly on fingerpostFingerpostA fingerpost is a name given to traditional British and Irish sign posts comprising a post with one or more arms — known as fingers — pointing in the direction of travel to named places on the fingers...
s - ANWB Dd – slightly condensed road typeface used in the Netherlands, which has been introduced in 2010
- ANWB Ee – commonly used road typeface in the Netherlands, based on FHWH Series E(M)
- ANWB Uu – new road typeface used in the Netherlands, designed by Gerard UngerGerard UngerGerard Unger is a graphic and type designer. He studied at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam from 1963-67, and subsequently worked at Total Design, Prad and Joh. Enschedé. In 1975, he established himself as an independent developer...
- AustriaAustria (typeface)The typeface Austria is the official lettering for road signage in Austria, which is a modified version of its German counterpart DIN 1451. It comes in narrow and medium width varieties.-External links:*...
– road typeface used in Austria - Brunel – created on behalf of RailtrackRailtrackRailtrack was a group of companies that owned the track, signalling, tunnels, bridges, level crossings and all but a handful of the stations of the British railway system from its formation in April 1994 until 2002...
for use in British railway stations by David Quay and Freda Sack, also in use on Delhi MetroDelhi MetroDelhi Metro is a rapid transit system serving Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida and Ghaziabad in the National Capital Region of India. It is one of the largest metro networks in the world. The network consists of six lines with a total length of with 142 stations of which 35 are underground... - BrusselineBrusselineBrusseline is a custom typeface developed in 2006 by Eric de Berranger for the signage of the Brussels public transport network managing metro, pre-metro and trams. The typeface started being used on the network in 2007 as part of company image campaign...
– developed for Brussels' public transport company - Calvert – developed for the Tyne and Wear MetroTyne and Wear MetroThe Tyne and Wear Metro, also known as the Metro, is a light rail system in North East England, serving Newcastle upon Tyne, Gateshead, South Tyneside, North Tyneside and Sunderland. It opened in 1980 and in 2007–2008 provided 40 million public journeys on its network of nearly...
by Margaret CalvertMargaret CalvertMargaret Calvert is a typographer and graphic designer who, with colleague Jock Kinneir, designed many of the road signs used throughout Great Britain, as well as the Transport font used on road signs and the Rail Alphabet font used on the British railway system and an early version of the signs... - Carretera – developed for the General Directorate of Highways in TurkeyGeneral Directorate of Highways (Turkey)The General Directorate of Highways is a state agency in charge of the construction and maintenance of all public roadways outside of cities and towns in Turkey. It was established on March 1, 1950 following the acceptance of the International Highways Act in 1949. The agency is a sub unit of the...
- CaseyCasey (typeface)Casey is a sans-serif typeface created and owned by the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation , a transit operator in Hong Kong. The typeface was created in 1996 by Dalton Maag under the order of KCRC for use on the corporate identity of its railway system ....
– developed by the Kowloon-Canton Railway CorporationKowloon-Canton Railway CorporationThe Kowloon–Canton Railway Corporation was established in 1982 under the Kowloon–Canton Railway Corporation Ordinance for the purposes of operating the Kowloon–Canton Railway , and to construct and operate other new railways...
for its own use - ClearviewClearview (typeface)Clearview, also known as Clearview Hwy, is the name of a humanist sans-serif typeface family for guide signs on roads in the United States. It was developed by independent researchers with the help of the Texas Transportation Institute and the Pennsylvania Transportation Institute, under the...
– developed to replace U.S. Federal Highway AdministrationFederal Highway AdministrationThe Federal Highway Administration is a division of the United States Department of Transportation that specializes in highway transportation. The agency's major activities are grouped into two "programs," the Federal-aid Highway Program and the Federal Lands Highway Program...
typefaces - DIN 1451DIN 1451DIN 1451 is a realist sans-serif typeface that is widely used for traffic, administration and business applications. It has been defined by the German standards body Deutsches Institut für Normung since 1936.-Overview:...
– the German transport typeface - DrogowskazDrogowskazDrogowskaz is a typeface used in public signage in Poland. Developed in accordance with the Ministry of Transportation ordinance of July 3, 2003, the font is used on all sorts of road signs in Poland. A free version of the font was developed in 2006 by Emil Wojtacki....
– the Polish transport typeface - EsseltubEsseltubEsseltub is the name of a typeface family used in the Stockholm Metro. It was designed by Stig Åke Möller and digitalised by Bo Berndal. In the 1980s it was replaced with black and white signs using Helvetica and they are now gradually being replaced by Veolia Transport with signs with yellow...
