TERN
Carrois Type Design · Ralph du Carrois · 2010
A legibility-focused signage typeface designed for the Trans-European Road Network, used on Austrian and Slovakian motorways and Dutch electronic traffic signs.
About
Developed by Ralph du Carrois in collaboration with Erik Spiekermann, TERN draws on Spiekermann's earlier bitmap work and extensive legibility research to produce a typeface suited to high-speed wayfinding. It is supplied in three widths for roman settings and a normal-width italic, covering Latin Extended and Greek scripts. The Netherlands use TERN Bitmap on electronic road signs, while Austria and Slovakia deploy it across physical motorway signage.
Classification
Designed for wayfinding and traffic signage, TERN is a humanist sans-serif optimised for legibility at speed and distance. Its origins in bitmap grids give it a practical, functional character typical of signage-focused typefaces.