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| What is a font, type face, or typestyle? |
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The term "font" today refers to an alphabet of letter shapes of the same style. Historically, it included only one size set of letters, but since most typesetting is done on computers today, the size of a font is easily changeable, and the term has come to refer to the style, regardless of the size of the letters. The terms "typeface" or "typestyle" usually mean the same thing today. If you want to learn more about these terms, and other terms used to describe letters, there is an excellent glossary of typographical terms with examples available on Microsoft's website.
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| What does "sans serif" mean? |
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Serifs are decorative points or strokes on letters in some fonts. "Sans serif" simply means that a font's design does not include serifs. Because a serif is an embellishment to a letter's shape and not an integral part of the letter, it can be eliminated and leave the letter intact. |
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| Why use sans serif fonts for tactile signs? |
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Tactile reading is slow and laborious under the best of circumstances. Serifs may look nice on a letter, but the extra points on the shape are just extraneous information to a tactile reader. Adding extra parts onto a letter's shape can also make letters run together, which can make tactile reading all but impossible.
Consider this example:
Both lines of text are spaced properly for tactile reading. Notice how the bottom line of serif characters had to be spaced widely, particularly between the R and the A. This extra space makes the word hard to read by sight, and the serifs make it hard to read by touch.
Compare this to the top line. Without serifs, the letters "sit" next to each other better visually, while keeping their tactile readability. While not perfect, it is still much more readable by either means.
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| So why not use one "standard" font for all tactile signs? |
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You certainly could, but font selection is a crucial part of design. Locking yourself into one font, even one that's "perfect" for tactile reading, closes a lot of possible design doors. There are many fonts that read well by touch; there is no need to limit yourself to just one. |
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| Can I use lowercase letters? |
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Not for tactile letters. There are too many variations in shape among lowercase letters, even in sans serif fonts. Uppercase letters have more easily recognizable shapes, even with slight variations between fonts. This is why the ADA guidelines call for only uppercase tactile letters. |
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| What weight of font should I use for tactile letters? |
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For most typestyles, to meet the ADA guidelines, a "medium" or "semi-bold" weight will give you the proper stroke-to-height ratio. Keep in mind that when engraving the letters, most fonts will lose a little weight, and when embossing or etching the letters, most fonts will gain a little weight. Check the finished product, not the original artwork, to make sure it complies. |
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| If the signs have Braille, why do they need tactile letters too? |
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Braille is the most efficient way of reading by touch. However, if someone becomes blind later in life, which is more common than being born without sight, that person may never learn Braille. He or she would probably, however, already know the shapes of basic uppercase letters, and can distinguish them by touch. |
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