Supported Features
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VoiceOver
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Larger Text
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Dark Interface
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Differentiate Without Color Alone
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Sufficient Contrast
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Reduced Motion
SignType
Type sizing for wayfinding
$9.99
Size wayfinding type from visual acuity optics rather than rules of thumb — then check it against the 1:10, MUTCD, USSC and ADA/SEGD benchmarks before you commit.
SignType sizes wayfinding and environmental graphic type from the optics of
human vision, not from a rule of thumb.
Instead of reaching for "one inch per ten feet", it works backward from how the
eye actually resolves detail at distance — the same 5-arcminute threshold angle
behind the Snellen eye chart — so every number it gives you is traceable to a
standard you can cite in a spec.
SOLVE OR EVALUATE
Solve answers "what size do I need?" — enter a viewing distance and get the
required cap height, or enter a height and get the maximum legible distance.
Evaluate answers "is this sign good enough?" — enter a height and distance you
already have, from an existing sign or a client's spec, and see the visual
angle that pairing actually achieves and whether it clears your target.
BUILT FOR REAL CONDITIONS
A letter height that works in a clean, straight-on, well-lit field is not the
same height you need in a crowded retail concourse, on a sign mounted above
eye level, or on a panel that blends into the wall behind it. SignType adjusts
for oblique viewing angle, visual crowding, and sign-to-surround contrast, and
can derive its target angle from a reference object you measured on site.
MEASURED AGAINST THE BENCHMARKS
See where your design falls against the 1:10 rule, MUTCD's practical maximum,
the US Sign Council's observed average, and the leaner 1:50 ADA/SEGD
convention — in mm per metre or as a legibility index in feet per inch.
CONTRAST AGAINST THE STANDARD THAT APPLIES
Check text and background two ways: the WCAG ratio designers already know, and
ISO 21542's Michelson luminance contrast, which is what actually governs
signage — Cm 60% for sign text, 30% for a signboard against the wall behind it.
They are different quantities, not a relabelling, so the app reports both
rather than pretending one substitutes for the other.
Preview the result through eight kinds of colour vision deficiency, and derate
the ratio for the glare your material and lighting will really cost you. On
iPhone and iPad, sample a colour straight from the camera.
REAL TYPE METRICS
Pick a system font or import your own .ttf/.otf. SignType measures cap height
and x-height directly from the glyph outlines, so the point size it reports is
right for that specific face — a generic ratio is wrong for anything condensed
or display.
VEHICULAR SIGNAGE
Road signs are read by a moving viewer under time pressure, so they get their
own model: design speed and message length drive a required reading distance,
divided by a legibility index in the MUTCD-informed 30–50 ft/in range.
EVERYTHING IS LOCAL
No account, no network, no analytics, no tracking. Every calculation runs on
device and your imported fonts stay in the app's own storage.
SignType produces engineering approximations for early-stage design. Verify
against the current WCAG, MUTCD and ADA/SEGD standards before production.
Ratings & Reviews
- This app hasn’t received enough ratings or reviews to display an overview.
The developer, Julian Lum-Smith, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .
Data Not Collected
The developer does not collect any data from this app.
The developer indicated that this app supports the following accessibility features. Learn More
Information
- Seller
- Julian Lum-Smith
- Size
- 6.9 MB
- Category
- Graphics & Design
- Compatibility
Requires iOS 17.0 or later.
- iPhone
Requires iOS 17.0 or later. - iPad
Requires iPadOS 17.0 or later. - Mac
Requires macOS 14.0 or later.
- iPhone
- Languages
- English
- Age Rating
4+
- 4+
- Copyright
- © 2026 Smith&Co. Design
