4.2 Primary identification signs

FIP Manual, January 1998

Introduction

The signs that identify the estimated 18,000 facilities of the government of Canada form an important aspect of the federal identity. This section clarifies FIP policy on the identification of federal facilities, sets out the design standards and provides guidance on how particular requirements may be met. It is intended for designers, facility planners, property managers and administrators.

This section should be used with Chapter 470, “Federal Identity Program” of the Administrative Policy Manual, and the key sections of the FIP Manual, 1.1, “Design” and 1.2, “Message”. The reading of section 4.1, “Signage”, is essential to the proper understanding of the subject.

Scope Guidelines and standards set out the requirements for the design and production of primary identification signs. The purpose of such signs is to identify federal facilities and sites. Depending on the type of facility and its location it may be an exterior or an interior sign.

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Determining the requirements

The requirements for a primary identification sign must be defined. Generally, each sign installation is unique, and should be planned by assessing the user requirements, the type of facility, the sign’s message, placement and method of installation. In certain locations, an advance sign that precedes the primary sign may be needed (Fig. 3).

Use of a primary sign

This is the first sign used to identify a federal facility and therefore appears near the entrance to a building, site or office (Fig. 1). Depending on the nature of the site, more than one primary sign may be needed to identify the principal points of access. Where the installation of an exterior sign is not feasible (e.g. leased accommodation) an interior primary sign is used instead.

Use of an advance sign

A sub-type of the primary sign, the advance sign indicates the distance or direction to a facility that is located off the main thoroughfare or farther along the road (Fig. 2). Thus, an advance sign may convey either a change of direction, confirm the direction of travel or, where required, indicate a distance. It may be an exterior or interior sign and it is always located in advance of the primary sign.

In addition to the federal signature, the message may include a service title, the name of a facility, a directional arrow, or a distance. The message should be as concise as possible, emphasizing the direction or distance.

When indicating a direction on an advance sign, the standard arrow should be used. Rules on the application of the arrow are set out in section 4.3.

Method of installation

The building or site to be identified should be evaluated to determine the most effective method of sign installation. Possible restrictions on the sign’s dimensions or its placement become part of the design criteria and should be known before the layout stage. Generally, free-standing signs are preferred because they provide the most effective means of identifying a building. Where site conditions do not permit a free standing sign, a surface-mounted sign is used instead.

Free-standing sign

Generally, this method of installation is recommended for all exterior applications (Fig. 4). Where feasible, a sign should be installed perpendicular to the flow of traffic and therefore be double-faced. Where site conditions require the sign to be installed parallel to the roadway or building, a single-faced sign is used.

Surface-mounted sign

The majority of interior signs are surface-mounted. This method applies also to exterior signs that are designed to fit specific architectural details (e.g. fascia, transom) and to signs or plaques that are mounted on the surface of a structure (Fig. 5).

Although signs may be mounted on the glass of doors or partitions, no letters or symbols may be applied directly to transparent surfaces. The lack of an opaque background greatly reduces legibility.

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Signature, wordmark and titles

The key message elements on primary signs are the federal signature, the “Canada” wordmark and the titles of organizations and their services.

Federal signature

One of three layouts can be used for primary signs (Fig. 6). In most cases, a one- or two line signature is used. A three-line signature may be used for signs where horizontal space is limited, or where the length of the title requires it.

Flag symbol

For the reasons stated in section 1.1, the modified version of the flag symbol is used for all primary identification signs.

“Canada” wordmark

The medium-weight of the “Canada” wordmark is used for all primary signs (Fig. 7). Design standards prescribe the relative size and position of the wordmark within a sign layout.

Titles of organizations

On all signs, organizations are identified by their applied title rather than by their legal title. Appendix A of Chapter 470 lists the applied titles that have been approved.

Use of service titles

The creation and use of service titles is described in section 1.2. Generally, a service title appears in conjunction with the name of the parent organization. In certain cases, however, it may also be used with the “Government of Canada” signature. Examples are signs for multi-occupancy buildings where the identification of a particular service or program would be more meaningful to the public than the name of the department; such as the service title “Passport Office” rather than “External Affairs Canada” (Fig. 8).

“Government of Canada” signature

This signature (Fig. 9) is used to identify facilities or sites shared by two or more federal organizations. If necessary, the occupant organizations may be identified below the “Government of Canada” signature.

Generally, a sign for a multi-occupancy facility identifies only those organizations that are subject to FIP. In cases where a building is shared with a federal organization exempt from FIP, that organization would normally use a separate sign.

