Legibility of 3D printed typography at smaller sizes

Gabrijelčič Tomc, Helena (author), Culjkar, Petra (author), Zupin, Živa (author), Možina, Klementina (author)

The aim of the research was to investigate the usability and legibility of 3D printed typeface characters in smaller sizes. In the experimental investigation two software programs for letter modelling, three typefaces, three type sizes, two weight options, and two printing materials were tested. The samples were analysed visually and with image analysis. The legibility tests were conducted in laboratory conditions and testing chamber. The participants were asked to read pangrams and answer close-ended questions. The reading speed and understanding of the text were measured and analysed. It was found that the success of printing parts of letters, as well as their recognition and visual evaluation, is most often influenced by two analysed factors, i.e. weight option and type size, in all three typefaces. We established that the type size is statistically significant, and that the typographic tonal density is influenced by the typeface and the material used.

• Language: English
• Keywords: 3D printed typeface, legibility, multivariate analysis of variance, typographic tonal density, FDM technology
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: NTF - Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2023
• Number of pages: Str. 2091–2105
• Numbering: Vol. 66, no. 12
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-154373
• UDC: 655:655.24
• ISSN on article: 0014-0139
• DOI: 10.1080/00140139.2023.2184368
• COBISS.SI-ID: 148051715
• Publication date in RUL: 12.02.2024

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Ergonomics
• Shortened title: Ergonomics
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• ISSN: 0014-0139
• COBISS.SI-ID: 3120911

Licences

• License: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
• Description: The most restrictive Creative Commons license. This only allows people to download and share the work for no commercial gain and for no other purposes.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: 3D tiskana tipografija, čitljivost, analiza variance, tipografska tonska vrednost, FDM tehnologija

Projects

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: P2-0213
• Name: Tekstilije in ekologija

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Name: Infrastructural Centre RIC UL-NTF