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In design, visual weight is the notion that design elements have varied weights; that is, some objects, even on a two-dimensional medium, can appear to be heavier than others. Visual weight is a powerful concept that allows us to create visual hierarchy, symmetry, balance, and harmony in designs. When applied strategically, the concept of visual weight can help us guide the viewer’s attention to the places we want in a design. This article covers the concept of visual weight and the factors that affect it.

What Is Visual Weight?

Visual weight revolves around the idea that distinct elements in a design have varying heaviness relative to each other. Sometimes visual weight is obvious, such as in the case where larger objects appear heavier than smaller objects because they take up more space. In certain instances, it’s not so cut and dry, such as in the case of color. Some colors may look as if they are heavier and more dominant than others. For example, on a white background, compare pure black to a light baby blue color: instinctively, which one to you appears visually heavier?

The main visual weight factors we will discuss are:

• Color
• Contrast
• Lightness/darkness
• Size
• Density
• Complexity

Visual weight is heavily tied to symmetry. To accomplish symmetry and balance in designs, we’ll want to make objects appear equal in visual weight.

To draw attention to certain objects (or to deemphasize others) we’ll want to purposely throw off the balance and create a visual hierarchy so that the focus shifts in the areas we intend.

Let’s now go over some of the main factors that affect visual weight.

Color

Color is a big part of design, and even in plain black, white, or gray designs, the lack of color makes a statement in itself. Color has many properties that can affect an object’s visual weight relative to others in the design, such as saturation, brightness/darkness, and hue.

Most of what we can intuit about the weight of color is true; it seems instinctive to know that one color is heavier than the other. For example, more saturated colors will garner more attention than unsaturated colors. Darker colors also take more of a stance than their lighter counterparts on light-colored backgrounds.

Hue is a color property that psychologists are only recently beginning to realize to have differing visual weights. Even with full saturation and equal lightness, two colors, such as red and blue (shown in the image above), can appear to have different visual weights. Red and blue, however, according to studies discussed in the article Does Red Weigh More Than Blue, are very close in visual weight, and studies have varied as to which is actually heavier.

Yet, aside from hue, there are several color properties that are far more obvious in terms of their effects on visual weight. For example, red is heavier and will draw more attention than yellow or orange with low saturation. In the example below, we can see how we could balance visual weight of elements by using other factors such as visual complexity and size. The red heart shape on the left carries a lot more weight because it’s bigger and its color is more vibrant. To attempt to balance the piece, we can place several objects to create an area that has more visual complexity.

Here are some colors that are generally regarded to have varying visual weights, arranged from heaviest to lightest:

1. Red (heaviest)
2. Blue
3. Green
4. Orange
5. Yellow (lightest)

Contrast

Contrast is a big part of design, and can help certain features stand out more than others. Elements with more contrast between it and its background will be more prominent than those with little contrast to its background color. Using contrast can maintain visual hierarchy and readability.

In the example below, we can see that the left side is more prominent/heavier than the right because it has a higher foreground/background contrast.

To create visual balance and make both sides equal to each other in terms of weight, we could use other factors such as color, size, complexity, and so forth.

Lightness/Darkness

Darker colors carry a lot more weight than lighter ones. Lightness and darkness are powerful tools for balancing designs.

Psychologists aren’t sure why we see darker colors as heavier. In one study, they found that many people found an image to be more natural when the darker shade was at the bottom. The instinct that heavier objects should be at the bottom and lighter ones at the top mimics that of the physical world where gravity pulls heavier objects to the bottom.

Size

Size is an evident visual weight factor because, in the physical world, an object that’s bigger than another (if they are the same type of object) will naturally be heavier and will take up more physical space.

What can you do to balance the visual weight in the instance of size? You could counter-balance a larger design element with several smaller ones or give the smaller element a heavier color and/or contrast, for example. If an object is should be a primary focal point in the design, then making it larger is good. This is why we often see oversized call-to-action buttons that are larger than their surrounding elements; they are attempts to drawing the user’s attention for the purpose of increasing conversion rates.

