Tutorial 2 : A Text Guide (Of Sorts)
I think one of the most important things about text is placement y’know? When you’ve got your text exactly in the right place, it makes your icon look all cohesive and tied. But don’t do it right and it looks like your icon has an extra unwanted appendage.
By my estimate, these are icons in which I placed my text right.
Icons where I placed my text wrong. Boo.
From the examples, it’s safe to say that the idea of text should be to add something special to the icon. Not put it there as an afterthought because you want to fill up some free space. Or have it stick out like a sore thumb.
Now while there’s no right way to place your text in the best way possible (cause you never know, sometimes the oddest things work, amirite?) I find that there are always a few text placements where it works without a doubt. Cause to my mind, the hardest thing about doing text it trying to figure out where the fuck to place it.
1 - Negative Space: Honestly, I think it's a failsafe method for text. I certainly over-use it a lot. I can't help it though. It just calls to meee.
2. Centered : Another position I feel usually works out but if you are not careful, it sometimes tends to overwhelm your subject.
raiindust/ 3 x applepips16
3. Up, Down (Anywhere Around)
Place it anywhere I tell you. ANYWHERE. For me it is a bit hit and miss. Sometimes it works. Sometimes, it does not work.
4. The poetry setting. ( Idk what else to call it.) I definitely like this positioning of text. Except, it's not always conducive to my sanity cause it takes a lot of fiddling around for me to get it right and then all I'm all, "ah, fuck it. I DONT NEED TEXT. 'cept I do. ;_;"
5. Behind the subject. Very very cool, And something I've mostly failed at figuring out. Ah well. All, the time in the world to do so.
regis/pointblankdarcy/mm3mbutterfly/kawaii_chicken
So those were a few things that work.
But like I said, and I shall stress on it again, there’s no right or wrong way. There’s your way and it’s the only highway. Sorry. xD
The point being, don’t set out to do text with a notion of right or wrong. There are many different ways of doing things, and when you move your text around, turning this way and that, adjusting the kerning, leading etc, that’s how you learn, through trial and error. Playing around like this helps you figure out how you like your text.
Kerning and leading? What are those words? :O Those were my thoughts exactly when I first came across them. But you guys. They are super-helpful like you wouldn’t believe!
Here are screencaps to illustrate my point.
Text without kerning or leading.
Text with kerning and leading.
Kerning creates spaces between your letters while leading creates spaces between your lines. Together, they are very nifty tools.
See, in the first example, the text without kerning or leading looks fine. But sometimes, it is helpful in that it creates space in your icon through which your text is legible and dosen't overwhelm your subject.
Now that you’ve had your space and tools figured out, the next big headache. What exactly do you put on your icon?
Sometimes, an icon scream for text and you know exactly what to do. For me, those days are few and far in between. So when I’m stuck and don’t know what to put on my icon, I look up quotes. I cannot tell you the amount of times quotes have saved my ass. Music lyrics are pretty good too but I tend to prefer quotes or even character quotes.
Now, a question.
Who likes downloading fonts? (DON’T ASK STUPID QUESTIONS PIPS. GAWD.)
Fonts are pretty man. LIKE FLOWERS. And decorative. LIKE FLOWERS, AGAIN. But what pleases your eyes is not always going to look nice on your icon. True fax. :\
Here are a few fonts which I find quite useful and versatile. And the plain looking fonts, don’t ever underestimate them. Because when your fancy, cute squiggly font bites you in the ass cause it just doesn’t seem to work on your icon, you never know who might save your day. Arial Black or maybe Times New Roman, that’s who. Anyhow, I zipped up a folder of a few fonts which I use often. Hope you guys find them useful! :)
Zippity of Fonts
Thank you guys for reading this! Once again, I am sorry for the lateness and I hope this was at least of some help to some, ANYONE at least. :)
By my estimate, these are icons in which I placed my text right.
Icons where I placed my text wrong. Boo.
From the examples, it’s safe to say that the idea of text should be to add something special to the icon. Not put it there as an afterthought because you want to fill up some free space. Or have it stick out like a sore thumb.
Now while there’s no right way to place your text in the best way possible (cause you never know, sometimes the oddest things work, amirite?) I find that there are always a few text placements where it works without a doubt. Cause to my mind, the hardest thing about doing text it trying to figure out where the fuck to place it.
1 - Negative Space: Honestly, I think it's a failsafe method for text. I certainly over-use it a lot. I can't help it though. It just calls to meee.
2. Centered : Another position I feel usually works out but if you are not careful, it sometimes tends to overwhelm your subject.
raiindust/ 3 x applepips16
3. Up, Down (Anywhere Around)
Place it anywhere I tell you. ANYWHERE. For me it is a bit hit and miss. Sometimes it works. Sometimes, it does not work.
4. The poetry setting. ( Idk what else to call it.) I definitely like this positioning of text. Except, it's not always conducive to my sanity cause it takes a lot of fiddling around for me to get it right and then all I'm all, "ah, fuck it. I DONT NEED TEXT. 'cept I do. ;_;"
5. Behind the subject. Very very cool, And something I've mostly failed at figuring out. Ah well. All, the time in the world to do so.
regis/pointblankdarcy/mm3mbutterfly/kawaii_chicken
So those were a few things that work.
But like I said, and I shall stress on it again, there’s no right or wrong way. There’s your way and it’s the only highway. Sorry. xD
The point being, don’t set out to do text with a notion of right or wrong. There are many different ways of doing things, and when you move your text around, turning this way and that, adjusting the kerning, leading etc, that’s how you learn, through trial and error. Playing around like this helps you figure out how you like your text.
Kerning and leading? What are those words? :O Those were my thoughts exactly when I first came across them. But you guys. They are super-helpful like you wouldn’t believe!
Here are screencaps to illustrate my point.
Text without kerning or leading.
Text with kerning and leading.
Kerning creates spaces between your letters while leading creates spaces between your lines. Together, they are very nifty tools.
See, in the first example, the text without kerning or leading looks fine. But sometimes, it is helpful in that it creates space in your icon through which your text is legible and dosen't overwhelm your subject.
Now that you’ve had your space and tools figured out, the next big headache. What exactly do you put on your icon?
Sometimes, an icon scream for text and you know exactly what to do. For me, those days are few and far in between. So when I’m stuck and don’t know what to put on my icon, I look up quotes. I cannot tell you the amount of times quotes have saved my ass. Music lyrics are pretty good too but I tend to prefer quotes or even character quotes.
Now, a question.
Who likes downloading fonts? (DON’T ASK STUPID QUESTIONS PIPS. GAWD.)
Fonts are pretty man. LIKE FLOWERS. And decorative. LIKE FLOWERS, AGAIN. But what pleases your eyes is not always going to look nice on your icon. True fax. :\
Here are a few fonts which I find quite useful and versatile. And the plain looking fonts, don’t ever underestimate them. Because when your fancy, cute squiggly font bites you in the ass cause it just doesn’t seem to work on your icon, you never know who might save your day. Arial Black or maybe Times New Roman, that’s who. Anyhow, I zipped up a folder of a few fonts which I use often. Hope you guys find them useful! :)
Zippity of Fonts
Thank you guys for reading this! Once again, I am sorry for the lateness and I hope this was at least of some help to some, ANYONE at least. :)