Now You See It...Or Do You?

When creating a design, be it for print or web, it's natural to try and fit an entire image so viewers don't miss a beat. Same goes for text when used as an image. You don't want people guessing at what you mean, so you show the entire image, maybe as a watermark. It's done tastefully, so why doesn't it work?

Sometimes good design calls for part of the image to remain hidden. It's okay when someone has to stop and stare, trying to put the pieces together. In the case of a word, the mind will usually auto-finish the word, so nothing is left behind. Take a photo of a house and a flyer. You can advertise the entire house and list your text beneath, or you can watermark the house and lay text over the top. You also can have the photo fill about 2/3 of the space on top, and list your text to the blank side. It's true that part of the house will be hidden, but depending on what is being advertised, it's either the main thought or a graphic element. The difference is the intent.