Proportion and Density

In the physical world, denser (or more compact) objects are heavier than less dense, more dispersed objects. We can achieve this concept in graphical representations by using less whitespace between objects.

Note that while excess whitespace within a set of objects can make the area appear lighter in terms of visual weight, having a lot of whitespace around it still draws attention because of contrast around its location.

Complexity

More complex shapes or patterns seem heavier visually when compared to plainer shapes. A simple object, like the one on the right in the image below, can be taken in and understood almost instantly, while the element to its left takes more time to process. And because an element takes more time to process, we must look at it longer and, thus, it occupies more of our attention.

In design, visual complexity can come from surface texture, photographic images, and repeating patterns.

Summary

Visual weight is a concept that heavily relies on the designer’s instincts. It is affected by what we’re exposed to in the physical world where weight is expressed in size and density and where color evokes certain emotional responses (often due to cultural factors). Attaining visual hierarchy, symmetry, and design harmony relies on how we utilize visual weight factors in concert with each other.

Related Content

• Using Power Structure and Gestalt for Visual Hierarchy
• Negative Space in Webpage Layouts: A Guide
• Ultimate Guide to Website Wireframing
• Related categories: Graphic Design and Web Design

About the Author

Kayla Knight is a web designer and web developer who loves coding way too much for her own good. She does freelance design/development work and helps run the XHTML Shop. Connect with her by visiting her website and following her on Twitter @ KaylaMaeKnight.

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JPEG, a compression algorithm optimized for photographic images, is something we encounter on a regular basis. JPEG is not limited to a certain amount of color (unlike GIF, for example) and is popular due to its variable compression range, meaning that you’re able to more easily control the amount of compression, and consequently, the resultant image quality. In this guide, we will discuss the important things you need to know about JPEG.

Quick Overview of JPEG

Here is a list of things you should know about JPEG:

• JPEG is a lossy compression algorithm; this means that it discards some data from an image to reduce its file size
• JPEG is often pronounced as "jay peg"
• JPEG is an acronym for Joint Photographic Experts Group, the organization that developed the JPEG format
• .jpg and .jpeg are the most common file extensions of images compressed using JPEG compression algorithm; they are the same, but old DOS systems have a 3-character limit on file extensions — modern operating systems recognize both .jpg and .jpeg
• Other file formats that use the JPEG compression algorithm are .jpe, .jfif and .jif

Semantics and Disambiguation: JPEG vs. JFIF/Exif

Many people refer to any image format that uses the JPEG compression algorithm as a "JPEG file." However, most image-capturing devices (such as a digital camera) and image-editing programs actually create a file in the JFIF or Exif format. For all intents and purposes, when people say "JPEG file" or when a software application says they’re saving your work in JPEG, you can just think of it as a file that uses the JPEG algorithm, whether it’s really JFIF or Exif.

Why Use JPEG?

JPEG allows you to control the degree of "lossiness" by adjusting compression parameters. This way, you can achieve very small files with just the minimum amount of quality that you really need.

The second important advantage of JPEG is that it stores full color information: 24 bits per pixel (that means 16 million colors). GIF, another image format widely used on the web, can only store 8 bits per pixel (256 colors). This capacity for storing colors is why JPEG compression is great for displaying images that have rich colors and that are photographic in quality.

JPEG Compression

Opposite to the PNG format (which uses a lossless compression algorithm), JPEG uses a lossy compression method.

Lossy compression reduces the image size by discarding information. Think of lossy compression as an excellent book summary of just the important and interesting parts of a book you’re reading. For example, you could summarize a book that’s long-winded and redundant in prose, to just a page worth of notes containing only the information that’s really important.

The problem, then, is when you want to recreate the original book from your one-page book summary; it wouldn’t be possible.

The other problem is that if you continue to summarize the book summary again, then you’ll lose more fidelity and accuracy from the original book.

With lossy compression, compressing an image again means losing more data, which means reduced image quality.

Baseline JPEG vs. Progressive JPEG

JPEG come in two flavors: baseline and progressive. Baseline JPEG is an image created using the JPEG compression algorithm that will start to display the image as the data is made available, line by line. In a web browser, you can see JPEG images that are in baseline format when you see it slowly showing up, from the top of the image, to the bottom of it.

