Team Numbering - Positioning #4's

[Frog]

You guys who do a lot of sports uniforms, do you treat the number "4" any differently?
I find it often looks wrong when centered.
I find that cheating it over, or even using the vertical stroke as the center may look best.

What is the accepted "proper" way?

This pic shows the difference between the actual center (red line) and the number's center (blue)

[mooseman]

Frog we do not do a lot of numbers and have the same issues.
Typically we visual it shift  the number vs name to what ever looks like the common man would think is "OK" .
Thinking this still leaves you in the dark here is how Stahls presents the layout proof.
mooseman

[Frog]

here is how Stahls presents the layout proof.
mooseman

And, they look way off, right? Especially the single "4"
(btw, their condensed style lessens the visual impact a bit)

[aauusa]

We always place it on the number center.  this way if there is ever an issue we can show that the number is truly centered.  It may look off to the eye but the math says otherwise.  If you do not do this way then each time you do a 4 it will be subjective placement depending on who is adjusting for eyeball correctness.

[Frog]

We always place it on the number center.  this way if there is ever an issue we can show that the number is truly centered.  It may look off to the eye but the math says otherwise.  If you do not do this way then each time you do a 4 it will be subjective placement depending on who is adjusting for eyeball correctness.

You do a lot more of these than I do, so I can't argue,  but are you at least disturbed by the appearance? 

[mooseman]

here is how Stahls presents the layout proof.
mooseman

And, they look way off, right? Especially the single "4"
(btw, their condensed style lessens the visual impact a bit)

Frog
No arguement, when we buy stahs we many times cut the name & number apart and reposition to suit our eye this is what we would do / have done to a Stahls standard Player Perfect vinyl. In this case the correction isn't much but seems to make a difference to our eye at least.

It is what looks good to our eye then we say screw it do it and take our chances...so far so good

[Inkworks]

We shift them left so they look centered. It doesn't matter if it measures centered if it looks wrong. Same goes for and mis-shapen logo/print

[Command-Z]

This comes up often in design, not just centering odd-shaped numbers, but full designs with lots of elements that have a particular unequal visual "weight" to them. Mathematical center often just doesn't look right and you have to eyeball things. It's a little known secret but it happens a lot and nobody seems to notice.

[cyw]

For what it's  worth, I've always used the vertical center post for #4
It's what looks "right" to my eye

Same thing with a lot of logos or embroidery designs
True center doesn't always look centered
If you look at it and start cocking your neck to the right or left to get it mentally centered, chances are you ought to move it

[mk162]

most guys will be drinking when playing ball, so i make sure I drink when I apply numbers....that way it balances out.

I center them side-to-side so that there is even space on both sides of the number to the name above it.

[trebor]

This year we will print over 300,000 numbers onto athletic uniforms. Among those is the digit 4. Place 4's by the center of number regardless of single digit or double digit. Add the digit 1 to either side of the four and it gets crazier. By having multiple people in our facility that do numbers we cannot rely on how it looks to the eye. It creates too many variations. Center, center, center!

[Scobey Peterman]

We would do the single digit like Mooseman.

[stitches4815]

God I hate 4's.  I center it to the name.  That way if some smart ass questions it I can back it up with measurements.

[mooseman]

Frog, interested to know which way you went on this ....can you post a pic of the result?

mooseman

[Frog]

So far, the single 4 has gotten done, and it went like this