What the font?

In the past couple of weeks I have seen font choices for print that were less than desirable and even harder to read. Here are my thoughts:


1. Be careful using serif fonts in reverse. A serif font is a typeface used either bolded in a headline or within the body of text, such as a textbook. The typeface has little marks on the baseline of the letter called serifs. Some popular serif fonts are Times New Roman, Georgia, and New Baskerville. These fonts have a thick-thin style to the lettering, which is why using these typefaces in reverse is not always a good idea. If you have to use a serif in reverse, make sure it has a bold member of the family and use that in reverse; if you don't, the surrounding color will "dissolve" what's left of the letters, making them more difficult to read.


2. If a font is cute, should I use it? This is not an easy question to answer because it depends on what the cute font is and its application. For example, if you are using Curlz as part of a headline in an ad for a salon, then by all means go for it! However, if you are using Edwardian Script ITC in reverse on a business card for a realtor, then it's a bad idea. Why? Script fonts are very cute and pretty (yes, they are) but their uses should be limited. In this case I saw a business card with this particular font on a realtor's business card. The problem came in when the realtor decided her contact information should be put in her cute font. Take out your own business card for a moment, and think about the size of your contact information. Got it? Good. Now, take that same size and apply it to this cute font. See the picture? It's too small to be effective, too small to read. Bad move.


3. Why can't I use my script font in reverse? Answer: Most script fonts do not have a bold member of the family, and because of this a designer may decide to add an outline or stroke to this particular font. The catch becomes when the text moves into a lighter area on the card and suddenly may disappear, simply putting an outline around it won't make it suddenly re-appear. Indeed, in the example above, it not only made the text appear rather muddy (her print shop overprinted the black), but because the outline was rather thick in proportion to the actual size of stroke of the lettering of her cute font, it was very difficult to read her contact information. Remember, she's a realtor, selling real estate. If you can't read her contact information, chances are you're not going to call her home office and ask for her. That blows a potential sale, making her business card ineffective as a marketing tool.


4. Using all caps on serif or san-serif text is a no-no! Well, let me back up just a sec. If you need to use it for emphasis in the headline of an ad, great! I use Impact for such effects on my flyers and ads, especially in reverse! Gloucester MT Extra is also great for this effect and in reverse. What I'm talking about is using all caps all throughout the ad, business card, etc. Bo-ring, very hard to read, and thanks to our IM lingo, you may come across as yelling your services rather than introducing them.


Keeping these simple rules in mind when using type will make the difference between a nice-looking piece of marketing material versus an amateurish piece. If you have any questions about font usage, or if you would rather not stress over your marketing material, please e-mail us at deseyns@deseynerseyecreations.net and we'll put it together for you.

New look

First, I apologize for my recent absence. I have been very involved in several projects and was unable to post until now. I have decided my current blog theme is rather dull and boring, so I am working on a new design as well as a new design for my web site. Any thoughts or suggestions (constructive and nice, please) as to what I could try to design? My thoughts are a tad tapped out so I am turning to the audience as my creative think-tank. I do like my green and will stay with that coloring.

On DEC will have a new Weekly Graphic Design Tip in the next couple of days, please stay tuned! I am also adding a new section for Networking Tips, but this section will encourage participation from others as folks may have had better experiences with their methods than I may have had with mine, and I would like to post those for all of us to consider. The more things I have to post, the more I may turn this into a weekly or even daily rather than 2x/month or less.

Question: What has been your WORST experience with networking, and how would you have improved that situation?

1st Article on Color Symbolism

This article talks about color psychology as it pertains to current marketing trends. June Campbell made some interesting points that I felt were worthy of passing along for your viewing pleasure. For example, why do most restaurants choose reds and oranges in their color scheme? Is your favorite color associated with death in another culture? Click the link to read on.

http://www.brandingstrategyinsider.com/2008/06/color-psycholog.html

I am currently researching color symbolism for my essay paper. I will be posting from my final in a couple of weeks so be sure to check back.

Web Designer does NOT equal Web Developer?

I found a great link from a local web design/graphic design company. Their article says it all as they describe the professional difference between a web designer and a web developer. The DEC has always believed these are separate disciplines as well, and we're glad someone agrees with us! Please read on... http://www.ave25.com/word_on_the_street/display_blog.cfm?bid=083F4FB9-19DB-7207-724743594FEA5E1F

Need a photographer?

The DEC recommends Ray Thomas Photography. This gentleman has been working his craft for many years, both in freelance and as a part-time award-winning editorial photographer for a local newspaper. He specializes in weddings, but he also does engagements, portraits, and babies. Check out his site, http://members.cox.net/ray.thomas/. Pictures are worth a thousand words.

Professional Coaching-It's All About YOU!

I recently had the pleasure of re-acquainting myself with a wonderful life coach. Rachelle Taylor's enthusiasm is contagious, and she can help you through the rough patches so you can Live Your Life With Purpose! Click the resources tab on her website for a free download of her booklet, "When The Business You Run Begins To Run You". Her web address is http://rachelletaylor.com/resources.asp

Help a Worthy Cause

My good friend in Oregon is donating 20% of her October contract fees to cancer research! Check it out on her site: http://www.whytetyger.com/ and please donate to a worthy cause!

New Site Design - Check It Out!

Deseyners Eye Creations has a new site design, check it out! It didn't take months to create - turns out after my school term finished, I finished the design in one week. What do you think of it?

I was surfing the Web for some creative spark, and I came across this site:
http://www.jaymontgomery.com/port1stgrade.html. Mr. Montgomery has done an excellent job with light and dark, particularly on the wrapping around the sandwich. Well done, Mr. Montgomery!

Redesigning Deseyners Eye: Day 1

OK, folks, this morning I am going to begin the process of redesigning my website. Normally I would handcode but I am going to use Dreamweaver on this redesign. Please pardon our dust while the site is being redesigned. I would like to pose a general but broad question to our group of professionals: I am considering keeping the current look of my website (http://deseynerseyecreations.net), but I also want to incorporate some colored wooden popsicle sticks as part of my navigation. Then, I thought I would color-coordinate the background with the popsicle stick that is clicked on (for example, if my line of text is on an orange stick, I can color the background to an lightened orange color). Any other suggestions are very welcome. Thanks!