Progressive JPEG displays an image in such a way that it shows a blurry/low-quality photo in its entirety, and then becomes clearer as the image’s data becomes more fully downloaded.

Progressive is good because the user gets an idea of what the image will be right from the start, even though it’s not as clear as the final image, which is great especially for people with slower Internet connections. The progressive JPEG format also enhances perceived web page performance because it doesn’t appear to be loading in increments, unlike baseline.

JPEG Baseline/Progressive Format in Photoshop

When you use Photoshop’s Save As feature (File > Save As) to output your work in JPEG format, you will be presented with the following Format Options:

• Baseline: the image will be displayed line by line on the screen
• Baseline Optimized: Same as Baseline, but optimized further using Huffman coding
• Progressive: You can specify 3-5 scans, meaning that it will have between 3-5 phases before it shows the final image

When to Use JPEG

Photographic images that are rich/high in color are where JPEG compression is most suited.

Use JPEG when you want better/easier control of the lamount of compression that you want to use for your images. This helps you in in maximization for small file size versus quality.

When JPEG Should Be Avoided

The JPG algorithm isn’t good for images with sharp edges such as text, cartoon drawings, and so forth. You should choose PNG or GIF for such images.

Also, when you have files that are simple in color, such as logos, icons, favicons, and vector drawings, you will get lower file sizes and the same (or better) quality as JPEG. To learn more about JPEG vs. PNG/GIF, read the Web Designer’s Guide to PNG Image Format.

Saving JPEGs in Photoshop

The following shows a comparison of the same image saved in various levels of JPEG compression.

Original, file size: 23.2 KB	Very High, file size: 21.8KB
High, file size: 14.6 KB	Medium, file size: 6.73 KB
Low, file size: 3.78 KB	0 quality, file size: 2.72 KB

JPEG Compression Under the Microscope

Here are the micro-differences of a zoomed-in, 8x8px area of the image above, from original to lowest quality:

Is Transparency Using JPEG Possible?

JPEG does not currently support traditional transparency. If you need transparency, such as when you are setting an image on top of another and want to allow the background to show through it, you should use a compression algorithm that supports transparency, like PNG or GIF.

Here is a simulation of JPEG vs. PNG transparency:

WebP: A New Image Format That Rivals JPEG

WebP is a new image format that provides lossy compression for photographic images, just like JPEG. A while ago, Google announced the WebP (pronounced "weppy") graphics format along with its research. The research indicates that using it could cut image file sizes by 40% compared to the dominant JPEG file format. This means faster file transfers and reduced network burden.

As many web browsers don’t support it (yet), it’s currently ineffective for web use. Read more about WebP.

Practical Tips for Using JPEG

• Use Smush.it as a further optimizing tool for your JPEGs; it’s a lossless optimizer, so quality is retained
• To achieve lossless editing of JPEG files (such as cropping or rotating), you can use Jpegtran
• If you’re looking for a good alternative to the JPEG format, then PNG-24 is a good alternative; it will have a bigger file size for photographic images, but it uses a lossless compression
• If a JPEG image is opened, edited, and saved again, it results in additional image degradation, so when you’re editing an image in multiple sessions, save the intermediate image in an uncompressed/raw format such as TIFF or the editing software’s native format (e.g. .psd for Adobe Photoshop or .psp for PaintShop Pro)

Related Content

• Web Designer’s Guide to PNG Image Format
• How to Design the Web in a High-Def World
• The Comprehensive Guide to Saving Images for the Web
• Related categories: Web Design and Graphic Design

About the Author

Catalin Rosu, a.k.a. Red, is a web designer and developer with over 5 years experience in the industry. You can find articles or tutorials on CSS tips and tricks by visiting his blog at red-team-design.com. You can connect with him on Twitter as @catalinred.

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While many articles try to dissect the process of designing a logo itself, I will attempt to share tips from my experiences with branding-focused logo design for the real world.

