Equestrian Bliss

[annc]

A few weeks ago, when we were still on CIS, I started a thread about the new logo chosen for the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI). The one with the horse image embedded in it, if you remember.

Last night I received the brand guidelines, which include the typefaces to be used. The first level typeface is Bliss, designed by Jeremy Tankard. Nice and clean, and OpenType, which is a good move.

The second level typeface to be used is Verdana. Verdana? This is what the brand guidelines have to say:

Verdana has been chosen to complement the Bliss in
internal documents such as regulations and other
publications, correspondence and digital applications.

I can see the point of using Verdana in digital publications. The Brand Guidelines themselves are set in Bliss at a very small size, which is barely readable on the screen at 150%. But for regulations, and other printed publications?

What do you think of this?

[Michael Rowley]

Anne:

'What do you think of this?'

Perhaps FEI regulations etc. are read more often on computer monitors. Apart from that, Bliss is quite nice, but there seem to be a lot of weights, so it will be quite expensive to have the full set; Verdana, on the other hand, is free.

[annc]

Originally Posted by Michael Rowley

Anne:

'What do you think of this?'

Perhaps FEI regulations etc. are read more often on computer monitors. Apart from that, Bliss is quite nice, but there seem to be a lot of weights, so it will be quite expensive to have the full set; Verdana, on the other hand, is free.

Bliss is very expensive. One site has it at 125 pounds sterling per weight. However, for major publications such as event schedules, we must use Bliss. I've asked the Australian National Federation to supply me with at least three weights.

The regulations are often viewed on monitors, as they are downloadable from the FEI site in Acrobat format. I never print them, because I can search them easily online.

[don Arnoldy]

Originally Posted by annc

Verdana has been chosen to complement the Bliss in
internal documents such as regulations and other
publications, correspondence and digital applications.

I think that, though they can impose the new look on the graphic designers and marketing folks, the lawyers, secretaries and accountants who work for them refuse to adapt to anything that isn't pre-installed by microsoft.

[annc]

Originally Posted by don Arnoldy

I think that, though they can impose the new look on the graphic designers and marketing folks, the lawyers, secretaries and accountants who work for them refuse to adapt to anything that isn't pre-installed by microsoft.

I think they'are actually Mac-based, at least partly. They're FileMaker Pro-friendly, and even use it with Lasso on their web site.

I was impressed that they'd chosen an OpenType face.

But I'm not sure I approve of Verdana for print stuff.

[Richard Hunt]

Originally Posted by annc

Bliss is very expensive. One site has it at 125 pounds sterling per weight.

Ouch. Fine for their head office, but I bet that lots of people will just use whatever's nearest on their machine. Bet you end up with a lot of folks using Trebuchet or Tahoma.

Richard Hunt

[LoisWakeman]

Ann,

I have been asked to make document templates for a client, and one of the variants they asked for was using Verdana for body copy. You can mitigate the worst effects in print (and on screen) by increasing the leading, but for me, it is just too dense to read comfortably. If one must use a typeface hinted for web use, Georgia would be a better choice for print, IMO. Or to hark back to my other post, a Palatino variant - much more elegant than boring old TNR!

[annc]

Originally Posted by LoisWakeman

Ann,

I have been asked to make document templates for a client, and one of the variants they asked for was using Verdana for body copy. You can mitigate the worst effects in print (and on screen) by increasing the leading, but for me, it is just too dense to read comfortably. If one must use a typeface hinted for web use, Georgia would be a better choice for print, IMO. Or to hark back to my other post, a Palatino variant - much more elegant than boring old TNR!

I agree that if a compromise is necessary, Georgia would be better in print. But it seems that in its attempt to become more 'worldly', the FEI has decided it needs to appear very modern, and this means sans serif all round.

I'm waiting for the first document mixing Bliss and Verdana to appear. <g>

[annc]

Originally Posted by Richard Hunt

Ouch. Fine for their head office, but I bet that lots of people will just use whatever's nearest on their machine. Bet you end up with a lot of folks using Trebuchet or Tahoma.

Richard Hunt

My bet is that the average volunteer or office worker in a National Federation office will probably just use Times New Roman, Richard. Most people don't even notice the typeface. I recently had to drop a weekly radio schedule sent to me in Word into a job I was doing, and it was a mixture of various weights of Arial, Times New Roman, Book Antiqua, and Bookman Old Style. <g>

[Richard Hunt]

Originally Posted by annc

I recently had to drop a weekly radio schedule sent to me in Word into a job I was doing, and it was a mixture of various weights of Arial, Times New Roman, Book Antiqua, and Bookman Old Style. <g>

Probably worked on by half a dozen people who each used their favourite typeface.

Richard Hunt