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Message

Guidelines on the creation of messages for primary signs are set out in section 1.2, “Message”. Details on the message content of exterior and interior signs are provided below.

Exterior signs

Brevity of the message is particularly critical on signs that identify multi-occupancy buildings. Rather than identifying the different federal organizations, it is generally preferable to use the street address on the primary sign. In cases where the occupant organizations need to be identified, no more than three titles may appear on the exterior sign. When limiting the number to three, preference should be given to the titles of organizations that provide services directly to the public.

Where a multi-occupancy facility has a separate entrance serving one organization only, that entrance should have a primary sign identifying the federal organization concerned.

Interior signs

When required, an interior primary identification sign may include additional information such as a service title, floor or room number, and hours of operation (Fig. 10).

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Design standards

To achieve consistency in the visual appearance of all primary signs, design standards have been established. These standards, which cover the layout, signage typeface, character sizes and colours, are set out below. For details on the use of the signage typeface consult section 4.5.

All measurements pertaining to the layout are based on the “x”, the unit of measurement used in signage. The character sizes are expressed in millimetres.

Signature layout

To attain visual balance between the symbol and the accompanying title, two size relationships have been established. Based on the number of lines used for the signature, these relationships are described below.

One-line signature

The ratio between the character size and the height of the flag symbol is 1:3 (Fig. 11). For example, when using the 50 mm character size, the height of the flag symbol must be 150 mm, or 3x.

Two-line and three-line signatures

The ratio between the character size and the height of the flag symbol is 1:3.4 (Fig. 12). For example, when using the 50 mm character size, the height of the flag symbol must be 170 mm, or 3.4x.

Size relationships

Table 1 shows the character size with the corresponding height of the symbol using the two ratios referred to above.

Character size ratios

Although a sign can be designed using only one character size, more than one size is generally needed to make the sign effective. By varying the size, emphasis is placed on the main message while secondary information is de-emphasized. Normally, two character sizes are used on a primary sign. If required, three different sizes can be used.

The most commonly used character size relationship is that of 1.5:1. It provides an effective layout with good legibility. Depending on message length and layout requirements, other ratios such as 1:1, 2:1, 3:1, etc. can be used (Fig. 13). The standard character sizes that can be combined on a sign when using a 1.5:1, 2:1 or 3:1 ratio are presented in Table 2.

For guidance on the selection of the appropriate character size, see “Viewing distance and character size” in section 4.1. For the convenience of the reader, the basic data have been included in this section as well (see Table 3).

Use of standard spaces

To achieve consistency among sign layouts and to assist with their preparation, standard spaces for the position of the graphic elements have been established. These spaces, expressed in number of “x”, are shown in Table 4. The term “message unit” refers to the signature or a paragraph. The application of standard spaces is indicated in Figure 14.

The minimum space referred to in Table 4 may be used to resolve minor problems related to the layout.

The application of the “Canada” wordmark is described elsewhere in this section (see figure 17).

Layout methods

A primary sign is laid out using one of two methods (see “Manual layout” and “Computer-aided layout”).

Regardless of the method used, the layout is based on the principle that the dimensions of a sign are determined by the length of the message and the character size used. Although this principle applies to the majority of sign layouts, there are cases that require a sign to fit a specific dimension. For guidance on preparing a layout for such signs see “Design variations”.

Manual layout

When preparing the layout, the use of grid paper is recommended (Fig. 14). The steps are:

• determine the most effective character size ratio between message units, Table 2;
• determine the character size required, Table 3;
• lay out the message elements by applying the number of “x” required, Table 4;
• determine the approximate sign dimensions by multiplying the number of “x” by the x-height of the character size used.

Computer-aided layout

The majority of sign layouts are prepared with the computer-aided layout system developed by Supply and Services Canada. The system permits the designer to explore various layout options, e.g. character size ratios and line breaks.

A layout is prepared by selecting the appropriate design program and entering the message. The preliminary layout is then modified to meet special requirements (e.g. limitations with respect to dimensions, relationship of layout to the standard blade sizes, and the availability of pre-spaced legends). The printout (Fig. 15) represents a simulated layout and, although it is not true in its proportions, indicates precise dimensions for fabrication and installation.