Photo by lpwines

With the surge of "stock" logos, the quality of branding for new companies is literally going downhill. Many new designers fail to see that a logo, unlike any other design element, is literally the face of a company, and hence attached to a much larger beast. You can’t peel it off from a book and slap it onto things like a sticker.

A logo versus a brand

Let’s begin with the fine difference between a logo and a brand:

Logo

"The logo (ideogram), is the image embodying an organization. [...] Logos are meant to represent companies’ brands or corporate identities […]"

- Logo as defined by Wikipedia

Brand and identity

"[A] burning scar [with] bankable value"

- From BusinessWeek

1. Research, research, research…

Research is everything. It’s your first and last name, as well as your food and bed, when you are creating a brand.

Research is the most important part of designing a logo, and branding as a whole. Logo design with strong branding focus can easily push the limits of a five-figure budget primarily due to extensive research.

Whether you are a solo freelancer or part of a branding team, your client’s target audience will heavily influence the decisions you make and the direction your design goes towards. Understanding a company’s marketing strategy is as important as placing the keystone in a building foundation. Research encompasses everything from typography selection to presenting to a focus group.

2. A strong name is recognizable

Photo by Stuart Chalmers

Giving an identity a name and then giving the name a face. These are your bottom line goals when planning out your design. In that order. A strong name, with or without a mark, has to be recognizable without any taglines. It must carry weight of its own.

For the life of me, no one can remember my last name, much less how to pronounce it (it’s Mekkaoui by the way). But, say for example, I had you write it and pointed out that it included all the vowels in the alphabet, then you might remember me next time you come across it.

In branding however, we don’t have that luxury. I would have to be able to catch your attention as you zipped down the supermarket aisle. Hence, I made a short, rare name that I identify myself with and use persistently all over the web: Imokon.

When Coca-Cola briefly changed their formula in 1985, people flipped over sabotaged history. Can you imagine their reaction if Coca-Cola changed their name to Sanscoca Fizzola? Exactly.

Coming up with a strong name can either be fun or a complete burden. Regardless of whether it’s made up (Skype), a misspelling (Google), or a simple word (Borders, Apple); it all goes back to marketing strategy. You can read more about brand name types here.

3. A good logo builds trust

The logo is the first impression, of not just who a company is, but how trustworthy it is – and in turn, how much a consumer will open up.

Let’s say you point your browser to go.com.

It is very probable that one of three thoughts will go through your mind:

• This place has a crappy Disney-esque logo.
• Is this a Disney company too?
• What’s the point?

…to which I’ll answer: the first two possible answers are exactly what I mean about "face". That bubbly calligraphy used in the signature Walt Disney logotype is so well branded that the word "Disney" is all that you would think of.

This is the difference between "This is a trustworthy site because it’s obviously Disney’s" or "This is a spam site and they couldn’t have made it more obvious".

4. A good logo is distinctive and unique

Photo by pshutterbug

A strong logo, like a handsome face, does not tell you what’s inside; rather, it is a strong distinction amongst the masses, despite impersonation.

Another way to look at it is:

So…

• You probably didn’t read the word cup in the second logo. Your eye stopped at "Coffee".
• The first three, especially if rendered in grayscale, look very similar.

  The green caught your eye more than all the brown.

• You blinked at the Starbucks logo because it wasn’t really a Starbucks logo … but you still heard Starbucks in your head.

The creativity in designing a logo is not focusing on the subliminal—or the art—it’s in making an impact. The subtle hints (like the FedEx arrow for example) come naturally after the fact.

5. Details can make or break your design

Now that we got the big items out of the way, let’s focus on the nitty-gritty stuff. You can waste a lot of time going back and forth with ideas, but in the end, simplicity is always a win-win solution. If you’ve never applied the KISS principle (keep it simple, stupid), you can be rest assured that you will in your logo project.

Typography:

If you have it made as a branding firm, you will have a very experienced typography expert on your team. If not, you’re still not completely out of luck.

Reflecting back on the client’s target market – you’ll want to see what kind of fonts are common in that industry and what fonts are used by top competitors. Hint: one of the best ways to do this is looking at movie posters and magazine covers.

