Pictograms are everywhere because they make simple and effective signs. Commonly seen in places like airports and railway stations, pictograms can also make effective cartographic symbols. The American Insitute for Graphic Arts has a collection of 50 pictograms “designed for use at the crossroads of modern life” in a collabrative effort with the U. S. Department of Transportation. Pictograms are available for free download and use in eps and gif formats.

Pictograms have also become familiar outside of airports and railway stations, perhaps most notably at events such as the World Cup or the Olympics. Get2Testing (also in German) has a small sample of pictograms from various such events on their site, including some results of surveys to discover which pictogram is most effective. The Japanese Ecomo-Ro Foundation, producers of pictograms from the 2002 FIFA World Cup, also has a sampling of pictograms that go beyond the standard sports or airport facilities collection.