(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53346316926_0f2fc2f28c_b.jpg)
Was always wondering why some states round out the corners of the border like this sign.
It is for aesthetics? Other than that I really do not see a valid reason for this to be done.
Why not? I can see why they don't round the actual sign, because that would be work.
What I like about this particular sign is the trident-like arrows shared by all three route numbers.
Quote from: roadman65 on October 09, 2024, 08:07:13 AMWas always wondering why some states round out the corners of the border like this sign.
It is for aesthetics? Other than that I really do not see a valid reason for this to be done.
The MUTCD makes it an option to remove the excess sign panel area outside the rounded corners. So I imagine it is purely aesthetics (and/or a "that's what we've always done" mentality), because most agencies aren't going to go through the extra effort to cut off the corners if they don't have to.
Quote from: pderoccoWhy not? I can see why they don't round the actual sign, because that would be work.
Just about all big green signs are made of squared panels. Here in Oklahoma they like using these 12" tall metal extrusions joined together to create the panels. Anyone would run into all sort of fabrication issues trying to round off the corners of those things. They would be cutting away metal portions that wrap around behind the face side, cutting away portions of the extrusion that have bolt holes for joining the bars together.
I think the corners in the reflective vinyl graphics borders are radiused just to make the corners more legible and noticeable. Squared corners are visually more plain and easier to overlook.
I don't like how those arrows look in the sign example posted above. They look like they've been artificially squeezed to some degree.
Quote from: roadfro on October 11, 2024, 11:26:29 AMQuote from: roadman65 on October 09, 2024, 08:07:13 AMWas always wondering why some states round out the corners of the border like this sign.
It is for aesthetics? Other than that I really do not see a valid reason for this to be done.
The MUTCD makes it an option to remove the excess sign panel area outside the rounded corners. So I imagine it is purely aesthetics (and/or a "that's what we've always done" mentality), because most agencies aren't going to go through the extra effort to cut off the corners if they don't have to.
As I recall, it was more common in the past. I believe in was an aesthetic choice, but I think some states like New York mandate it for safety reasons (corners are too sharp when not rounded-off and pose a safety risk to those transporting or installing signage).
Back home in WA, WSDOT previously rounded the corners of all highway signs, but stopped sometime in the 1970s. These days, there are very few examples left, and they're all [very] old: Example 1 (https://maps.app.goo.gl/pUz9UL3Dkt1T5SqB7), Example 2 (https://maps.app.goo.gl/BC1AojGs4WqPh3Fc8).
I think it is, or was, most common in states that use incremental panel signs, since those are easier to round-off. WSDOT has always used incremental panel signage, hence why previously it had been common to use rounded-off corners.
Edit: historic photo from 1959, the opening of the Tacoma Freeway at SSH-5G (now I-5 at WA-512), note the rounded-off corners on the overhead signage. The freeway was extended not long after this was opened, and those signs ceased to exist at that point. Perhaps the pull-through stuck around for a while:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54062111982_7519b71e44_o.jpg)
Opening of WA-512 at I-5 in Tacoma, WA (https://flic.kr/p/2qnhsp1) by Jacob Root (https://www.flickr.com/photos/62537709@N03/), on Flickr
Original image source: Tacoma Public Library Northwest Room (Richards Studio D123176-5)
Either aesthetics or perhaps added visibility.
The sign panels in that historic photo from Tacoma are different from the sign panels typically in use today. The panels are flat, which makes it easier to round the corners with cutting tools. They have steel frame work behind them. Some of the fasteners are visible on the sign faces.
Quote from: Bobby5280 on October 13, 2024, 11:16:23 AMThe sign panels in that historic photo from Tacoma are different from the sign panels typically in use today. The panels are flat, which makes it easier to round the corners with cutting tools. They have steel frame work behind them. Some of the fasteners are visible on the sign faces.
Aren't those simply incremental panel signs? They have larger fastener bolts than I normally see today, but the overall panel construction method seems to be the same as the signs today (https://maps.app.goo.gl/zj7j1VHvv4QtXXYm7), which is a bunch of flat metal panels bolted together.
And yes, it does make them easier to round the corners, which is why states like Virginia, New York, North Carolina, and Florida also all use incremental panel signs.
Quote from: Bobby5280 on October 11, 2024, 01:39:25 PMI don't like how those arrows look in the sign example posted above. They look like they've been artificially squeezed to some degree.
Those are standard arrows for Nebraska.
The rounded corners, either physically or represented through the border on square signs, are to increase visibility. The rounded corner keeps the eyes "inside" the sign and encourages more attention on the legend inside the borders. Squared off borders tend to train the eye to look outside the sign. This is from a study that was done in the mid 1950s or so when California was tweaking their freeway signs design.