In typography, it’s not just the glyphs (the letter shapes) that make a typeface work. How each glyph is positioned relative to its neighbors is crucial. Legibility depends on a smooth, predictable rhythm without tightness that could cause letters to clash — or worse yet, gaps that might make a word look like a wo rd. The process of adjusting the distance between adjacent letters is known as kerning. Type designers go to great pains to ensure that their typefaces are properly kerned, and designers develop a keen eye for when a word needs adjusting to maintain optimal legibility. Which is why, as a designer, I’ve always been bothered by this:
Yes, in one of the world’s most photographed rooms, there is an example of typographic malpractice that would get you an instant F in design school. Right in the middle of Wash I Ngton.
As Jen Psaki (pictured) took the podium for the first time as Joe Biden’s press secretary, I tweeted about this. Several people responded that they cannot unsee it now (Sorry). My friend Rob Schnapp provided perhaps the most witty type nerd quip Twitter has ever witnessed. I noticed the fantastic book designer Daniel Benneworth-Gray pointing out that most of the H characters in the sign are upside down!
My friend Sebastian got me thinking. I had to keep digging. When did this atrocity take place? What in the world happened? And who was the guilty party? Had a rogue actor intervened to diminish America’s credibility with pedantic nerds like myself around the world?
I found out that more and more people had noticed this error. Someone posted about it on Reddit 8 months ago. And people on Twitter had been noticing even longer than I had.
In a 1994 press conference, President Clinton’s backdrop was a lovely (and better-kerned) sign in a more classic style…
Which President Bush inherited...
AND WHICH CHANGED DURING HIS TENURE:
Now, while I wouldn’t have been surprised to learn that this happened on 45’s watch, 43 was a pretty close second. The man always misunderestimated the importance of typography.
It turns out that the White House Press Briefing room got a makeover under Dubbya. And with that makeover came the unveiling of a a stately, lovely new sign – with terrible kerning. While Bushwick was bursting with junior designers doing spec logos for ramen money, the Bush administration spent $8.5 million dollars on a redesign without asking someone to double-check the type. What a dis aster.
So that’s the When. How, and Who? The mystery remains. This is a call for help. Do you know who was in charge of the White House press room renovation in 2006? Better yet, do you know someone in the Biden administration or the press corps? Would you put me in touch? I am dead serious. I have a real job (as the CEO of Cantilever, a web design & development consultancy that loves typography) and two children, but the case of #LetterGate has become an obsession. You can email me at ceo@cantilever.co or on Twitter.
I will only rest when this wrong has been righted. Public confidence in government has never been lower. As we designers know, the details matter more than you think. Could fixing the kerning on the White House press briefing room sign help restore faith in our democracy? I don’t know, but it can’t hurt.
Thank you, and may god bless the United States of America. I’ll now open the floor to questions. Not you, OAN. Never you.
UPDATE Feb 1:
I have reached out to the White House office of correspondence. Not expecting a reply. I have also reached out to Jan Psaki’s chief of staff. I’ll keep digging.
