I have always believed that fonts are important in wherever you use them. They communicate a lot by themselves. They are extremely important; more so in their use in number plates. India is one place where they have still not standardised the number plates. You have all sorts of fonts in all sorts of languages being used. The road traffic guys came up with a norm that you must use only English and that you can’t have any other stickers or embellishments on the same. A lot of this is being flouted in any case with political patronage being shown to religious affiliation. Worst is the fonts being used. I hated the rounded font that came in with my i-ten. Really crappy.
My wife and I must have knocked the car around a few times and the number plate in front had cracked. Once we got the thing precariously handing by one screw after giving the car at a shop valet service. We are not too fussy about car looks. So just cellotaped the dam plate back in and carried on as usual.
This monsoon the rains washed away the cellotape and voila one day the number plate had vanished. Now to get a new plate. Finally. So go to the place and chosoe for a plate. He shows a few designs but my eye goes on a specific one. It’s the international standard kind of design. He says that this is a radio chip plate that will become compulsory in a years time. The government has just allowed for introduction right now before they clamp down on all the plates. Both of us did not really care for the story. We just thought it looked really nice. The numbers were clear and the plate somehow was just right. That’s the things with fonts. Sometimes they just seem .. right.
Now I have been roaming around with this number plate pretty proud. They cost 5 times as the simple plastic ones. Today Jispa saw the number plate and remarked “you know dad. This number plate looks good.” “ya? What about it?” “The number look clear and somehow the number plate by itself looks good. I like it”
Even an eight year old can see the difference that fonts can make. It is that perceptible.
Here are a few number plates that the Delhi traffic website has put up as wrong designs. These are still better than some of the others that are on the road. In between the fad was to put a silhouette of the maratha king shivaji on it. I don’t know how that meant to be a mark of respect. That the muddy part of your car that you normally don’t even want to touch. Some how the worst offenders are always the right winged political leaners.
My wife and I must have knocked the car around a few times and the number plate in front had cracked. Once we got the thing precariously handing by one screw after giving the car at a shop valet service. We are not too fussy about car looks. So just cellotaped the dam plate back in and carried on as usual.
This monsoon the rains washed away the cellotape and voila one day the number plate had vanished. Now to get a new plate. Finally. So go to the place and chosoe for a plate. He shows a few designs but my eye goes on a specific one. It’s the international standard kind of design. He says that this is a radio chip plate that will become compulsory in a years time. The government has just allowed for introduction right now before they clamp down on all the plates. Both of us did not really care for the story. We just thought it looked really nice. The numbers were clear and the plate somehow was just right. That’s the things with fonts. Sometimes they just seem .. right.
Now I have been roaming around with this number plate pretty proud. They cost 5 times as the simple plastic ones. Today Jispa saw the number plate and remarked “you know dad. This number plate looks good.” “ya? What about it?” “The number look clear and somehow the number plate by itself looks good. I like it”
Even an eight year old can see the difference that fonts can make. It is that perceptible.
Here are a few number plates that the Delhi traffic website has put up as wrong designs. These are still better than some of the others that are on the road. In between the fad was to put a silhouette of the maratha king shivaji on it. I don’t know how that meant to be a mark of respect. That the muddy part of your car that you normally don’t even want to touch. Some how the worst offenders are always the right winged political leaners.
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