For example, the Bank Gothic typeface is mainly seen in action or sci-fi movies like X-men Origins: Wolverine or Hancock, but it’s been used in bad taste in Chipotle and Capital One Bank buildings.

Now the ITC Avant Garde Gothic typeface is almost a default fashion industry standard. Yet, I’ve seen Bank Gothic font used for a designer swimwear brand. Go figure – the fact that it was active clothing in nature might have made all the difference.

For a more "antique" impression, many go with Trajan Pro, which traces back to ancient Roman columns and works wonders anywhere from Micheal Jackson’s "This is it" to law firms or universities. However, you would never want to use this on packaging for baby products. It’s simply doesn’t give off a good vibe.

Another note on picking out a font: you want to implement some form of customization such as kerning (see Fedex example above). At the same time, you want to be able to provide your client with a font they can use to make matching items down the road, such as presentations, invitations, and brochures.

A full branding package includes a chosen font family as well as recommended measurements that are eventually enforced on all branded objects/materials such as folders, envelopes, business cards, etc.

Type is everywhere. Make sure your choice ties in psychologically with your client’s goals.

Color:

If anything, the "Starbucks green" example we discussed above must have given you a clue that color is a very huge deal. You don’t make a logo a certain color because of the obvious product, but you choose based on—yet again—psychology. There is no straight to the point color picker for logos, but researching the target market will get you there.

Blue, for example, is a favored corporate color because it buys a calming factor, yet when asked to make a sexy logo for a stylish company, I’ve pulled in the reds and blacks. This combo makes your blood rush and gives off an aloof aura all at once. Even so, the actual hue of red can make a huge difference in impact when it comes to print and paper stock.
More on color psychology here and see it in action here.

Shape:

Speaking of blue, boxes are also ever so popular (make sure to read the comments on that page). As well are circles. In fact, it has unintentionally become too easy to assume that the letter ‘M’ in a circle can indicate a public transit service. So, you might want to think hard next time you think of working with a logo that consists of a letter in a shape.

Another note on shape, aside from standard geometry… please make sure there’s no phallic undertones in your logo. Unless that is indeed your intention.

Scale:

Scale matters. When you are going to make a logo, you have to assume that it will be blown up to the entire side of a building wrap and printed as small as a quarter of an inch in height.

Now you can’t satisfy everybody, but…

Please do yourself and everybody a favor and design in vector. Regardless of your opinion on this, it will cost you and your client down the road if you don’t.

Make sure all of your art is clean; no extra and unnecessary points. If you see it, then it will be seen by someone else.

Gradients are a new trend, but don’t abuse them and make  sure it can be replicated in one color. Some things just won’t play nice with them.

Conclusion

Many of the above principles affect more than just logo design, as branding encompasses everything that has to do with a company’s image. Yet, everything else seems like another extension of what the logo does for a company. Information is beyond plentiful and you have no excuse not to do your homework.

Other good reads

• Best Brands of the World
• Learn logo design from top brands
• Fake Logo Designs: Revisited
• The ‘O’ in Obama

Show and tell

What are your experiences with designing logos? What other tips and thoughts would you like to share? What are some of your thoughts on current branding trends?

Related Content

• Popular Logos with Hidden Symbolisms
• 15 Excellent Logo Design Tutorials Using Illustrator
• 70 Excellent Logo Design Tutorials and Resources
• Related categories: Graphic Design and Tutorials

About the Author

Fatima Mekkaoui, aka Imokon, strives to help small businesses develop a commanding brand and online presence and educate them about it. To get in touch, visit her site or send a tweet @Imokon.

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There is something very beautiful and mysterious about smoke. Using smoke in a design can produce some amazing visual effects, as you can see in this collection. In case you want to incorporate smoke effects in your own designs, we’ve also included some design resources in this article that you can check out.

Smoke Typography Showcase

Intuition Smoke

By Hautalken

Dissolve

By estheticcore

Smoke+Type

By Daniel Gordon

By Daniel Gordon

By Daniel Gordon

By Daniel Gordon

Smoke Typography

By Richie Thimmaiah

Smoke

By Giampiero Quaini

By Giampiero Quaini

War

By Marcelo Vaz

By Marcelo Vaz

Exhausted

By Mignonne Meekels

Spark Me

By Cam Hilsman

Smoke

By Rick Griemink

Smoke Type

By my-name-is-annie

Smoke Typo

By Canis Azureus

smoke.this

By Matias S. Gonzalez

Smoke.