Relationship between dark grey and light grey areas

To achieve consistency in the appearance of all primary signs, the relationship between the dark grey and the light grey areas has been established (Fig. 16), The following procedure is used to determine the height of the light grey band bearing the “Canada” wordmark:

• prepare the layout for the federal signature and the sign’s message, including all margins;
• measure the height of this layout (i.e. the area that will appear in dark grey);
• calculate 30 per cent of that height;
• compare the result with the standard heights of the band shown in Table 5 and select the height that is closest to it; and
• select the corresponding x-height of the “Canada” wordmark shown in Table 5.

Example: A layout with a height of 1,025 mm would require a light grey band of 308 mm; i.e. 1,025 x 30 + 100 = 308. As shown in Table 5, the closest standard height for the band is 300 mm; the corresponding x-height of the wordmark is 113 mm.

Standard heights of the band

The standard blades of extruded aluminum for the FIP signage system (100 mm, 150 mm and 200 mm) form the basis for the standard heights of the light grey band. The heights shown in Table 5 apply to all signs, regardless of the material used for the substrate.

Relationship between height of band and word-mark

The x-height of the “Canada” wordmark has a precise relationship with the height of the light grey band. The corresponding sizes are shown in Table 5. If required, the x-height of the wordmark can be calculated by referring to Figure 17.

Position of wordmark

The position of the wordmark within the band is indicated in Figure 17.

Standard colours

The numbers below refer to colours shown in CGSB 1-GP-12, Standard Paint Colours. The following standard colours are used for primary identification signs and shall be applied as indicated:

• FIP dark grey (N^o. 501-201) for the part of the sign bearing the signature and message;
• FIP light grey (N^o. 501-224) for the band bearing the “Canada” wordmark (this designation supersedes N^o. 401-303);
• white (N^o. 513-201) for the signature and message;
• black (N^o. 512-201) for the letters in the “Canada” wordmark;
• red for the flag in the wordmark (see below).

On all exterior primary signs, a special, weather-resistant product shall be used. it is specified as: 3M cast-in “tomato” red vinyl N^o. 180-13. For interior primary signs, the red is specified as: FIP red, N^o. 509-211.

Design variations

Certain variations from the design standards may be required when a primary, sign is to be installed in a special location such as a shopping centre. Variations in the use of colour or typeface are not permitted without prior consultation with the Administrative Policy Branch of Treasury Board Secretariat.

Layout modifications

There are instances where a sign must be designed to fit specific architectural details. Typical examples are fascias, transoms or other modular spaces at the side of or above entrances. To integrate a sign into such spaces may require modifications to the layout. In some cases it may simply mean an increase in the margin surrounding the layout to fit the sign to the architectural detail (Fig. 18). In other instances it may require a departure from the standard layout (Fig. 19). Design advice is available from the Administrative Policy Branch of Treasury Board Secretariat.

Note:
Certain signs for leased accommodation may be owned by the lessor and therefore be subject to the building owner’s signage standards. It follows that such signs cannot conform to FIP design standards.

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Special considerations

Heritage buildings

The planning of a primary sign for a heritage building requires special consideration. The size of the sign, its placement and the method of installation are critical factors in maintaining the visual integrity of such buildings.

Depending on site conditions, either a small freestanding sign or a surface-mounted sign (commonly referred to as a plaque) is recommended. Details of the proposed sign installation should be referred to the Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office of Environment Canada for approval.

Existing signs or inscriptions

There may be instances where the installation of a primary sign raises questions on the status of an existing sign, one that originated before the FIP became mandatory such as a metal plaque, building inscription or a Coat of Arms. Many of these signs were designed as an integral part of the architecture or as an ornament and should not be removed or obliterated when the primary sign is installed. Exceptions are cases where the wording on the existing sign would contradict the message of the new primary sign. Where a unilingual building name appears on the face of a building, it would not need to be altered, because the bilingual version of the name can be placed on the primary sign.

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Material requirements

The following CGSB specifications apply to the production of all exterior primary identification signs and are mandatory:

• 109. 1M, Signage System, Extruded Aluminum, FIP
• 109.2M, Letters and symbols, Die-cut Film, FIP.

Although these specifications were developed for exte­rior signs, they may also be used for interior primary identification signs. In cases where a material other than the extruded aluminum blade system is required, it shall conform to CGSB 109-GP-5MP, Signage Materials, Interior and Exterior.

Reproduction of symbols

When preparing dies, films or other items needed for reproduction, the original artwork of the flag symbol and the “Canada” wordmark should be used. The Administrative Policy Branch of the Treasury Board Secretariat keeps the original artwork and will provide it upon request.