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FOR ROAD SIGNS


Australian Standard

STANDARD ALPHABETS

METRIC UNITS
AS 1744—1975
This standard, prepared under the direction of the Australian Committee on Road
Devices, was approved on behalf of the Council of the Standards Association of
Australia on 20 January 1975.

The following scientific, industrial and governmental organizations and departments


were officially represented on the committee entrusted with the preparation of this
standard:
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Australian and New Zealand Railways Conferences


Australian Automobile Association
Australian Road Research Board
Country Roads Board, Victoria
Department of Housing and Construction
Department of Main Roads, N.S.W.
Department of Motor Transport, N.S.W.
Department of Transport
Highways Department, S.A.
Main Roads Department, Queensland
Main Roads Department, W.A.
National Capital Development Commission, A.C.T.
Public Works Department, Tasmania
Road Safety and Traffic Authority, Victoria
Road Traffic Road, S.A.
Traffic Control Equipment Manufacturers Association of Australia
Transport Commission, Tasmania
Manufacturers of road signs and road sign materials

Review of Australian Standards. To keep abreast of progress in industry, Australi an Standards are subject
to periodic review and are kept up to date by the issue of amendments or new editi ons as necessary. It is
important therefore that Standards users ensure that they are in possession of the latest editi on, and any
amendments thereto.
Full detail s of all Australi an Standards and related publications wil l be found in the Standards Australia
Catalogue of Publications; this information is supplemented each month by the magazine ‘The Australi an
Standard’, which subscribing members receive, and which gives details of new publications, new editi ons
and amendments, and of withdrawn Standards.
Suggesti ons for improvements to Australi an Standards, addressed to the head off ice of Standards Australia,
are welcomed. Noti fi cati on of any inaccuracy or ambiguity found in an Australi an Standard should be made
without delay in order that the matter may be investigated and appropriate action taken.
AS 1744—1975

Australian Standard
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FORMS OF LETTERS AND


NUMERALS

known as

STANDARD ALPHABETS
FOR ROAD SIGNS

First published (as AS E37) . . . . . . . . . . . . 1960


Revised and issued as AS 1744 . . . . . . . . . 1975

PUBLISHED BY STANDARDS AUSTRALIA


(STANDARDS ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA)
1 THE CRESCENT, HOMEBUSH, NSW 2140
ISBN 0 7262 0695 4
AS 1744—1975 2

PREFACE

This standard was prepared by the Australian Committee on Road Devices. It


is a revision of and supersedes AS E37 — 1960.
The standard alphabets have been adopted for the purpose of establishing
uniformity in the forms and dimensions of letters and numerals to be used on
road signs in Australia. The alphabets are intended specifically for use with the
standard road signs specified in AS 1743.
The alphabets are based on those used by the U.S. Department of Commerce,
Bureau of Public Roads. The spacings are based on those used by the U.S.
State of California, Department of Works, Division of Highways. The main
differences are that the Australian standard retains the Series A alphabet,
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because of its occasional use where space is limited, and includes narrow and
medium spacings in addition to the wide spacing used in the Californian Traffic
Manual.
The revision differs from the AS E37 — 1960 in the following respects:
(a) Two additional alphabets have been included, viz the Modified Series E
alphabet, and the Lower Case alphabet.
(b) Undimensioned outlines of each character are given. The only dimensions
now included are tables of heights and widths.
(c) Three standard spacings — narrow, medium and wide — have been included.
(d) Letter spacings now vary according to the stroke width of the letter series
used, as well as with letter size in each of the three standard spacings.
It is recommended that the new alphabets and spacings should be used on all
new signs, and on all replacements of existing signs which have outlived their
usefulness.
The Association wishes to acknowledge the assistance received from the U.S.
Department of Commerce and the Californian Department of Public Works in
regard to the documents used as a basis for the standard, from the National
Association of Australian State Road Authorities in regard to the drafting of the
standard, and from the Department of Main Roads, N.S.W. in regard to the
preparation of the drawings of character outlines and computation of the tables.
3 AS 1744—1975

CONTENTS
Page
SP EC IFICATION
1 Scope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. . 4
2 Forms and Sizes of Letters and Numerals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. ... 4
3 Spacings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. ... 4
4 Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. ... 4
4.1 Series A to F Alphabets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. . 4
4.2 Modified Series E and Lower Case Alphabets . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. . 4
4.3 Spacing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. ... 4
4.4 Calculation of Word Lengths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... 4
ALPH AB ETS
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Series A — Letter and numerals forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 5


