US bans time-honoured typeface (Foggy Bottom takes a stand!)

ABC News Online ^ | Jan 30, 2004 | AFP

[Akira]

In a sign that no matter is too small to affect international diplomacy, the US State Department has issued an edict banning its longtime standard typeface from all official correspondence and replacing it with a "more modern" font.

In an internal memorandum distributed on Wednesday, the department declared "Courier New 12" - the font and size decreed for US diplomatic documents for years - to be obsolete and unacceptable after February 1.

"In response to many requests and with a view to making our written work easier to read, we are moving to a new standard font: 'Times New Roman 14'," said the memorandum.

The new font "takes up almost exactly the same area on the page as Courier New 12, while offering a crisper, cleaner, more modern look," it said, adding that after February 1 "only Times New Roman 14 will be accepted."

"This applies to diplomatic notes," the memorandum said tersely.

There are only three exceptions to the draconian new typographical rules: telegrams, treaty materials prepared by the State Department's legal affairs office and documents drawn up for the president's signature, it said.

The memorandum offered no explanation for the exceptions, leaving foreign service officers to speculate as to whether the White House, US treaty partners and telegram readers are not yet able to handle the change.

[Republicus2001]

i prefer garamond myself or comic sans font

[Republicus2001]

oops! --- i prefer garamond myself or comic sans serif

[weegee]

Now, it's time for Free Republic to reconsider its fonts. Why not something conservative, like Old English Text?

I think that FR has no forced font. You should be able to go into your browser options (like Internet Explorer- Tools, for example) and make the default whatever font you want. I'll stick with the Times New Roman I read FR in, thank you.

[Corin Stormhands]

True story.

When George Allen became Governor in Virginia in 1994, his constituent affairs office sent out the word that the Governor's letters were to be typed in "Romans 13." Before long the rumor was that this was a Biblical reference because Romans Chapter 13 speaks of submitting to those in authority.

The article in the Richmond Times-Disgrace started out with "As soon as the Allen Administration officials stopped laughing..."

[Xenalyte]

From my design-tard standpoint, Courier is one of the ugliest typefaces ever. UGH. If I wanted a typewriter look, I'd use a typewriter.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

good story...

[Xenalyte]

I think this superceeds the previous memo on memo format.

I'll make sure you get another copy of that memo, mmmkay?

[XJarhead]

To be fair, this was just an internal memorandum to ensure consistency in documents. Private companies usually standardize fonts as well. It's just that ABC decided to poke fun at State by playing this up to be a bigger deal than it is.

Courier 12 is a pretty crappy font anyway.

[itsahoot]

Now, it's time for Free Republic to reconsider its fonts

Belonging to the tri-focal group, I set my browser to use Verdana 18, makes it very readable. Of course I have a 23 inch cinema display too.

[Akira]

Anyway, now that State has this problem solved, maybe they could look into how to stop Arab terrorists from getting visas?

First things first. They have not yet even begun to tackle the issue of self-adhesive envolopes vs. those that require a good licking. As we now know, the latter can be deadly if taken to extremes.

Get your priorities straight, troll! ;-)

[Akira]

I know, I know. I didn't mean to imply that Powell considered this 2004's biggest challenge. Armitrage maybe, but not Powell. ;-)

I just couldn't resist posting it.

[BSunday]

Cool Hand Luke updated for the times:

Boss Paul: That ditch memo is Boss Kean's ditch memo and I told him that dirt font in it is your dirt. font. What's your dirt font doing in his ditch memo ?

Luke: I don't know boss.

Boss Paul: You better get in there and get it out boy.

[BSunday]

Cool Hand Luke updated for the times:

Boss Paul: That ditch memo is Boss Kean's ditch memo and I told him that dirt font in it is your dirt. font. What's your dirt font doing in his ditch memo ?

Luke: I don't know boss.

Boss Paul: You better get in there and get it out boy.

[Xenalyte]

A 14 point font is really large. Too much wasted paper for my taste. Large fonts always look childish to me.

For some reason, when called upon to do something internal, some of the ladies at my company use Comic Sans.

I have no idea why they're so attached to it. I think it looks foolish.

[BSunday]

I think it looks foolish

Me too. Hence the name "Comic"

[Mr. Bird]

Looks like there's a new serif in town.

[WSGilcrest]

[King Prout]

Well, as I like Times New Roman and cordially detest Courier, I approve.
I just hope the money spent on the changeover amounts to less than what I paid the IRS this year.

[GSWarrior]

I guess to them sans serif fonts are just grotesque.

It's no akzidenz, that's for sure.

[Redcloak]

Maybe they should consider this font. Somehow, it seems fitting.