By Anne Rhodes

Smoke

By pattysmear

Pelican – Typographic Treatment

By Ben White

Smoke Typography Brushes

Smoke Brush Set

Stunning Smoke Effects: 42 High Resolution Photoshop Brushes

Smoke Brushes

Smoke Typography Tutorials

Smoke Type in Photoshop in 10 Steps

Create Smokey Typography in 12 Steps

Create Smoke Text

Related Content

• How to Create Inset Typography in Photoshop
• Beautiful Gradient Typography in Web Design
• 20 Websites with Beautiful Typography
• Related categories: Graphic Design and Photoshop

About the Author

Hakan Nural is a freelance graphic designer and blogger from Turkey in İstanbul. He runs a couple of resource sites for graphic designers called Vectorss.com and Brushess.com which shares useful vector files and brushes. If you wish to keep up with Hakan, you can find him on Twitter: @vectorss.

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Movie posters have been around for longer than most of us have lived – thus, studying them can give us insights on how design has progressed throughout recent history. They were the main way of advertising film 70 years ago, and although we now have television commercials and the internet, posters are still one of the best forms of advertisement. In this collection, we will look at how poster design has developed over the years, looking at films that have been remade.

Scarface

1932

The original Scarface movie uses some good design techniques such as the silhouette-style shadow and some mid-saturated colors.

1983

The typography of the 1983 Scarface remake is elegant and easy to read.

The Mummy

1932

The composition of the original The Mummy movie is great, but it has three-dimensional text that is directly above the 3D text, which seems a bit odd.

1999

The remade movie poster uses superb digital manipulation as well as a great text effect used for the ‘M’ in Mummy. The color schemes for the poster are perfect, reflecting mummies and the desert, a central theme in the movie.

House of Wax

1953

The hand-painted poster combined with neat typography represents the 3D image really well. The warm and dark color scheme sets the theme for this Technicolor film.

2005

The use of subtle grunge at the top of the post draws your eyes into the incredible manipulation effects used on the portrait. Beneath the movie title, you’ll see a blurred reflection that can really play with your eyes – fitting for a horror movie.

War of the Worlds

1953

This movie poster is simple and colorful and has some great artwork.

2005

The typography used on this poster is elegant and simple, but it works well for this movie’s theme. The bright red on pure black works great as an eye-grabbing color combination.

Sabrina

1954

An off-white border, a simple and elegant grid-based composition is the highlight of this poster (and movie).

1995

The 90′s probably spurred some of the worst design trends as shown in this poster design. The composition is poor and none of the text in the bottom right can easily be read.

Ladykillers

1955

This hand-drawn poster presents us with a group of rather scary-looking men running away with what look likes heavy-duty steel cases filled with multi-colored cash. It’s a comical and traditional hand-drawn poster (when Illustrator wasn’t in the market yet).

2004

The low-opacity street scene and lights in the background adds a great feel to the overall poster, and the shadows from the four guys in the background adds depth to the poster. The majority of it is grayscale, followed by neutral browns and beiges, and followed by a great burst of what’s best described as "vintage pink", bringing your eyes towards the movie title.

Oceans 11

1960

This poster uses a grid-based layout, a popular technique in the 60′s to convey modernity. The silhouette, vector-style illustration at the bottom of the poster is a great touch. The typography is superb, standing out well against the warm yellow background.

2001

The vector/silhouette style illustration used in the poster is so different to almost any other movie poster made in this millennium, that even today, people still have it hanging on their college bedroom walls. Have you noticed how it doesn’t actually say "Oceans 11" anywhere?

Spartacus

1960

As individual design elements, this poster has some great artwork, such as the drawings, the unique movie title text effect and the duotoned photographs, but the overall composition lacks "oomph".

2004

After 44 years, Spartacus was remade. The costume and photography is excellent; the sepia-toned color sets the movie’s time period.

