Comments on: The signs have it http://secondavenuesagas.com/2009/08/27/the-signs-have-it/ A New York City Subway Blog Mon, 13 Feb 2012 02:56:30 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Marc E. http://secondavenuesagas.com/2009/08/27/the-signs-have-it/#comment-64171 Marc E. Fri, 28 Aug 2009 05:38:51 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/?p=3758#comment-64171 Ooops: http://www.aiga.org/content.cfm/the-mostly-true-story-of-helvetica-and-the-new-york-city-subway?pp=1 Ooops: http://www.aiga.org/content.cf.....ubway?pp=1

]]> By: Marc E. http://secondavenuesagas.com/2009/08/27/the-signs-have-it/#comment-64170 Marc E. Fri, 28 Aug 2009 05:38:35 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/?p=3758#comment-64170 Speaking of signage, here's a great article on the intertwined/parallel histories of Helvetica and NYC's subway signage. It details almost every part of the transition from the original unorganized signage to the somewhat unified system based on the system originally created by graphic design legend Massimo Vignelli and his associates at Unimark 40 years ago. Speaking of signage, here’s a great article on the intertwined/parallel histories of Helvetica and NYC’s subway signage. It details almost every part of the transition from the original unorganized signage to the somewhat unified system based on the system originally created by graphic design legend Massimo Vignelli and his associates at Unimark 40 years ago.

]]> By: Adam http://secondavenuesagas.com/2009/08/27/the-signs-have-it/#comment-64167 Adam Fri, 28 Aug 2009 02:28:01 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/?p=3758#comment-64167 The transit museum ran a series of tours a year or so ago and one of them was a tour of the NYCT sign shop out in Crown Heights. http://www.nyartbeat.com/event/2008/0BBD It's a pretty impressive operation, smaller than one would think, and if I recall correctly, they make over 120,000 decals a year, though many of those are for in-house stuff that the customers never see. Some are put on aluminum and mounted in the stations while some are put directly on existing signs. And they constantly replace these "patched" signs with high quality, durable, painted signs. Apparently there are over 75,000 "customer" signs in the entire subway system, something like 10 at the smallest station and over 800 at the largest. A major route change (like after 9/11) will require 5,000 of those signs to be changed over a few weeks. Highly recommended if they ever have it again. The transit museum ran a series of tours a year or so ago and one of them was a tour of the NYCT sign shop out in Crown Heights.

http://www.nyartbeat.com/event/2008/0BBD

It’s a pretty impressive operation, smaller than one would think, and if I recall correctly, they make over 120,000 decals a year, though many of those are for in-house stuff that the customers never see. Some are put on aluminum and mounted in the stations while some are put directly on existing signs. And they constantly replace these “patched” signs with high quality, durable, painted signs.

Apparently there are over 75,000 “customer” signs in the entire subway system, something like 10 at the smallest station and over 800 at the largest. A major route change (like after 9/11) will require 5,000 of those signs to be changed over a few weeks.

Highly recommended if they ever have it again.

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