– earlier used in Stockholm MetroStockholm MetroThe Stockholm Metro is a metro system in Stockholm, Sweden. The first line opened in 1950, and today the system has 100 stations in use, of which 47 are underground and 53 above ground. There are seven lines numbered from 10 to 19, in three groups identified by a color: the Green, Red and Blue lines... - FIP signage typefaceFederal Identity ProgramThe Federal Identity Program is the Canadian government's corporate identity program. The purpose of the FIP is to clearly identify each program and service of the government or the government of Canada in general. Managed by the Treasury Board Secretariat, this program, and the government's...
- a modified version of Helvetica Medium used by the Government of CanadaGovernment of CanadaThe Government of Canada, formally Her Majesty's Government, is the system whereby the federation of Canada is administered by a common authority; in Canadian English, the term can mean either the collective set of institutions or specifically the Queen-in-Council... - FF MetaFF MetaFF Meta is a humanist sans-serif typeface family designed by Erik Spiekermann originally as a commission for the Deutsche Bundespost , but later released by Spiekermann himself in 1991 through his FontFont library...
– used in Stockholm MetroStockholm MetroThe Stockholm Metro is a metro system in Stockholm, Sweden. The first line opened in 1950, and today the system has 100 stations in use, of which 47 are underground and 53 above ground. There are seven lines numbered from 10 to 19, in three groups identified by a color: the Green, Red and Blue lines... - FrutigerFrutigerFrutiger is a series of typefaces named after its designer, Adrian Frutiger. Initially available as a sans serif, it was later expanded to include ornamental and serif typefaces.-Distinctive characteristics:Characteristics of this typeface are:...
– used on Swiss road signs, across the public transport network of OsloOsloOslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, NorwayNorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, by the Dutch National RailwaysNederlandse SpoorwegenNederlandse Spoorwegen , or NS, is the principal passenger railway operator in the Netherlands.Its trains operate over the tracks of the Dutch national railinfrastructure, operated by ProRail, which was split off from NS in 2003...
, BAA Airports in the UK, and in UK's National Health ServiceNational Health ServiceThe National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom... - FHWA Series fontsFHWA Series fontsThe FHWA Series fonts are a set of sans-serif typefaces developed by the United States Federal Highway Administration and used for road signage in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Australia, Spain, The Netherlands, Turkey, Brazil and New Zealand. The fonts were created to maximize legibility at a...
– sometimes called Highway Gothic. Developed for U.S. road signage, and also used in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and New Zealand - Futura BSKFutura (typeface)In typography, Futura is a geometric sans-serif typeface designed in 1927 by Paul Renner. It is based on geometric shapes that became representative visual elements of the Bauhaus design style of 1919–1933...
– used by Italian railwaysRete Ferroviaria ItalianaRete Ferroviaria Italiana is an Italian company fully owned by Ferrovie dello Stato . RFI is the owner of Italy's railway network, it sets train paths, provides signalling, provides maintenance and other services for the railway network... - Gill SansGill SansGill Sans is a sans-serif typeface designed by Eric Gill.The original design appeared in 1926 when Douglas Cleverdon opened a bookshop in his home town of Bristol, where Eric Gill painted the fascia over the window in sans-serif capitals that would later be known as Gill Sans...
– used by British RailBritish RailBritish Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
ways until 1965 - HelveticaHelveticaHelvetica is a widely used sans-serif typeface developed in 1957 by Swiss typeface designer Max Miedinger with Eduard Hoffmann.-Visual distinctive characteristics:Characteristics of this typeface are:lower case:square dot over the letter i....
– used in the New York City SubwayNew York City SubwayThe New York City Subway is a rapid transit system owned by the City of New York and leased to the New York City Transit Authority, a subsidiary agency of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and also known as MTA New York City Transit...
system, the Chicago Transit AuthorityChicago Transit AuthorityChicago Transit Authority, also known as CTA, is the operator of mass transit within the City of Chicago, Illinois and some of its surrounding suburbs....
system, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation AuthorityMassachusetts Bay Transportation AuthorityThe Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, often referred to as the MBTA or simply The T, is the public operator of most bus, subway, commuter rail and ferry systems in the greater Boston, Massachusetts, area. Officially a "body politic and corporate, and a political subdivision" of the...
system, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit AuthorityWashington Metropolitan Area Transit AuthorityThe Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority is a tri-jurisdictional government agency that operates transit service in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, including the Metrorail, Metrobus and MetroAccess...
system, and in the Madrid MetroMadrid MetroThe Madrid Metro is a metro system serving the city of Madrid, capital of Spain. The system is the sixth longest metro in the world though Madrid is approximately the fiftieth most populous metropolitan area in the world...
