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

http://nmaps.net/user/Guitar_Hero_Matt · Postby **MattKestrel** » 2009.02.15 (20:47)

Basically, I've been making sigs and it's become obvious that I can't get the text to complement the image to the extent I want. How should I go about improving this integration? I'm not trying to reach for attention, it's just I've obviously been failing on my own and I wanted some tips to help pick myself back up with.

Also, check my sig out. Psssh.

http://nmaps.net/user/eganic · Postby **sheganican** » 2009.02.15 (20:51)

i would imagine the style, color, and placement of the text are the key factors.

http://nmaps.net/user/toasters · Postby **toasters** » 2009.02.15 (21:54)

You can find better examples than this one, but I didn't feel like looking :p

http://img244.imageshack.us/img244/1862 ... sigpn2.png

I liked how the text blended in this one, it's almost hidden but once you see the name it's easily recognizable. Of course there are cases where the text looks better when it stands out more. It really just depends on the image you're making.

http://nmaps.net/user/Pheidippides · Postby **Pheidippides** » 2009.02.15 (22:16)

I don't think having the text near-hidden is what I would go for, but toasters is definitely right in that it shouldn't draw all the attention from the image. It's supposed to be read, though, so it deserves to be relatively noticeable in my opinion. I'm only a casual sig-maker at best, though. Make of this what you will.

http://nmaps.net/user/Izzy · Postby **Izzy** » 2009.02.15 (22:26)

Hidden text? No.

First, you should never ever ever put text in the corner. It's scary.

You should find a matching color, or just use white. Simple fonts are good, such as Arial or Calibri, and they work especially good when they have a dark 2 px stroke and a light gradient overlay.

Try to keep your text near the focal, so you're not detracte- You know what, go look at some T3chno sigs.

http://nmaps.net/user/Guitar_Hero_Matt · Postby **MattKestrel** » 2009.02.16 (11:10)

Okay, thanks for the tips. Is my latest sig any progress?

http://nmaps.net/user/toasters · Postby **toasters** » 2009.02.16 (13:57)

I'm not too fond of it. First of all you don't have much of a focal, because you have elite that cover the whole sig. Add to that the fact that they're all blurred, and you get an image where the eye is drawn to the one thing you wanted to avoid: the text. IMO the text is still too showy. The color matches well, but it's still too large and obvious. But I think the bigger problem is the lack of a focal. Maybe if you sharpened one of the elites in the center, and then blurred the others you'd get a good sense of depth. But I think it's gonna be hard to make a sig work with that many characters.
..But that's just me :p

http://nmaps.net/user/Guitar_Hero_Matt · Postby **MattKestrel** » 2009.02.16 (14:24)

Okay, sounds cool. I tried to do what you said, so here's the result.

Old Sig

New Sig

http://nmaps.net/user/maxson924 · Postby **Rose** » 2009.02.16 (15:01)

I think the new one is definitely better.

http://nmaps.net/user/toasters · Postby **toasters** » 2009.02.16 (16:08)

That's a bit better, but that elite in the center still seems unfocused, and the text is too bold still. Maybe it's the quality of your stock?

http://nmaps.net/user/Guitar_Hero_Matt · Postby **MattKestrel** » 2009.02.16 (17:05)

Yeah, it could be the stock actually... I've had a go at clearing up the text, which was a simple mistake on my part, actually. I should have just left it in the different layer before sharpening.

New Sig

New New Sig

http://nmaps.net/user/Izzy · Postby **Izzy** » 2009.02.16 (17:07)

Well, there's no big difference. I don't like how blurry it is. The sig itself seems blurred for no reason, and I'm not a fan of warped/rotated text anymore.

http://nmaps.net/user/Guitar_Hero_Matt · Postby **MattKestrel** » 2009.02.16 (17:13)

There wasn't meant to be a massive difference, the only thing I felt needed changing was the text, which I made less prominent, I think. And it's not warped, or at least I don;t think it is. I only used a transparency filter on it, so it shouldn't be warped unless that's part of the focal point. Idk.

http://nmaps.net/user/T3chno · Postby **T3chno** » 2009.02.16 (20:54)

http://www.dafont.com

Go there.
Get some.
Place it near the focal.
Blend (smudge, erase, displace, etc.)
Upload

http://nmaps.net/user/UniverseZero · Postby **Universezero** » 2009.02.17 (05:06)

Techno wrote:http://www.dafont.com

Go there.
Get some.
Place it near the focal.
Blend (smudge, erase, displace, etc.)
Upload

That's about it.
Also, in blending, transparency is always good, which I see you're doing.

Postby **origami_alligator** » 2009.02.17 (23:06)

There is no set way to blend text. It's just something you have to practice and experiment and not be afraid to fail at one million times over.

You would like advice though?
Download many fonts, make many images, and try your hardest to keep the text from being exactly horizontal or vertical (unless it looks best that way in the sig) and try experimenting with moving your text to odd places and warping it and skewing it and rotating it and giving it different layer modes and then changing the opacity and the color and everything you can think of.

Once you have discovered all the different things you can do with text and become proficient with them you'll be able to put text into an image almost anywhere and make it look good.

http://nmaps.net/user/Guitar_Hero_Matt · Postby **MattKestrel** » 2009.02.18 (10:27)

Okay, thanks for the advice. I didn't want a massive guide per-sé, vjust wanted some pointers to help me discover on my own. But thanks, that's been really helpful. I'll try and incorporate a lot of new stuff in my imagework from now on.

http://nmaps.net/user/Guitar_Hero_Matt · Postby **MattKestrel** » 2009.02.18 (21:14)

Okay, I've had another go, mostly using the same stuff but on a different stock. How does it compare? Also, do you prefer the large or small version? (i.e., 500x150 or 500x120)

http://nmaps.net/user/greenblack · Postby **blackbelmoral** » 2009.02.18 (23:33)

ze small has easier and better text

http://nmaps.net/user/Eiturlyf · Postby **Eiturlyf** » 2009.02.19 (14:03)

That text is too plain.

Postby **Borealis** » 2009.02.19 (14:56)

I wasn't sure about where to put the text in mine, I think any other place wouldn't have worked though.

http://nmaps.net/user/Guitar_Hero_Matt · Postby **MattKestrel** » 2009.02.19 (22:37)

Okay, screw those two sigs, this is the favorite sig I've ever made. What does everyone think? I know it's more of the same already, so don't tell me.

http://nmaps.net/user/Izzy · Postby **Izzy** » 2009.02.19 (22:49)

The text doesn't blend well, see how the gun is blurred in the same spot the text is? Looks like you tried to force depth and the dude could be blended a bit more on the left.

Bottom lightsource seems off.

At least the text isn't in the corner.

Postby **origami_alligator** » 2009.02.19 (23:45)

Make the text white (or some bright color), smaller (maybe down to 10pt?) and then place it on the blurred out area of the shotgun and blur the text slightly for blending.

That's how one places text. In areas where you wouldn't think to put it, yet still aesthetically pleasing.

http://nmaps.net/user/T3chno · Postby **T3chno** » 2009.02.20 (05:27)

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

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