An exhibition title and an object label have different jobs
The Smithsonian’s accessible exhibition design guidelines recommend readily legible text and restrict all-capitals text mainly to titles and decorative headings. They advise against script and italic type for essential information, and call for a clearer nearby version when an ornate exhibition title functions as a graphic. This is guidance about communication in a gallery, not a declaration that every museum uses one official font.
Build a complete label rather than a single attractive name
Prepare an actual object title, creator or maker, date, material, accession detail and short interpretation. Decide which facts belong together before applying bold or changing size. Compare Inter and Source Sans 3 as independent reading specimens and Lora as a simple serif comparison. Make the hierarchy clear without requiring the visitor to decode several different styles. If the object has an uncertain attribution or date, retain that qualification rather than letting the layout hide it.
Judge the text where visitors will read it
Print a full-size label and position it at the proposed location with representative lighting. Check contrast, glare, viewing distance and whether another visitor can block the reading position. The Australian Museum’s label guidance, presented through its Older Audiences study, recommends mixed-case body text, strong contrast and avoiding decorative body faces. Treat its numerical examples as scoped exhibition guidance, not a universal formula that replaces a site-specific reading trial.
Provide an alternative reading route as part of the system
Keep the label text in an editable, structured source so a larger-print version can preserve titles and object order. The National Portrait Gallery provides downloadable large-print exhibition texts as an example of this separate format. For an independent exhibition, identify labels consistently and keep the alternative version easy to locate. Changing a font alone cannot supply an audio description, tactile interpretation or accessible route through the gallery.
Your questions, answered.
Is there a standard museum font?
The cited museum guidance focuses on readable letterforms, text hierarchy and viewing conditions rather than prescribing one family for every institution.
Should the decorative exhibition title also be used for every caption?
Usually the caption needs a separate reading decision. Smithsonian guidance calls for a clearer nearby version when the ornate exhibition title functions as a graphic.
Sources & background
Sources supporting this page’s explanations. Practical examples are our editorial suggestions.