Laura,
There are many published studies concerning legibility of type.  One of
the better ones is Jan Tschichold's book, <The Form of the Book: Essays
on the Morality of Good Design>.

In short, most of the studies hold that, when legibility is the goal,
headlines should be san-serif and that text should be serif.

The choice of typeface is a function of size of type and distance between
label and reader.  Leading, the space between lines of type, and kerning,
the space between letters in a word, can each be adjusted to fit a space
and to accomodate the distance between label and reader.

Jack C. Thompson
Thompson Conservation Lab
Portland, OR

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On Thu, 9 Nov 1995, Laura H. Firth wrote:

> I'm working with a graphic designer on the exhibit graphics for a new freshwat
er
> aquarium and we're interested in using a typeface other than Palatino or Optim
a.
>
>
> Does anyone know if any studies have been published on typefaces and their
> readability in museum settings?
>
> In addition to structured evaluations, what have been your experiences with
> various faces?
>
> Thanks for sharing your expertise,
>
> Laura H. Firth
> Interpretive Exhibits Writer
> [log in to unmask]
>