The Development of Vidifont

Abstract

Television news broadcasting requires alphanumeric composition processes that do not depend on handsetting or photographic preparation. Vidifont, a synthetic video version of the CBS News 36 alphabet, was especially designed for television requirements: 1) proportional-width and proportionally-spaced letterforms for legibility and maximum character count, and 2) a unique grid structure to reproduce ovoid letter curves and angle strokes. The development of the Vidifont is outlined and illustrated; esthetic values in electronic letterform design are discussed.