The Clearview thread

[agentsteel53]

I've looked at some of the error Interstate shields in Michigan that use Clearview numerals and it appears that the "75" and "96" are 2-W, which is what I've found does look best within a shield.

I thought they were 3 or wider.  maybe we're looking at different shields?



all the ones I remember look like this.



Michigan needs to stop that!

then again, they need to stop with the damn '78-spec ugly shields with no state name, silly margins, overlarge numbers, etc ...

HERE is what correct shields looks like.

[Quillz]

You know what... You're probably right. Looking at it again, I think it is 4-W.

Here's 2-W...

Here's 3-W...

And here's 4-W...

[agentsteel53]

and your shields look a lot less grotesque because you are using the 10" numbers on the 24" shield, as opposed to the horrid 12".

10" 3W doesn't look too too bad.  but still looks worse than '61 neutered if you're going to go for a no-state-name shield.



it's all about the wide white margins.

[Quillz]

and your shields look a lot less grotesque because you are using the 10" numbers on the 24" shield, as opposed to the horrid 12".

10" 3W doesn't look too too bad.  but still looks worse than '61 neutered if you're going to go for a no-state-name shield.



it's all about the wide white margins.

Yeah, when I do my concepts, I always bump up the outer margins, usually a good 20-40px when blown up to 1,000px or so. I just grabbed some shield off Wikipedia and changed the numbers really quick. If I was doing a full conceptual set of shields I'd usually spend a bit of time getting the edges right.

[agentsteel53]

Yeah, when I do my concepts, I always bump up the outer margins, usually a good 20-40px when blown up to 1,000px or so. I just grabbed some shield off Wikipedia and changed the numbers really quick. If I was doing a full conceptual set of shields I'd usually spend a bit of time getting the edges right.

well no, that is not the problem.  it is that the 1970/78 spec shield really did butcher the margins - a much smaller red crown, and far too thin margins.

wikipedia, so that's where everyone's getting their inept shield patterns!

www.aaroads.com/shields/generator.php

only correct shields.  have fun...

[Quillz]

Do you have a vector of the original 1957 shield specs? I don't like working with raster images, it's easier to do concepts with vectors.

I'm not sure what exact spec of shield is on Wikipedia, but it's probably the 1970 one that you mentioned.

[agentsteel53]

Do you have a vector of the original 1957 shield specs? I don't like working with raster images, it's easier to do concepts with vectors.

I'm not sure what exact spec of shield is on Wikipedia, but it's probably the 1970 one that you mentioned.

it is '70.  I have all kinds of vectors... email me at jake@aaroads.com

[Scott5114]

Wikipedia's shields are made to the specs of the 2004 SHS, which is substantially the same as the 1970.

What sort of irks me about those Clearview interstate shields–if you're going to go through the trouble of changing the number font, why not change the INTERSTATE as well (and it would have to be mixed-case–which is what Clearview was designed to facilitate [I'm just going to go nuts here with the recursion of the parenthesis and dashes in this sentence–yep, that'll do it])?

[Crazy Volvo Guy]

...though, I still prefer good ol' FHWA Series E(M)!

E-modified is what got us into this mess in the first place.  When they did away with button copy, they should've gone to straight E.

I used to dislike Georgia's application of D on BGSs, but given the alternative (Clearview) I'll take the D, thanks.

[Scott5114]

E only looks decent to me if it's tracked out to have the same intercharacter spacing as E(M). In that case, it comes out looking like a nice, clean, not-as-bulky version of Series E(M).

[Quillz]

Florida toll road shield concept... Clearview + gold and brown color scheme...

[realjd]

Florida toll road shield concept... Clearview + gold and brown color scheme...

Is UPS sponsoring the toll roads now?

[Quillz]

Florida toll road shield concept... Clearview + gold and brown color scheme...

Is UPS sponsoring the toll roads now?

Nah, I've just been experimenting with various color schemes recently. Wanted to see how brown and gold worked out. Here's a couple more concepts, the Quebec provincial routes, using Clearview numerals and the Australian National Highway shield colors:



I use Clearview 1-W for 3di and 2-W for 2di. Depending on the width of the shield, I'll then use anything from 3-W to 6-W for a single-digit number.

[Scott5114]

I am going to hell for this.

[Quillz]

That doesn't look bad at all.

[deathtopumpkins]

Yes it does.

Scott, I hereby damn you to hell.

[Scott5114]

Oh, damn.

[CL]

Shield us (pun intended) from that hideous excuse for an Interstate shield please. I love Clearview, but not like that.

[Quillz]

Yes it does.

Scott, I hereby damn you to hell.

I'm just curious why so many people seem to hate it. Is it because you're used to the FHWA series, or is there an actual reason?

I mean, looking at an I-45 shield in Clearview doesn't really do much to me one way or the other. I don't love it, I don't hate it, I can certainly live with it. I think the problem with real life Clearview shields, though, is that the numerals were simply too large within the shield.

[myosh_tino]

I don't like Clearview at all and that shield should be burnt (presumably in hell).

Also, the exchange between Scott, CL and deathtopumpkins brought back memories of the Dam Jokes thread.  A thread I was very fond of.

[Eth]

I'm just curious why so many people seem to hate it. Is it because you're used to the FHWA series, or is there an actual reason?

The thing that bugs me most about that Clearview Interstate shield is the use of mixed case.  Is there really a good reason for that?

[Duke87]

It's simply following the standard. Clearview isn't supposed to be used in all caps.

The problem with the mixed case here is a problem that a lot of fonts (including Highway Gothic, actually) have: that the uppercase I lacks crossbars on the top and bottom, making it look like a lowercase L. The crown seems to want to say "LNTERSTATE". And yeah, it's hideous.

But hey, at least the shield is state-named. That's worth something, right?

[Scott5114]

Supposedly, mixed case is easier to read. Clearview gets its legibility boost by increasing the x-height (which is the ratio of the height of the lowercase letter x to the uppercase letter X). If you use Clearview in all caps, it nullifies that boost. So you may as well be using FHWA Series at that point.

[joseph1723]

Here's a couple I saw last weekend in Cambridge, ON:

Clearview Turn Restriction:


Clearview Warning Sign:

[Android]

Oh Lord - did I miss something or did negative contrast get approved now?  Or are these signs "illegal"? 
Do I have to change my avatar to this now?     No way!