Best practice signage and wayfinding design

Its best when everyone knows the rules

Signage and Wayfinding Design – Type Sizes


Setting the right size

Cap heights for distance and pace


Pedestrian type sizes

Recommended cap height of letters for reading distances

  • Tactile lettering 15 mm (55 mm maximum).

  • 2 metres – 6 mm

  • 4 metres – 12 mm (17 mm – door signs)

  • 6 metres – 20 mm (building directory listings)

  • 8 metres – 25 mm (30 mm, internal direction signs)

  • 12 metres – 40 mm

  • 15 metres – 50 mm (60 mm external pedestrian direction signs)

  • 25 metres – 80 mm

  • 40 metres – 130 mm

  • 50 metres – 150 mm


Vision impaired type sizes

Recommended minimum height of letters for viewing by people with low vision:

15 mm – Building Directories

30 mm – Identification Signs

40 mm – Internal information & directional

120 mm – Location information

200 mm – Building facia/facade

Source NHS Wayfinding Guidelines, Australian Standard AS 1428.2


Drivers

60 mm – low speed environments: driver direction signs, internal roads, and carparks


Robert Luxford