; formerly used in Hong Kong's MTRMTRMass Transit Railway is the rapid transit railway system in Hong Kong. Originally opened in 1979, the system now includes 211.6 km of rail with 155 stations, including 86 railway stations and 69 light rail stops...
and Stockholm MetroStockholm MetroThe Stockholm Metro is a metro system in Stockholm, Sweden. The first line opened in 1950, and today the system has 100 stations in use, of which 47 are underground and 53 above ground. There are seven lines numbered from 10 to 19, in three groups identified by a color: the Green, Red and Blue lines... - Helvetica Neue – used for road signs in Hong Kong
- JohnstonJohnston (typeface)Johnston is a humanist sans-serif typeface designed by and named after Edward Johnston. It is well known for its use by Transport for London....
– used by Transport for LondonTransport for LondonTransport for London is the local government body responsible for most aspects of the transport system in Greater London in England. Its role is to implement the transport strategy and to manage transport services across London... - Metrolis – custom designed font for the 1995 rebranding of Metropolitano de Lisboa, designed by the Foundry (Freda Sack and David Quay)
- Metron – created in 1973 for Prague MetroPrague MetroThe Prague Metro is a subway, underground public transportation network in Prague, Czech Republic. It is the fastest means of transportation around the city and serves about one and a half million passengers a day, which makes it the seventh busiest metro system in Europe and the most-used in the...
by Jiří Rathouský - MotorwayMotorway (typeface)Motorway is a typeface designed by Jock Kinneir and Margaret Calvert for use on the motorway network of the United Kingdom. It was first used on the M6 Preston bypass in 1958 and has been in use on the UK's motorways since...
– used for motorway route numbers in the United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Republic of IrelandRepublic of IrelandIreland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,... - MyriadMyriad (typeface)Myriad is a humanist sans-serif typeface designed by Robert Slimbach and Carol Twombly for Adobe Systems. The typeface is best known for its usage by Apple Inc., replacing Apple Garamond as Apple's corporate font since 2002. Myriad is easily distinguished from other sans-serif fonts due to its...
– used on Hong Kong's Mass Transit RailwayMTRMass Transit Railway is the rapid transit railway system in Hong Kong. Originally opened in 1979, the system now includes 211.6 km of rail with 155 stations, including 86 railway stations and 69 light rail stops... - NPS Rawlinson – used by the United States National Park ServiceNational Park ServiceThe National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
- ParisineParisineParisine is a typeface developed by Jean-François Porchez.It is used in Paris Métro, tramways, busses and RER parts operated by the RATP in Île-de-France.- Parisine :...
– used in the Paris MétroParis MétroThe Paris Métro or Métropolitain is the rapid transit metro system in Paris, France. It has become a symbol of the city, noted for its density within the city limits and its uniform architecture influenced by Art Nouveau. The network's sixteen lines are mostly underground and run to 214 km ... - Pragmatica – used in the Saint Petersburg MetroSaint Petersburg MetroThe Saint Petersburg Metro is the underground railway system in Saint Petersburg and Leningrad Oblast, Russia. It has been open since November 15, 1955.Formerly known as the V.I...
since 2002; currently (2010—11) is being replaced by Freeset, Cyrillic variation of FrutigerFrutigerFrutiger is a series of typefaces named after its designer, Adrian Frutiger. Initially available as a sans serif, it was later expanded to include ornamental and serif typefaces.-Distinctive characteristics:Characteristics of this typeface are:... - Rail AlphabetRail AlphabetRail Alphabet is a typeface designed by Jock Kinneir and Margaret Calvert for British Railways. First used by them in signing tests at London's Liverpool Street Station, it was then adopted by the Design Research Unit as part of their comprehensive 1965 rebranding of the company.Rail Alphabet is...
