703.5 – Visual Characters

703.5 Visual Characters.

703.5.1 Finish and Contrast.
Characters and their background shall have a non-glare finish. Characters shall contrast with their background with either light characters on a dark background or dark characters on a light background.

703.5.2 Case.
Characters shall be uppercase or lowercase or a combination of both.

703.5.3 Style.
Characters shall be conventional in form.  Characters shall not be italic, oblique, script, highly decorative, or of other unusual forms.

703.5.4 Character Proportions.
Characters shall be selected from fonts where the width of the uppercase letter “O” is 55 percent minimum and 110 percent maximum of the height of the uppercase letter “I”.

703.5.5 Character Height.
Minimum character height shall comply with Table 703.5.5. Viewing distance shall be measured as the horizontal distance between the character and an obstruction preventing further approach towards the sign.  Character height shall be based on the uppercase letter “I”.

703.5.6 Height From Finish Floor or Ground.
Visual characters shall be 1015 mm (40″) minimum above the finish floor or ground.

703.5.7 Stroke Thickness.
Stroke thickness of the uppercase letter “I” shall be 10 percent minimum and 30 percent maximum of the height of the character.

703.5.8 Character Spacing.
Character spacing shall be measured between the two closest points of adjacent characters, excluding word spaces.  Spacing between individual characters shall be 10 percent minimum and 35 percent maximum of character height.

703.5.9 Line Spacing.
Spacing between the baselines of separate lines of characters within a message shall be 135 percent minimum and 170 percent maximum of the character height.