Series B — Letter and numerals forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . 10
Series C — Letter and numerals forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . 15
Series D — Letter and numerals forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . 20
Series E — Letter and numerals forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . 25
Series F — Letter and numerals forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . 30
Modified Series E — Letter and numeral forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . 35
Lower Case — Letter forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . 40
TABLES
1 Series A Letter and Numeral Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 9
2 Series B Letter and Numeral Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 14
3 Series C Letter and Numeral Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 19
4 Series D Letter and Numeral Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 24
5 Series E Letter and Numeral Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 29
6 Series F Letter and Numeral Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 34
7 Modified Series E Letter and Numeral Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 39
8 Lower Case Letter Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 43
9 Series A to F Letter and Numeral Spacings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 44
10 Modified Series E and Lower case Letter Spacings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 46
AS 1744—1975 4

STANDARD ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA

Australian Standard Specification


for
FORMS OF LETTERS AND NUMERALS FOR ROAD SIGNS

1 SCOP E. This specification gives the forms and 3. SPA CINGS . Spacings are shown as follows:
dimensions of a range of letters and numerals to be Table 9 Series A to F Letter and Numeral
used on standard road signs specified in AS 1743, Spacings
Road Signs, and AS 1742, Manual of Uniform Traffic
Control Devices. The specification also gives the Table 10 Modified Series E and Lower
spacings to be used in setting out the letters and Case Letter Spacings
numerals. The spacings dimensions given are for the 640 mm
The specification comprises: Series E alphabet and numerals with wide spacing, and
the 640 mm Modified Series E and 480 mm Lower
(a) Six alphabets of capital letters and sets of Case alphabets. To obtain other spacings multiply by
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numerals ranging in width from narrow letters the appropriate factor shown in the tables.
(Series A) to board letters (Series F),
together with tables giving the height and Spacing between letters or numerals is the horizontal
width of these letters and numerals in distance between the extreme right edge of the
seventeen standard sizes ranging from preceding letter or numeral, and the extreme left edge
40 mm to 640 mm in height. of the following letter or numeral.
(b) One alphabet of Modified Series E capital NOTES:
letters and set of numerals, and one alphabet 1. Medium and narr ow spacings are respectively
of lower-case letters, together with tables 0.75 and 0.50 ti mes wide spacing.
giving the height and width of these letters 2. Spacing factors (Table 9.2) are derived from the
and numerals in thirteen standard sizes rati os of lett er height, stroke width and type of
spacing;
ranging from 120 mm to 640 mm in height for
the capital letters and numerals, and 90 mm e.g. for Series A 560 mm letters medium spacing—
to 480 mm in height for the lower-case
letters. These alphabets are for use Spacing factor =
conjointly.
= 0.358
NOTE: The modif ied Series E capital alphabet is the
Seri es E capital alphabet with the str oke width widened 4. APP LICATION.
to one-fift h of the letter height. 4.1 Series A to F Alphabets. Different series of
(c) Spacing tables for the Series A to F letters capital alphabets may be combined on the one sign
and numerals. provided that the same series is used in each line of
(d) Spacing tables for Modified Series E and the legend.
Lower Case letters. Series A to F alphabets shall not be used with the
2. FORMS AND SIZES OF LETTERS AND Lower Case alphabet, except where the Lower Case
NU MER ALS. The forms of letters and numerals, and alphabet is required to denote a unit, e.g. m, km, and
their dimensions, are shown as follows: t denoting metres, kilometres and tonnes, respectively.
In this case the stroke width of the Lower Case
Series A — Tables 1 alphabet shall not exceed the stroke width of the
Series B — Tables 2 numeral preceding it.
Series C — Tables 3
Series D — Tables 4 4.2 Modified Series E and Lower Case Alphabets.
Series E — Tables 5 The Modified Series E alphabet shall be used in
Series F — Tables 6 conjunction with the Lower Case alphabet. It may also
Modified Series E — Tables 7 be used separately as for other capital alphabets.
Lower Case — Tables 8 Lower case letter heights shall be 0.75 times capital
The forms are shown in characters 50 mm high on letter heights.
5 mm squares. To obtain forms in other heights, 4.3 Spacing. Narrow, medium and wide spacings may
increase the size of the squares proportionately and be used with Series A to F letters and numerals. Wide
transfer manually, or use any enlarging process which spacing only as given in Table 10 should be used with
maintains the correct proportions. As line width Modified Series E letters and numerals and Lower Case
becomes significant when the characters are enlarged letters.
the centre-line of the line forming the outline should be For spacing between words see AS 1743.
used to obtain the true shape of the form in
enlargements. 4.4 Calculation of Word Lengths. Word lengths are
calculated by adding the letter widths and spacings.
The stroke width and letter height of each alphabet, The calculations may be greatly reduced by generating
including the Lower Case alphabet, equals the width tables combining the letter widths and spacings for
and height respectively of the letter ‘I’ or ‘i’ of the each possible combination of letters or numerals.
alphabet, whichever is appropriate. All letters and
numerals having an arc top or bottom are extended
slightly above and below this basic size.
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AS 1744-1975, Forms of letters and numerals for


road signs (known as Standard alphabets for road
signs)
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