Monitor (Deutsche Bahn)

Monitor — A custom font for Deutsche Bahn

Cape Arcona Type Foundry has developed the Monitor font for Deutsche Bahn DB.  It’s a non-discriminatory font that has been specially developed for display screens like TFT-based display panels in public transport. This font provides a consistent and legible appearance for travelers throughout the rail network. 

The aim was to create a consistent and legible typeface for all travelers. We developed Regular, Bold, Italic and Bold Italic.

The challenges and our solutions:

Optimized readability: Monitor was specifically designed to be displayed on a dark blue background, ensuring clear, high-contrast legibility even in difficult lighting conditions. 

Digits for time display: The digits are optimized, normalized and aligned to the baseline to ensure accurate and clear time display.

Space-saving design: By shortening the excess length of the umlauts and making the letters narrower, we were able to create a compact and space-saving typeface without compromising legibility.

Icon integration: We have integrated ready-made icons such as airport, stadium, ferry, and other relevant symbols into the family to provide a comprehensive solution for use on display boards.

High legibility: Despite the compact design, legibility remains high.

Monitor also contains the Cyrillic and Greek character set.

The font can be used free of charge for the purpose of displaying travel information in Germany and is available directly from DB Deutsche Bahn.