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CBS2 Arial Fonts/Graphics


commentator12

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It's a phenomenon known as "the station being cheap". If you notice the spate of rebrandings lately, you'll see stations adopting Myriad, Helvetica, and Arial left and right. All three are tremendously easy to access. Arial is installed on nearly every single computer, Helvetica is a default font on the Mac, and Myriad Pro is bundled with all Adobe applications.

 

Granted, a lot of this is also designer choice. Even in the preceding package, it seemed that someone at WCBS had an affinity for Windows' default fonts. The news logo used Verdana, lower thirds used Trebuchet MS.

 

I think it detracts from the package, myself. The overall look is pretty solid, it's just the font choice that continues to bug me...

I think I'm the only one in the world but I don't understand this hatred of some of those common fonts. It gives CBS 2's graphics a clean, modern look. But for some reason, no one else likes Arial.

 

I agree. I like it.

 

What's wrong with being traditional?

 

Does everything have to be super flashy with crazy animation?

I think, personally, it's because Arial has always been a kind of ugly, inconsistent font that works more as a computer UI display font than anything else. As it's also overused by the general public at large, Arial lends a certain amount of inherent cheapness to the look.

 

Helvetica is less cheap - I like the look - but it's been used by SO many stations, in all of its forms, that it's starting to look just as unimaginative and plain.

 

Like I said, WCBS used Verdana and Trebuchet previously, and while they are also extremely common they're not as ubiquitous. Trebuchet in particular is a good, readable on-screen font. KYW uses Myriad now, and used Lucida Grande (the OS X system font) in its previous look. All looked good, so common fonts don't automatically equal bad.

 

And before anyone adds DIN, which is used extensively by NBC, to the list... I understand that the version of DIN they use was customized for them.

And before anyone adds DIN, which is used extensively by NBC, to the list... I understand that the version of DIN they use was customized for them.

 

It is, it's called ArtHouse DIN. But the differences between ArtHouse DIN and regular DIN are pretty much unintelligible. About the Arial thing, I agree... it looks cheap.

The key thing here is originality. I think CH2's news graphics look like a Powerpoint presentation or an infomercial. LOL.

 

I tend to flip the channel to 7 after about 10 minutes. It gets boring.

 

However, I do agree that too much flash and overuse of animations( a la WSVN 7, emulated by Fox5 ) can also get boring and turn viewers off.

 

Arial is not a bad font but it looks bland on the air. WCBS used to have a certain unique quality to its newscasts back in the mid-late 80s and early 90s when they used the Futura font with those Dark red/Grey graphic elements. The glasslike Channel 2NEWS logo("Because anything can happen in New York" slogan) rocked.

 

Even the 1994 abstract teal/orange and black look was better than what they have today. I think WCBS has suffered from complex branding over the years(wether to call it 2news?, News2?, CBS2?, etc.)

 

Just call it Channel 2 News WCBS-TV. Use fonts that are unique and give your brand some sort of identity but limit the animations and keep the lower thirds clean and simple. Keep good anchors and thats it. I think thats what viewers want.

 

How does Interstate or Avenir font sound? WBZ in Boston is using Interstate.(Same font used by The Weather Channel and most road signs).

How does Interstate or Avenir font sound? WBZ in Boston is using Interstate.(Same font used by The Weather Channel and most road signs).

 

Or Antique Olive? WTNH here in New Haven, Connecticut must've used it from 1999 to 2003.

I think I'm the only one in the world but I don't understand this hatred of some of those common fonts. It gives CBS 2's graphics a clean, modern look. But for some reason, no one else likes Arial.

 

I agree too, I don't see anything wrong with it, they do add a bit of shadow to the text so that really lifts the font up. I think a light shadow that is very small in size should always be added to text to lift them up a bit, and they do so there really is nothing wrong with that. I think WABC and WNBC have very nice fonts. The Zurich (WABC) and the Swiss (WNBC) font are both pretty clean and unique, but there really is nothing wrong with the Arial font... CBS 2 uses Final Cut Pro for their graphics and animations so perhaps it's a program limitation or they just have so many templates based on Arial that it would be simply too much work to convert them all...

  • 7 months later...
  • 4 weeks later...

Can someone please help me make a background/ layout something like this: http://media2.wdtn.com/weather/no_bkgrd_7day_full.JPG

 

of course not exact LOL, but I'd like a nice background if possible. Just make the background area where it says PLANNING FORECAST (I can edit text there) and I can probably make a logo... Then I need the table for the icons highs/lows... and an area where I can put the days.. I can probably make something for them using WordArt.

 

then where it says WDTN at the bottom.. put Mikes Radio 105 FM Weather. I'd like something professional like that.. but I don't know how to make one.. whoever designs this for me.. I will be more than happy to advertise your site, Background brought to you by Designer.. etc

 

Thanks!

Why are CBS2 and Fox5 using a font that looks like standard Arial as an on air font? Is it due to the conversion to HD?

 

CBS2 is in HD but I don't think Fox5 has converted yet. Fox5 uses what looks like Arial for its Weather graphics.

 

I also dont think that the chyron operator cares too much... to them.. a font is a font... and as NTX said... most viewers dont care

Why don't these people use some of the Windows Vista/Office 2008 fonts?

 

I must say, Calibri could look pretty hot on those Hothaus-style looks.

 

Eh. I DOUBT it, at least for graphic design.

 

But hey, it's better than Times New Roman.

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