4. T Y P E S O F S I G N S
ORIENTATION
Allows the traveller to make up his/her
mind on where to go and how best to
get there
Creating the “travel plan”
Sign types such as maps and directories
best serve this need
A
C
B
D
5. T Y P E S O F S I G N S
DIRECTION
Directs the traveller along his/
her way
Most archaic of all sign types—
is as old as civilization
Signs in this category almost al-
ways involve the use of arrows
A
B
6. T Y P E S O F S I G N S
DESTINATION
Also known as location or identification
signs
Used to mark the actual destination
Indicates the final goal of travel, as well
as all the destinations in between that
act as “stepping stones” before reaching
final destination
A
7. T Y P E S O F S I G N S
REGULATORY
Not directly related to the way-
finding process
Includes signs for general safety,
security, fire safety, mandatory
information, instructions, and
general information
Usually mandated by law
9. 1 9 9 0 , A M E N D E D 2 0 0 8
AMERICANS WITH
DISABILITIES ACT (ADA)
US civil rights law that prohibits discrimination
based on disability
Disability is defined as “a physical or mental
impairment that substantially limits a major life
activity”
10. A D A A G , S E C T I O N 4 . 3 0
ADA SIGNAGE
GUIDELINES
Section 4.30 of ADA Accessibility Guidelines
Section 4.30.2 Character Proportion
“Letters and numbers on signs shall have a width-
to-height ratio between 3:5 and 1:1 and a stroke-
width-to-height ratio between 1:5 and 1:10.”
11. viewing distance in feet
Recommended for ada compliance Under ideal conditionslettercapheightininches
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
50 100 150 200 250 300
For optimal legibility
letter height should fall
into shaded range.
For ada compliance, it is
recommended that letter
height be at least 4 inches at a
viewing distance of 100 feet.
Under ideal conditions, a letter
height of 2 inches is visible at
a viewing distance of 100 feet.
Section 4.30.3 Character Height
12. Since ‘ideal conditions’ generally involve a hypo-
thetical test subject with 20/20 vision viewing the
signage at a 90° angle with optimal lighting and no
distractions, it is unrealistic to design for such cases
The ADA requirements are much more reflective of
real-life applications
A D A A G , S E C T I O N 4 . 3 0 . 3
CHARACTER HEIGHT
14. J U N E 2 0 0 5
ONTARIANS WITH
ACCESSIBILITY FOR
DISABILITIES ACT (AODA)
Lays the framework for the development
of province-wide mandatory standards
on accessibility in all areas of daily life
Defines terms and mandates administration,
penalties, and the establishment of an
Accessibility Standards Advisory Council
15. J U L Y 2 0 1 0
FINAL PROPOSED ACCESSIBLE
BUILT ENVIRONMENT
STANDARD
Section 6.o Communication Elements + Facilities
Developed by Accessible Built Environment Standards
Development Committee
Covers elements currently regulated by Ontario’s
Building Code (Ontario Regulation 350/06), and those
elements that are not currently regulated by Ontario’s
Building Code, such as play areas and amusement parks
Section 6.1 Signage
16. a. sans serif
b. mixture of upper and lower case
c. stroke-width-to-height ratio between 1:5
and 1:10, based on uppercase O
d. have a character height in accordance with
Table 6.1.1.1, based on an uppercase O
e. tonal contrast at least 70% with background
f. matte or glare-free finish
S E C T I O N 6 . 1
SIGNAGE
STANDARDS
Section 6.1.1
Font for Print Signs
18. x
0.5x
47 inches
59 inches maximum
minimum
Latch side
of door
Top letter line not to exceed 60
inches (1525 mm) from floor
1200 mm
1500 mm
AODA Section 6.1.4.2.2 Mounting Location + Height
Room620
20. R O O M N U M B E R I N G
UNIT SYSTEM
A grid is constructed of the smallest possible
units on each floor
Each unit gets a number, starting on the
right-hand side from the major point of access
(elevator, staircase) and continue to increase
in that direction
Number of room is the number of the unit in
which the room door is located
22. U N I T S Y S T E M
ADVANTAGES
Point(s) of access to the floor(s) are a
logical starting point
Room sequence increases logically from
lowest to highest room number
Flexibility of the numbering system will
allow for restructuring of rooms into
larger or smaller units
24. W A Y F I N D I N G
TYPEFACE LEGIBILITY
According to Paul Arthur, the most important
factor in wayfinding typographic legibility is
the ratio of x-height to cap height
Arthur’s research indicates that the optimum
ratio for signage purposes is at least 3:4
This conclusion is disputed by other type ex-
perts, most notably Erik Spiekermann
25. Frutiger Roman
Frutiger Bold
Helvetica Regular
Interstate Regular
Gotham Medium
Helvetica Medium
Interstate Bold
Transport D Medium
Gotham Bold
Helvetica Bold Condensed
Typefaces with a x-height to cap height ratio of 3:4
26. T Y P E F A C E
SHAPE RECOGNITION
In the early 1960s, Miles Tinker’s re-
search indicated that mixed upper and
lower case letters were approximately
12% more efficient than either all caps or
all lower case letters
Tinker’s research, however, was focused
on books, and its application to signage
was later challenged
29. T Y P E F A C E L E G I B I L I T Y
HALATION
Reversed (white on black) type will appear to
be 10 to 12 percent larger than positive (black
on white) type
Known as halation or irradiation because a
light image on a dark field will seem to radiate
and as a result appears considerably larger
30. A B C D
A B C D
Halation Which set of letters looks larger?
31. Arthur, Paul, & Passini, Romedi. Wayfinding: People,
Signs and Architecture. McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 1992.
Accessible Built Environment Standards Development
Committee. Final Proposed Accessible Built Environ-
ment Standard. Ontario Ministry of Community and
Social Services, 2010.
Smitshuijzen, Edo. Signage Design Manual. Lars Müller
Publishers, 2007.
Tinker, Miles. Legibility in Print. Iowa State University
Press, 1963.
United States Access Board. Americans with Disabilities
Act and Architectural Barriers Act Accessibility Guide-
lines. US Department of Justice, 2004.
S I G N S + T Y P O G R A P H Y
REFERENCES
