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  • 1.  Standardizing the font on data images

    Posted 03-09-2020 13:05

    I have worked in the metallographic field for some time now and have used several types of imaging software packages.

    A pet peeve of mine has to do with the micron bar (marker) fonts and sizes that are used, some just don't look right in my opinion.

    Would it be wrong to do a survey and possibly standardize at least the font used in digital images?  Anyone have suggestions or thoughts on this?



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    Rodney Bentz
    Mager Scientific, Inc.
    Fenton MI
    (734) 476-5224
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  • 2.  RE: Standardizing the font on data images

    Posted 03-10-2020 10:25
    I could see there being a recommendation, in an ASTM standard for instance. But I don't really see a reason to standardize the font, if by that you mean forcing everyone to use the same font. I use Clemex software, and I can select whatever font and size I want from a standard list, just like in any word processing software. I think allowing flexibility is best unless there is a good technical reason to impose some standard.

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    Ken Kirby
    Snap-on, Inc.
    Kenosha WI
    (262) 748-3836
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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Standardizing the font on data images

    Posted 03-11-2020 07:03
    I have to agree with the response to Rodney Bentz.  Each analysis package, indeed each generation of each package, may have a different set of possible parameters and characteristics of the labeling.  Which corner or edge?  What size?  Use all MS Windows fonts?  Can the color or backdrop shade be adjusted?  Can the micron bar be locked in size?  These are all free market choices of the manufacturer.  And once the picture is placed into a printed report the characteristics may be found to be inferior compared to the screen presentation.

    It would indeed be useful to have some guidance in, say, an ASTM standard as to what text features would be useful, so that someone could hold the programmers' feet to the fire to provide at least "conforming" options.  But I'm not holding my breath against that happening.

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    Paul Tibbals, P.E.
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Standardizing the font on data images

    Posted 03-22-2020 07:14

    The "micron" marker - or more generally a "scale bar" (Since Clemex software allows on to use inches, mils & mm) is there for one reason - to calibrate the image and perhaps keep some form of dimensional integrity - the scale bar performs this only to a first order approximation at best.

    In the olden days of "hard" chemical produced "real" photographs a scale bar was enough - but the flexibility of images in the information age overwhelms us all.

    Question: Why a scale bar only in the x-direction -shouldn't there be one in the y-direction (along with a combined uncertainty indication (like 100 ± 1 µm)  ?

    Montages, Mosaics and image editing in MS Word or MS Access (alone) confounds the issue even more.  Jpeg., TIFF,  BMP, RAW, etc. image formats were developed for various needs and not for metallography - in old text metallographic images were sometimes printed in circles (Saueur/Howe) - like looking through an optical metallurgical (hopefully not inverted -save my neck) microscope eyepiece. A semi or full circle as a scale bar would be unique to our science.

    A lot of microscope cameras produced in the far east have very small scale bars in their imaging software and with limited flexibility - simply because the programmers and builders do not use them - and hence no feedback to better the quality.         


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    Edward Vojcak
    Senior Metallurgical Engineer
    SGS North America
    Blue Island IL
    (708) 595-8734
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    Original Message