Toronto Subway Font ⇒
11 March 2005, mid-afternoon
"Toronto Subway is based on the lettering originally used for station identification and signage in the Toronto, Canada, subway system, which first opened to the public in 1954."
This is a post from my link log: If you click the title of this post you will be taken the web page I am discussing.
It’s funny they call the modern lettering Helvetica, and Gills Sans “corrupt”—those are indeed much clearer fonts.
Nevertheless, I do like the unique TTC Subway Font.
by matt on March 11 2005, 6:40 pm #
The article only criticized the use of Helvetica and Gills Sans for corrupting signage in the stations, since those signs could very well use the TTC font. The typefaces themselves are not “corrupt.”
by Robert on March 12 2005, 12:12 am #
I guess I didn’t quote that properly. But I hope you understood the gist of what I meant.
Surely Helv and Gills Sans are quite common fonts, but I don’t think the use of these fonts are “corrupt.” Signs, in my opinion, are for functional uses. Helv and Gills are simply more clearer and more legible that the TTC font, IMHO.
by matt on March 12 2005, 2:18 am #
What I got from the article was that failing to use the TTC font throughout the station diminished it. Using Helvetica and Gills Sans on other signage relegates the TTC Font to simply labelling each station when it could be used to identify the entire space as part of the transit system.
by Robert on March 12 2005, 2:35 am #