The Time Machine

1960

This poster design is presented on a grid and has the classic white border. The typography in this poster (especially the headline) is superb and truly unique for this time period.

2002

The color scheme of the remake seems off, and in some places, appears to be too bright. There are also some parts of the posters that are too busy.

Last Man on Earth / Omega Man / I Am Legend

1964

"The Last Man on Earth" is the original story of what we now know as "I Am Legend". The poster is a typical 60′s horror movie poster. The designers used a lovely grid-based composition and a very limited dark color scheme.

1971

Seven years later, and the film was remade under the name "Omega Man". They were still using similar techniques to produce posters, and therefore this poster isn’t too different from the original. The color scheme is still very limited to dark colors, which is great for this genre of film.

2007

The grungy, noisy and tinted feel to the "I am Legend" poster overall is great. The modeling work in the background of the scene is superb, and the small centered typography going directly through the middle of the poster adds a great touch to the poster, making it incredibly unique.

Planet of the Apes

1968

This great poster from the late 60′s perfectly combines the use of a bright and captivating background color gradient against black/white. The warm feel of the poster along with the black and white portrait creates a memorable design. The films logo was such as a success that it has only seen a few minor tweaks in 40 years.

2001

2001 brought us the modern remake of the film, featuring manipulations and montages of several scenes and photographs. The moons in the background tops off the overall feel of the poster. Notice that the movie title logo is still very similar to the original.

The Italian Job

1969

The artwork in this poster is superb contained in a lovely off-white border. White typography lies on a pure black background at the bottom of the poster, making it easy to spot and read. This poster suggests the kind of film it is: business, violence, jokes and getaways.

2003

This poster goes for a cast shot and features some great photography, photo manipulation and type alignment.

Wickerman

1973

This movie poster features a bright color scheme. The typography is simple but does its job well.

2006

The composition of this poster is great, however,the movie slogan "Be careful what you search for…" is difficult to read against the cloud background even with a prominent dropshadow text effect.

Rollerball

1975

The Rollerball poster has smooth glows, dark shadows, some well-placed blurs and an overall aged/worn effect.

2002

This poster design of the Rollerball remake in 2002 doesn’t do the actual film any justice. There are proportion inaccuracies with the characters versus the background, making it clearly obvious that the shot was taken in front of a green screen; the proportion and angle of the floor and their feet just doesn’t match up.

The Omen

1976

Other than the excellent sketch, you can’t get much more simplistic than this poster! The typography is simple yet elegant, easy to read, and the use of red for the movie’s title is a great way to make it unique, memorable and slightly scary.

2006

The typography ruins the poster of The Omen remake, but the color theme used effectively sets up the eerieness of the movie’s plot.

The Hills Have Eyes

1977

Good typography, a lovely border, and a great scene in the background are the highlights of this poster design. The overall color scheme would have easily attracted people walking past the poster.

2006

The blurs, noise and texture combined makes for an excellent poster; this poster design is probably something you can’t miss from a mile away.

When A Stranger Calls

1979

The poster is purely grayscale and used a magnificent macro still shot and some incredible typography.

2006

The movie remake’s poster stuck with the original design concept. The design uses a lot of dead space, leaving you in suspense as to what the movie is about.

Prom Night

1980

That dark silhouette, the glowing eyes, the reflection on the knife, the detail of the glove and the magnificent minimalistic typography on a white background makes for an eye-grabbing design.

2008

The ‘smashed up’ feel of the poster, the subtle grunge feel to the otherwise clean, elegant text and the overall tinted-blue effect all help set the mood of the movie. The noise on that portrait is a brilliant detail.

My Bloody Valentine / My Bloody Valentine 3D

1981

This dark-themed poster of My Bloody Valentine creates an eerie look and feel that sets the tone for the movie.

2008

This poster has dark, grungy and noisy elements, again, to set the tone of the movie. The red color works well against the dark background, making the title of the poster pop.

The Hills Have Eyes 2

1985

Although the artwork is quite interesting and eye-catching, that bright yellow blade and beveled typography completely ruins the design (at least for me).