– designed for British RailBritish RailBritish Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
in 1964 and still in use on parts of the UK rail network. Rail Alphabet is also still in use across the Danish rail network and its principle operator, DSB. - Rotis Semi Sans - used by its own creator, Otl Aicher, for the Metro BilbaoMetro BilbaoMetro Bilbao is a rapid transit system serving the city of Bilbao and the region of Greater Bilbao. Its lines have a "Y" shape, with two lines that transit both banks of the Nervión river and then combine to form one line that ends in the south of Bilbao...
corporate design. - Rotis Serif – used by Singapore's Mass Rapid TransitMass Rapid TransitThe term Mass Rapid Transit may refer to Rapid transit.The name Mass Rapid Transit is used by the following specific rapid transit systems, either as an official name or otherwise:* Mass Rapid Transit system in Singapore...
and typeface for road signposts - Sispos and Sisneg by Bo BerndalBo BerndalBo Berndal is a retired Swedish compositor and typographer. He is co-owner of BIGG and Hålet .-Career:...
– old Swedish standard (SISSwedish Standards InstituteSIS, Swedish Standards Institute, is an independent organization, founded in 1922, with members from the private and public sector.-Activities:...
030011, 1973) for public road signs, displays, etc. - Toronto Subway FontToronto Subway FontThe Toronto subway font is a geometric sans-serif typeface designed for the original section of the Toronto Transit Commission’s Yonge subway.-Description:...
– used by the Toronto Transit CommissionToronto Transit Commission-Island Ferry:The ferry service to the Toronto Islands was operated by the TTC from 1927 until 1962, when it was transferred to the Metro Parks and Culture department. Since 1998, the ferry service is run by Toronto Parks and Recreation.-Gray Coach:...
in maps, publications, and most stations of the Toronto Subway and RTToronto subway and RTThe Toronto subway and RT is a rapid transit system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, consisting of both underground and elevated railway lines, operated by the Toronto Transit Commission . It was Canada's first completed subway system, with the first line being built under Yonge Street, which opened in... - TrafikkalfabetetTrafikkalfabetetTrafikkalfabetet is the name of a sans-serif typeface family for road signs and license plates for cars in Norway. Developed in 1965 by Karl Petter Sandbæk, it was digitised in 2006 by Jacob Øvergaard.- See also :...
("The traffic alphabet") – used for Norwegian road signs and license plates until 2002 - TransportTransport (typeface)Transport is a sans serif typeface designed for road signs in the United Kingdom. It was created between 1957 and 1963 by Jock Kinneir and Margaret Calvert as part of their work as designers for the Department of Transport's Anderson and Worboys committees....
– developed for the British roads, used in Italy, Portugal, Greece and other countries - TratexTratexTratex is the name of a geometric sans-serif typeface family for road signs in Sweden. It was developed for maximal readability in traffic. Tratex is free to download and use for illustrations and prints. Tratex also contains Sami characters. Tratex was designed by Carl-Gustaf Gustafsson.-...
– used for road signs in Sweden - UniversUniversUnivers is the name of a realist sans-serif typeface designed by Adrian Frutiger in 1954.Originally conceived and released by Deberny & Peignot in 1957, the type library was acquired in 1972 by Haas. Haas'sche Schriftgiesserei was later folded into the D...
– used by the Montreal MetroMontreal MetroThe Montreal Metro is a rubber-tired metro system, and the main form of public transportation underground in the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada....
, San Francisco's Bay Area Rapid TransitBay Area Rapid TransitBay Area Rapid Transit is a rapid transit system serving the San Francisco Bay Area. The heavy-rail public transit and subway system connects San Francisco with cities in the East Bay and suburbs in northern San Mateo County. BART operates five lines on of track with 44 stations in four counties...
, Frankfurt AirportFrankfurt AirportFrankfurt Airport may refer to:Airports of Frankfurt, Germany:*Frankfurt Airport , the largest airport in Germany*Frankfurt Egelsbach Airport, a general aviation airport*Frankfurt-Hahn Airport , a converted U.S...
and the Walt Disney World ResortWalt Disney World ResortWalt Disney World Resort , is the world's most-visited entertaimental resort. Located in Lake Buena Vista, Florida ; approximately southwest of Orlando, Florida, United States, the resort covers an area of and includes four theme parks, two water parks, 23 on-site themed resort hotels Walt...
road system - Vejtavleskrift ("Road sign typeface") – used for road signs in Denmark
See also
- Typefaces used on North American traffic signs
- Road signs in the United KingdomRoad signs in the United KingdomRoad signs in the United Kingdom conform broadly to European norms, though a number of signs are unique to Britain and direction signs omit European route numbers.-History:...
External links
- Metro Fonts, Metro Bits - mic-ro.co(s)m
- Public domain fonts used on roadsigns