A question about the choice of fonts

[Lance]

A general graphic design type question.

TOS had its own font for the logos. The TOS movies had their own font for the logos. TNG had its own font for the logos. And the TNG movies also had their own fonts for the logos. Even ENT got its own font for its logo. Yet, they decided to use the TOS movie font for DS9 and VOY. In my best impression of the wormhole aliens: ''Why is this?''

I guess what I'm looking for is why they'd choose that particular font. I do know that on the very earliest documents DS9 actually still used the TNG font, but somebody evidently went back and decided that the TMP font was better...

Has anyone behind-the-scenes ever talked about this?

 

[JonnyQuest037]

I've seen some early DS9 ads that used a different typeface. The main thing I remember about it is that the "A"s were in the shape of the Starfleet arrowhead. It was changed to the movie-era font by the time the show premiered, though.

It was probably nothing more complex than someone behind the scenes just deciding that the movie typeface looked better.

 

[C.E. Evans]

I've seen some early DS9 ads that used a different typeface. The main thing I remember about it is that the "A"s were in the shape of the Starfleet arrowhead.

I still have that ad.
http://www.treknews.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/star-trek-ds9-original-logo.jpg
They were using that font when Paramount was originally selling the show to local stations before even a minute of footage was shot (the design of the station hadn't even been finalized yet, so they were using a stock photo of Spacedock One in the trade adverts).

They both just temporary placeholders.

 

[Tosk]

The same reason the TMP theme became the TNG theme. Someone high up liked it more than the alternative.

DS9 did get a modified version though, the As and Es were made to join up instead of having gaps in them as with the original version.

 

[Forbin]

Same reason the NX-01 looked like an upside-down Akira - Rick Berman is a lazy hack.

 

[MacLeod]

Or why pay someone to design a new font, when you can use what you already have?

 

[JonnyQuest037]

I've seen some early DS9 ads that used a different typeface. The main thing I remember about it is that the "A"s were in the shape of the Starfleet arrowhead.

I still have that ad.
http://www.treknews.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/star-trek-ds9-original-logo.jpg
They were using that font when Paramount was originally selling the show to local stations before even a minute of footage was shot (the design of the station hadn't even been finalized yet, so they were using a stock photo of Spacedock One in the trade adverts).

They both just temporary placeholders.

Yep, that's the one. It's not bad, but the movie font is better.

Same reason the NX-01 looked like an upside-down Akira - Rick Berman is a lazy hack.

Yeah, damn him for not having every single aspect of his series figured out years in advance! How DARE he?!?

 

[C.E. Evans]

I've seen some early DS9 ads that used a different typeface. The main thing I remember about it is that the "A"s were in the shape of the Starfleet arrowhead.

I still have that ad.
http://www.treknews.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/star-trek-ds9-original-logo.jpg
They were using that font when Paramount was originally selling the show to local stations before even a minute of footage was shot (the design of the station hadn't even been finalized yet, so they were using a stock photo of Spacedock One in the trade adverts).

They both just temporary placeholders.

Yep, that's the one. It's not bad, but the movie font is better.

I actually thought using the movie font for DS9's logo was uninspired and even doubly so for VOY's logo. I'd rather they have gone with something original for every Trek series or to have continued using the TNG font as DS9 and VOY were spinoffs of TNG.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

Rightly or wrongly, I took the use of the TMP font in DS9's title card as a deliberate effort to brand the show as an official entry in the Star Trek universe, as if to say "this is Star Trek, too." I read it as telegraphing an insecurity on the part of the showrunners that it might not be accepted as "true Star Trek."

When it came to VOY, I took it as a further attempt basically to do the same. "This is also more Star Trek" is how I read it.

 

[cultcross]

^ I agree, and in fact more generally that font became indicative of the Star Trek brand - although the TOS and TNG fonts were still used for those titles and logos, if you wanted some more generic text to look 'Star Trek branded', you'd use the TMP font or a variation of it. Consistent branding helps turn a group of similarly themed shows into a franchise.

 

[JonnyQuest037]

Rightly or wrongly, I took the use of the TMP font in DS9's title card as a deliberate effort to brand the show as an official entry in the Star Trek universe, as if to say "this is Star Trek, too." I read it as telegraphing an insecurity on the part of the showrunners that it might not be accepted as "true Star Trek."

Well, it's good to remember what a radical move DS9 was at the time. It was the very first Trek series not created by Roddenberry, and the very first one not to take place on a starship named the Enterprise. Heck, we weren't very far out from GR's death when it was announced. It could've easily been rejected by the public altogether.