AARoads Forum

Here's a thread for showcasing D-Modified and C-Modified button copy photos.  Did B-Modified ever exist?  Probably not, but if a picture ever turns up, post it here!

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D-Modified is relatively easy to find in Ohio – or at least, it was a few years ago.  Sign replacement programs are ongoing, and button copy is becoming endangered.  I have said before that D-Modified can be found in Ohio on surviving 3-digit Interstate shields, and occasionally, on really old guide signs.  Here are some photos I've found in my archive:

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fvidthekid.info%2Fimghost%2Fdmod-easton-sm.jpg&hash=9d7b401bcf9560ec15dc973e4a3720cc7679bd82) (http://vidthekid.info/imghost/dmod-easton.jpg)	Nov 2007, Easton Way approaching I-270.  The numbers in the I-270 shields are D-Modified.  Also, every white capital letter in this display, including in the destinations, is D-Modified!  (Actually, I can't tell if the lowercase letters are DM or EM...)  These signs date from the 90's; I had no idea DM had been used this way so recently, until I took a close look at this picture!
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fvidthekid.info%2Fimghost%2Fdmod-33f-sm.jpg&hash=6d40d7c7bd18c7095fd0cf9bc687f73356b87e65) (http://vidthekid.info/imghost/dmod-33f.jpg)	Aug 2010, US 33F eastbound.  The numbers in the I-670 shield are D-Modified.  Also, the word "EXIT" in the Grandview Ave exit tab is DM.  This sign was installed in 2002, the last year ODOT District 6 used button copy.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fvidthekid.info%2Fimghost%2Fdmod-23fra01-sm.jpg&hash=9c15de6365396c2d3a3d2a97367b4085e3417d6d) (http://vidthekid.info/imghost/dmod-23fra01.jpg)	Aug 2011, US 23 northbound approaching I-270 (south side).  The numbers in both Interstate shields are D-Modified.  Also, the word "TO" is DM.  Age of sign unknown.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fvidthekid.info%2Fimghost%2Fdmod-23mar01-sm.jpg&hash=2f3d5d939dfed994c35eddef5337ce6df5e47f37) (http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Columbus,+Franklin,+Ohio&ll=40.592287,-83.082066&spn=0.001483,0.002733&t=m&z=19&vpsrc=6&layer=c&cbll=40.592287,-83.082066&panoid=MBYBhhLhD-32DYeGeMD9Pg&cbp=12,353.84,,0,5.39)	Google Street View, US 23 NB in Marion County.  Most exit gore signs along US 23 in Marion County set the word "EXIT" in D-Modified.

Observed, not photographed:

• US 33, Sugar Grove signage, Fairfield County.  I believe the button copy version of this sign (which has been replaced) used DM uppercase letters with EM lowercase letters.  [Google Street View] (http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Columbus,+Franklin,+Ohio&ll=39.621061,-82.55054&spn=0.023933,0.043731&t=m&z=15&vpsrc=6&layer=c&cbll=39.621412,-82.550594&panoid=ri4DKkOxRF4WKEo7gFptHw&cbp=12,53.6,,0,-0.33)
• Many older Specific Service Signs use DM text above the logos.

An old one in California, but I don't think it's around anymore:

(//www.aaroads.com/shields/img/CA/CA19580501i2.jpg)

And while not button copy, many California route shields use D(M), as well:

(//www.aaroads.com/shields/img/CA/CA19798801i1.jpg) (//www.aaroads.com/shields/img/CA/CA19799801i1.jpg)

The "880" is D(M), the "980" is not. You can see the difference quite easily by looking at the 8 and 0 numerals.

What Arizona DOT and Minnesota DOT called "Series D Modified" is basically the same as plain-jane Series D in the Caltrans Alphabets.  In guide signing contexts (G-series sign spec sheets, for example), Caltrans sometimes called D Modified "CAPS" ("U.C." and "L.C." being reserved for mixed-case Series E Modified).

Minor state highways in California used to have (as of 2002), and may still have, comedy text-only warning signs with random characters in regular Series D and Series D Modified.  These don't have button reflectorization.

I hate to say it but I think all of your Ohio examples are E Modified, with a reduced text height...

Quote from: Steve on November 10, 2011, 10:54:33 PM
I hate to say it but I think all of your Ohio examples are E Modified, with a reduced text height...

I compared each example against D, E, and EM text at the appropriate size in my image editor.  The parts I say are DM match much more closely to D in proportions and angles than to E or EM.  There are also noticeable contrasts between DM and EM in my photos — for example, compare the A of New Albany in the first photo (DM) with the As in Airport and Ave in the second photo (EM); or in just the second photo, compare the E in EAST (EM) to the E in EXIT (DM).  You can see the high-resolution versions of my photos by clicking on them, and do the comparisons yourself.  Or if you're not that great with image manipulation, I can put together some side-by-side comparisons between blown-up portions of these photos and samples in the Roadgeek fonts, so everyone can see how these specimen are closer to D than E. 

Edit: You'll have to take my word on the exit gore signs, as I don't have a high-res photo.  But I drive past a lot of those on the job (they're in a lot of places actually — seemingly every button copy exit gore sign without a number) and the angle of the strokes in the X gives away that it's not as wide as EM should be.

Point taken - I compared the capital A's and I'm finally starting to see what you're getting at. Cool stuff.

Here are some examples of C-Modified, borrowed from another thread (https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=3528.425):

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm7.static.flickr.com%2F6164%2F6160979904_00412c79ff_b.jpg&hash=ab27e35756de3ebe3e224f2666901e4d9456b3a4)

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm7.static.flickr.com%2F6082%2F6161535970_773f290bab_b.jpg&hash=013a4a9e7a5d55ac61d4d73d65534973547c732f)

D-modified, but still a rarity nonetheless. The only examples of C-modified I've seen were also in California, off of I-5 at the San Fernando Valley Bl. exit (since replaced) and the numerals in an I-80 shield just outside of Oakland (most likely been replaced).

The lowercase letters are definitely C-Modified – they're just too narrow to be D.  The upper case letters are debatable: I'd say the first example probably has D-Mod capitals, and the second example is probably all C-Mod.  (That is, of the San Bernardino legends).  Also, I think the "10"s in the Interstate shields in both examples are C-Mod.

Quote from: vtk on November 26, 2011, 01:57:13 PM
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm7.static.flickr.com%2F6164%2F6160979904_00412c79ff_b.jpg&hash=ab27e35756de3ebe3e224f2666901e4d9456b3a4)

Regarding the first photo (quoted above), I agree with vtk.  I believe the lowercase letters are C-modified while the uppercase letters are D-modified.  Here's my attempt to draw the I-10 exit sign above...


The uppercase 'S' and 'B' I made D-modified while the lowercase letters were C-modified.  I disagree with vtk's comment that the "10" is C-modified, I think it's D-modified.  The Series C zero is too narrow.

Please keep in mind that C or D-modified fonts do not exist so I used the Roadgeek Series C and D fonts, "bolded" them and tinkered with the inter-character spacing to the extent that Photoshop allows.  If there's a way to manipulate the Roadgeek font to simulate C and D-modified, I sure would like to know.