the Text Tut

Zen · **the Text Tut -** 08-29-2004, 03:05 AM

I find the greatest problem facing most AA sigmakers is the use of text. I believe that comes from a lack of knowledge and presure to create great text combinations. Hopefully I can assist in both areas.

First off... Fonts.

Get and use lots of fonts, and learn them. A good knowledge of your fonts and thier charicters is essential in the use of text.

Start here:

http://www.dafont.com
http://www.1001fonts.com

Install ... C > Windows > Fonts

Choose a variety of fonts and "dingbats". Dingbats are symbols or charicters in the place of letters... like this:

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v181/Zen29/Tutorials/dingbats.jpg[/img]

Most often sigmakers create good backgrounds and images but do not use good font choices or they pick bad effects or none at all. In some cases no text or no text effects work best but most of the time a good bit of text can enhance a sig greatly.

This is the text bar in PS6:

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v181/Zen29/Tutorials/textbar.jpg[/img]

The most important options on this bar are naturally the font choice, the size, the aliasing, and the color.

Font Choice: The proper font always depends on what you are adding text to. Choosing the right one takes practice and knowing your fonts.

Size:

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v181/Zen29/Tutorials/textsize.jpg[/img]

Size is important not only so we can read the text, but also has a dramatic effect on the font as we can see above... the text appears to read teht when in fact it says text.

Aliasing:

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v181/Zen29/Tutorials/aliasing.jpg[/img]

Anti-Aliasing like size can have a dramatic effect on your text. Some fonts like the popular "mini" or "bitmat" fonts often work best without aliasing, but most other fonts must have some smooting to look as they are intended to look.

Color: Like the font choice this mostly depends on your images but will also depend on your text effects. For instance black text with a drop shadow will just look like blurry text.

Now that we understand how to make good text, lets look at using effects to improve our texts appearance

When text is used it becomes it's own layer, making it capible of layer effects, blending, and opacity changes. You may find that simply changeing the opacity or blending will give your text all the effect it needs.

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v181/Zen29/Tutorials/textlayer.jpg[/img]

Sometimes however a good effect requires a bit more. Layer effects can be applied to text just as images:

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v181/Zen29/Tutorials/texteffects.jpg[/img]

A simple stoke and drop shadow:

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v181/Zen29/Tutorials/textstokeshadow.jpg[/img]

A simple pattern overlay ... which I find is vastly overlooked here:

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v181/Zen29/Tutorials/textpattern.jpg[/img]

When using a pattern it is often nessecary to adjust the scale and opacity to create the desired effect:

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v181/Zen29/Tutorials/scale.jpg[/img]

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v181/Zen29/Tutorials/textopac.jpg[/img]

I think the main reason sigmakers are not very friendly with the pattern overlay is because of this:

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v181/Zen29/Tutorials/sigwoutstoke.jpg[/img]
And of course the most comman counter to this downfall is this:
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v181/Zen29/Tutorials/sigglow.jpg[/img]

In both cases the effects ruin the text, and quite honestly the sig too. The outer glow can be useful, but should not be used to act as a "seperater" for your text and image, nor should a sig be left with such "blend" as to obscure the text.
A solution could be as simple as this:

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v181/Zen29/Tutorials/sigwstoke.jpg[/img]

In this case neither the grey stoke or the pattern choice seems very good, but is much better than the first two in clarity and blending into the sig.

__________________________________________________ _

Combinations:

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v181/Zen29/Sigs/ruth1.jpg[/img]

By using the effects shown above and four different layers of text I have made a sig that has:

A "main" font which is our title of sorts. ( Ruth).
A "Secondary" font that is both the 1919 and a line of underscores above it.
& A "Trademark" font which is a japanese dingbat.

By slightly changeing the opacity, fonts, and colors between them I make up a ballanced and pleasing text that not only supports the background but seems to belong and improve the sig.

-Rob

/end.

Judas · 08-29-2004, 05:58 AM

nice write up. heres more, and what ive been going by. i asked the text question myself not too long ago and got this reply from auntie meat.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meat

Quote:

Originally Posted by judas

ive tried feathering some, but it usually leaves a blurred section around it.

Ive been looking at your sigs while messing around to try to get an idea for what youve done.

i have a hard time getting text to look good. any tips?

Getting text to look right is probably one of the more difficult and important things to do. It's probably the single biggest problem with most sigs. The thing to do is look at it from a design perspective instead of a technical perspective. You have to try to get the text to look like it belongs in picture as opposed to just being stuck on top. For instance if I have a sig where everything is faded and blurry I might lower the transparency and do a gausian (sp?) blur on the text. Of course color and what's behind the text are important for making the text stand out (or not if that's what you are going for). I try to avoid using a stroke, shadows, or any other effects on text, unless I really feel it fits the design. I think it's kind of a lame compensation for not being able to fit the text in your design. The other thing that is important is to think of the text and how it is going to fit in when you start the design instead of just sticking it on afterward. Really the text is the most important design element in a sig, so you should consider it when you start. Hope my rambling helps.

you can see his work here :
http://www.goddamndracula.com/sigs/sigs.htm

ive learned a lot looking at what hes done and listening to what he has had to say ... i havent seen anyone stand up to his work ...

Zoner · 08-31-2004, 12:03 PM

Ok, deleted all the crap from here. Keep this thread civilized or it gets locked.

Carry on.

draken_sd · 09-09-2004, 08:30 PM

Thank You Zen and Judas, we really needed this, and it ahs helped me majorly.

guarnere · 09-09-2004, 09:29 PM

[img]http://www.goddamndracula.com/sigs/judas2.jpg[/img] ed: ed: ed:

Conscript · 09-11-2004, 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guarnere

[img]http://www.goddamndracula.com/sigs/judas2.jpg[/img] ed: ed: ed:

cool:

Magnum · 09-11-2004, 07:04 PM

Here's some technical advice. When the text tool is active, click on this little icon to bring up the text control window. I generally have it on all the time docked with all the other palettes on the right side. It gives you quick access to all the text characteristics in the toolbar, plus a few more. Remember to check the paragraph tab for alignment and whatnot. It even includes my personal favorite anti-aliasing.

[img]http://web.syr.edu/~adkirsch/textpalette.png[/img]