front numbers on mlb jerseys

[zilch]

Looking at color werx 2012 mlb style sheets I noticed that the Dodgers have a seperate front number that is bolder than the back number. My question is are they the only team taht does this? I can't speek for other teams, but watching the cardinals it seems that they are wider kinda like the tv numbers on some of the sleeves and shoulders of the nfl and nhl jerseys.

[The_Admiral]

In the default block number set that most teams use, I believe all front numbers are thicker, shorter, and wider than their back counterparts.

[BBTV]

In the default block number set that most teams use, I believe all front numbers are thicker, shorter, and wider than their back counterparts.

I think the Dodgers' front number is even more thicker and dis-proportioned than most teams' though.

[zilch]

In the default block number set that most teams use, I believe all front numbers are thicker, shorter, and wider than their back counterparts.

Do you by chance have an image of these? All I have are the back numbers and letters.

[andrewharrington]

This is done so that the number, when sized down, appears to hold the same visual weight as the larger numbers on the back, while maintaining the legibility of the back number. The same theory holds true for fonts, like those that newspapers use. The articles are set in the standard 'text' weights, usually some combination of light, book, roman/medium, and bold. Then there will be a 'caption' font with the same characteristics and style. These letterforms are proportionally much bolder, though, the serifs thicker, and the characters generally wider so that the caption text stays legible and maintains the same visual weight as the larger text weights. There's also a set of 'display' weights for large text. The weight of these is proportionally lighter, the serifs thinner, etc. so that the larger letterforms don't appear too thick when compared to the normal text.

Another time this sort of thing should be done, but is not always done, mostly because of laziness or lack of knowledge, is when you have a logo that is used both in its positive and negative form.

EXAMPLE

The white letterforms on the dark background appear thicker, heavier and closer together than the dark letters on the white background. The letters of the reversed logo on the dark background need to be thinned out ever so slightly and spaced apart a tiny bit, or vice versa, so the two visually hold the same weight. Some logos also have a separate version that is to be used at extremely small sizes that is altered to appear more proportionally accurate to the large version.

[zilch]

Thanks!! Pretty educational. Now on the numbers you just can't stretch them then add a small border to make them thicker cause it would mess up the proportion of the numbers correct. Hope this makes sense. Kinda like the vertical part of the number on a 5 would be thicker than the horizontal part of a 5

[andrewharrington]

Yeah. You wouldn't stretch the numbers. You would just widen them by extending the length of the horizontal parts. Then the numbers with angles (generally 4 and 7, sometimes 2) need to be slightly redrawn. Once they're widened, you can usually just add a little stroke to them to get the right weight, at least on most athletic block fonts, since they're just made of angles and lines.

[zilch]

Yeah. You wouldn't stretch the numbers. You would just widen them by extending the length of the horizontal parts. Then the numbers with angles (generally 4 and 7, sometimes 2) need to be slightly redrawn. Once they're widened, you can usually just add a little stroke to them to get the right weight, at least on most athletic block fonts, since they're just made of angles and lines.

Is there a certain standard width that each number has... say you made a 4" tall box by whatever the standard width is then make the number to that size width?