Well I am in the middle of working on this sign, it is 5'X10' MDO, Downtown part is raised Gemini lettering, and the Robert Lee is a separate 1/2" panel. The rest is paint and vinyl. Customer approved the proof but wanted to change the burgandy color to a little lighter color.
Also doing one just like it only 4x8' and flat lettering.
Any ideas or suggestions. First are the outlines too much or possibly too wide.
Second better font that's more readable and works well for the bottom.
I've been looking at it too much and could you a little shove in the right direction.
Thanks Dave
-------------------- Dave Levesque Angelo Sign 3014 Hemlock San Angelo, TX 76904 Posts: 82 | From: San Angelo, TX | Registered: Jan 2004
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The first thing that hit me right off is there is no breathing room in the main area of the sign. There is not enough negative space.
On the lower section the first thing I see is you have created two nice resting area for my eyes to nest on the ends of the copy, directing me away from reading the copy.
Although at this point, seeing as the customer has already approved the layout changing it my seem like it might cause trouble.
Personally I would try to put the copy under Robert Lee, on seperate panels hanging under the sign and redesign the copy to read more comfortably.
Oh and I think thicker poles would carry that sign much better.
Just my opinion~
-------------------- Bob Rochon Creative Signworks Millbury, MA 508-865-7330
"Life is Like an Echo, what you put out, comes back to you." Posts: 5149 | From: Millbury, Mass. U.S. | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
Negative space, negative space, negative space. I can't say it enough. See how much easier it is to read the small copy at the bottom. One of the reason is that there is negative space around it.
-------------------- Laura Butler Vision Graphics & Sign 4479 Welch Rd Attica, Mi 48412 Posts: 2855 | From: Attica, Mi, USA | Registered: Nov 2000
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Dave, You need to adjust the kerning on the Gemini letters, and if it's not too late, order slightly smaller ones. The Robert Lee part is fine....maybe do some faux marbeling or wood-graining on that panel. What I really dislike is your use of abbreviations on the bottom! I try to avoid them. An italic font is always difficult to read, too. Maybe try something like Justice System, a Win95 font that has a serif/Roman look but is not italic. Just trying to help. Love....Jill
-------------------- That is like a Mr. Potato Head with all the pieces in the wrong place. -Russ McMullin Posts: 8834 | From: Butler, PA, USA | Registered: Jan 2001
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posted
Very nice effort on the design. I like the reverse panel with Robert Lee, and I think the colour works fine with the burgandy background. I would like to see you tweek a couple of things:
1) Bring the word "DOWNTOWN" closer to the centre of the sign by tightening up the kerning between the letters, and fattening up the letters and outline. The 'D' should start around the centre of the letter R in Robert, and end in the centre of the last E in Lee. This will ensure that you have nice, heavy negative space all around your wording...called 'marginal-space'.
2)Tighten up the space between the lines of your sub copy at the bottom....make that T almost touch the lowercase g.
3) Add a border to the sign that is at least as thick as the vertical stroke in the letter R in Robert. Make the border colour a deep/dark shade of either the background or reverse panel colour.
4) bring the scrolls closer to the word downtown. Your objective is to have more negative space around the outside of all your lettering than within.
5) I think the bottom of the sign shape would look nice with a small curve that would compliment the top of the shape. This will also add more negative space to the margin and force the eye up into the optical centre of the sign.
5) double the weight of the posts, or even triple.
Please try this and let us see the results. Good luck.
posted
Thanks Nancy, Yours is the kind of post that I like to print out and keep for reference. Positive, good, consise, directions on improvement. I'll be adding Dave's picture and your comments to my learning file. Thanks for taking the time to answer.
-------------------- “Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?” -Winnie the Pooh & A.A. Milne
Kelly Thorson Kel-T-Grafix 801 Main St. Holdfast, SK S0G 2H0 ktg@sasktel.net Posts: 5496 | From: Penzance, Saskatchewan | Registered: May 2002
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...You can't get better advice than Nancy's. All I can add is for you to read MASTERING LAYOUT by John Stevens. ...PLEASE!... In it he explains WHY Nancys tips are correct.
posted
Thanks to all, you all have good points and I do have my hands tied a little as the sign has already been proofed. Oddly enought a majority of the things that you mentioned.
Rounder bottom as well as top, having the listing of shops etc.. on additional hanging panel and some different color options that really made the copy pop. Sure enough client didn't want that one, wanted to pick their own color background and do away with the hanging panel. The proof you see is a morph of what I would like to do and what they want.
Anyhow, things I can do is make the post heavier, bring the lettering into the middle more and change the color of the border to a darker shade of the original background. For future reference I definately will get the layout book you recommend knowing simple things like Nancy mentioned will help me a great deal especially in the early design.
By the way what are some of the processes you use to make post heavier. This project is cedar post but I have seen many heavy post on portfolio pics and can't tell how some of you do it.
Thanks for the help Dave
-------------------- Dave Levesque Angelo Sign 3014 Hemlock San Angelo, TX 76904 Posts: 82 | From: San Angelo, TX | Registered: Jan 2004
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Yeah. Read the one by Mike Stevens. The book by John Stevens is not nearly as good. lol. (MASTERING LAYOUT is an excellent book on sign layout...I think SignCraft carries it).
-------------------- William Bass wjb71@bellsouth.net Northwest Florida Posts: 636 | From: Pensacola, FL | Registered: Aug 2004
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