How should I use text to complement images in sig-making?

[MattKestrel]

Get a new font. Now. Just tilting plain text does not make it fit.

I prefer using fonts like these, for my own initials anyways. Thanks for the rest of the advice, guys. I'll work on a redraft and compare the two.

[T3chno]

Get a new font. Now. Just tilting plain text does not make it fit.

I prefer using fonts like these, for my own initials anyways. Thanks for the rest of the advice, guys. I'll work on a redraft and compare the two.

Okay fine. Take the smudge tool out (chalk brush with high scatter, small size). Smudge the edges, preferably the letter 'M'. Then take our the blur tool and blur the pieces to add depth, making pieces farther apart more blurry.

[MattKestrel]

Smudge tool? I'm using paint.net here, if that's of any relevance. I'm thinking of scavenging one of my mums old photoshop things for the brush tools, though. I guess I should have mentioned that earlier :/ Is there a plugin for brush tools, or do I have to find another piece of software.

Thanks Eiturlyf for the first batch, I already had the second batch installed but couldn't find it. Noob moment :/

[Eiturlyf]

Smudge tool? I'm using paint.net here, if that's of any relevance. I'm thinking of scavenging one of my mums old photoshop things for the brush tools, though. I guess I should have mentioned that earlier :/ Is there a plugin for brush tools, or do I have to find another piece of software.

Oooh! Oooh! I know!
Custom Brushes plugin: http://paintdotnet.forumer.com/viewtopi ... 16&t=23093
Smudge plugin: http://paintdotnet.forumer.com/viewtopi ... 16&t=25303

[MattKestrel]

Okay, I've done some basic rejiggery and for the most part unintentionally ignored what everyone else said :P I smudged the left side of the render a little, although the effect probably isn't noticable. I added a horizontal gradient to smooth out the transition of the border, which may or may not look better. And now for the important stuff; I moved the text to a less obvious place, but when I tried Pawz's suggestion on moving the text to the shotgun, I didn't like how it clashed with the focal, so I used smaller, black text as a kind of stencil on the side of the Spartan's helmet (thank you Sniperwhere for the inspiration), which I think looks better than the original and integrates more with the picture. But I'm not entirely convinced over which is better; what does everyone else think? I've also made a version of the old sig with the current gradient, for comparison's sake.

Old Sig


Old Sig With Gradient


New Sig With Gradient

[Erik-Player]

I've been watching closely, and that looks way better

[toasters]

I really like the placement of the text, but it could be made a tad easier to make out. Maybe a small gradient or drop shadow on it, but as of now it's pretty good. I'm not so sure about the gradient however. That's getting into lighting techniques, so you might want to research that.

[MattKestrel]

Okay, I've made another sig. Same context, but I've tried some different stuff with a different stock. Tell me what you think, which should I use?

[Izzy]

1. I didn't notice the test was there until I stared at it for a while.

2. Is the text the focal?

[origami_alligator]

Lower the opacity of the text.

[MattKestrel]

1. I didn't notice the test was there until I stared at it for a while.

2. Is the text the focal?

1) That's good, it means I'm not being too obvious. :)
2) Well, the head is, as was last time, so the text is found within the focal.
3) I'll take Pawz's advice and lower the opacity of the text, later.