A legibility study was performed to investigate the effects of scale factors, graduation marks, orientation of scales, and reading conditions on the speed and accuracy of reading moving-tape instruments. Each of 150 Air Force Officers made 150 self-paced readings from slides of hand drawn tape instruments. Error was expressed as the magnitude of deviation of a subjects' verbal response from the set scale value. An analysis of variance was performed on the mean error scores, standard deviations of error, mean reaction times, and standard deviations of reaction times. The results clearly favored the 1 7/8 inch scale factor over the 1 3/8 inch and the 2 3/8 scale factor. The use of 9 graduation marks was superior to either 0, 1, 3, or 4 graduation marks. Reading conditions had little effect on performance. Horizontal scales were read more rapidly but no more accurately than vertical scales.