| Sunday, July 6, 2008 |
21:39 - The Auto Parts Font
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Okay, so you know how Trajan is the Movie Font?
Well, there's this other font I've been noticing everywhere that seems to be the Auto Parts font. I don't know what it's called, but it's one of the most overused fonts I think I've ever seen—on auto and home improvement product packaging.
I was just in an AutoZone today, and I just walked around snapping pictures of products using this font:
Everywhere I turn, there's another one.
Sometimes they're in all caps.
Sometimes not. Ha ha, tricksy work there with the "g"—but it's still that same damn font!
Stretch it vertically all you want, sure.
The brand name and the product name. Nice.
"Retractable" is in some other font, but not "Ratchet Tie Downs".
These guys are honest about it: no fancy stretching or subterfuge. Just your basic Torx key set, with your basic default implementation of The Font.
Prestone is a big believer in The Font™.
...And yet sometimes they seem a little insecure about it. C'mon, you thought all this stretching would make it look original, did you?
WooOOOoo. SmallCaps! Fancy-schmancy, are we? —Not that it helps.
Try it yourself: next time you're in a Home Depot or a Kragen, just look around and see how many products use this font. It's really amazing.
Anybody know what this font is called? If for no other reason than so I can attach a name to my jeering when I see it rolled out in public yet again?
UPDATE: Ahh. Serpentine. I guess that explains why they used it for the instrument panel on the Dodge Viper.
Ha ha ha. I get it now.
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Brian Tiemann
