This is my first user-created sign that I made in Photoshop Portable. (The places and road numbers are fictitious!)
I would be interested to know anyone's opinions on this; is it a good attempt or not?

In KeySign or SignPLOT, how would you have created this, and is it designed to the regulations?

Any feedback is appreciated!

I'm afraid it is very clearly something put together in a cheap graphics package, and couldn't pass for the real thing...

• Vertical road is broken around the junction
• Too much space between the roundels and the road
• Road to the left has a rounded end, should be square
• Road ahead has a rounded end, should be arrowed
• Spacing of A1288 looks funny, but not definitely wrong
• Final 8 of A1288 too close to edge of sign
• 13T too large
• One of the route numbers straight ahead should be in brackets
• ½ mile is not centred within the panel, and I think the panel border is too thick

I pretty much agree with that, plus I also noticed the "Brighouse Holme B1245" is in a smaller pt size than the Saltcombe..." bit, which I think is also wrong.


Hope you don't mind, but I quickly knocked up my own version of it, taking into account the problems listed above:




Something still looks odd about it, but I can't quite put my finger on it...

You have basically fixed most of the issues except for three:

* There needs to be a length of arm between the two roundels.

* The roundels may be a bit too close to the upright stub arm.

* The edges where the roundels "cut off" the stub arm need to be curved instead of straight.

Where do you download these pieces of software?

KeySign and SignPlot are technical software packages that cost an fortune (over £1000). The only reason some members have them are due to getting the software for work purposes (Bryn and Haydn, for example, have it as they work for Calderdale BC)

The regulatory symbols are non variants that would be used either.

It'd be 2.0m (6'6") and either 18T or 7.5T.

I think, if I'm correct, in KeySign and SignPlot you couldn't create the old axle weight limit and no vehicles including load over weight shown (the old number T signs) due to there being no designs for them available?

What if a council got special government authorisation to re-use the axle weight limit sign? Looking through the DfT site, there's no design for the axle weight limit diagram of the axle in the sign...

Then the local authority would need to design a special diagram in AutoCAD (or similar) and supply the design as part of their application for special authorisation.

As others have said, really. Vertical text spacing is a lot closer than that too

In any case I think on balance I would use two signs at this location, the regulatory signs need to be highlighted on their own rather than lost in the map sign.

The spacing between the road classification (A/B) and the number is a thin space, not a regular one.

I would add that the diameter of the regulatory signs should be larger (30 s/w for each of these if I remember rightly?) and the right turn symbol should be lengthened between the junction and the first roundel.

But as for the OP's original question... not a bad first effort using non-specialist software, the responses go to show how precise an art sign design can be.

My tuppence worth...

Should the arrows in the width restriction roundel be closer together, maybe?

The lorry in the weight restriction looks too big for the roundel.

Can I also add that the text in the lorry symbol shouldn't be in Transport Heavy.

Here are two more of my own signs:

20T axle weight limit (where's the DfT diagram for this?)

No vehicles carrying load over weight shown, in this case, 17 tonnes.

Maybe in Transport font?

Why is the axle all brown and splodgy?

It's edited from a photo on here; the photo is a mashup of a DfT diagram from the Highway Code and a photo on here.

^^ Honestly, don't mash up diagrams with photos, it'll usually end in tears. If you need a computer-generated axel, find one on the net and use that...



Good first attempts though. It just takes practise in finding out what works and what doesn't, when it comes to graphic design.