2007

The creators of the remade "The Hills Have Eyes" liked the outcome of their first poster and decided to stick to the same style with the sequel. The dark edges on both the left and right side of the poster really draw your eyes into the main focal point of the poster; the unlucky human being dragged through the desert.

Your thoughts on movie posters

So, what do you think? Many people say remakes of movies always turn out worse, but is it the same case when it comes to the poster and artwork redesign? Share your thoughts on this subject in the comments.

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About the Author

Callum Chapman is a freelance Graphic Designer and Illustrator Cambridge, UK. He is the creative mind behind Circlebox Creative and Circlebox Blog. He’s written for publications such as Smashing Magazine and other well-known design blogs. You can reach him via Twitter or Facebook.

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It seems like every designer out there has an opinion about the Comic Sans font, and it seems the overwhelming majority of those opinions are negative. How has a single font become the focus of so much ire? And what, exactly, is behind all the hate?

A Brief History of Comic Sans

Comic Sans was created by Vincent Connare in 1994 for Microsoft. It was originally designed to be used with Microsoft Bob, but it was completed too late to be included in the program.

The font was based on lettering from comic books Connare had in his office, specifically Watchmen (lettered by Dave Gibbons) and The Dark Knight Returns (lettered by John Costanza).

On the left: Watchmen characters. On the right: The Dark Knight Returns cover

According to statements from Connare, he never intended the font to be released for general use, and only designed it to be used in comic-book-style speech bubbles within MS Bob.

Vincent Connare presenting in 2008.

The Life of Comic Sans in Microsoft Applications

The font ended up being included in Microsoft 3D Movie Maker, which used it in its pop-up windows and help sections. Later it was included with Windows 95 Plus! Pack and then became a standard font for the OEM version of Windows 95. Eventually it was included as a default font for Microsoft Publisher and Internet Explorer.

Some Well-Known Uses of Comic Sans

Comic Sans has been used on a number of well-known products. Beanie Babies have used the font on their tags since the late 1990′s. The 2004 Canada Day 25-cent collector coin also used the font. The Sims video game uses it as well.

The Origin of the Comic Sans Hate

One of the main reasons Comic Sans became the target of such hatred was its widespread usage, particularly when dealing with serious or formal subjects.

While Comic Sans was perfectly adequate in designs for children or designs related to comic books or cartoons, it had no place in business or professional work usage. It’s also ill-suited in content body text – it’s best used as a headline/heading font or short quote (such as in a comic book). But nevertheless, Comic Sans has cropped up all over the place.

The "Ban Comic Sans" Movement

The "Ban Comic Sans" movement started in 1999. It was reportedly started by Dave and Holly Crumbs, graphic designers from Indianapolis, after an employer insisted they use Comic Sans in a children’s museum exhibit.

While the group is a bit tongue-in-cheek, they do point out one of the biggest problems in amateur graphic design: disregard for appropriate typography choices. Where a professional designer will (usually) consider the impact their font and typography choices have on the overall tone of a project, an amateur will often just pick a font they like, disregarding the font’s impact on the final design.

Inappropriate Uses of Comic Sans

The single biggest complaint against Comic Sans is that Comic Sans portrays a very definite tone and feeling when it’s used; mainly, an immature, informal, childish mood.

A recent Flickr discussion in the Ban Comic Sans group talked about inappropriate uses in the wild.

Some of the uses shared were:

• Sign for swimming pool rules at a summer camp
• A grave marker
• Writing on a commemorative bench
• Sign for a bone marrow transplanet clinic
• Government job applications
• Teacher reviews for an art/graphic design department

A Showcase of Improper Usage of Comic Sans

Here are real-world examples of when you shouldn’t use Comic Sans.

By Aimee Daniells

By ocacsms

By Aimee Daniells

By Simon Clayson

By Justin Henry

By Tom Magliery

By Liz Hall

By Esther Simpson

By Marc Moss

By Marc Moss

By Raltaran

Technical and Aesthetic Drawbacks

While many who hate Comic Sans do so just because of its omnipresence, others hate it because of aesthetic and technical drawbacks. Both the kerning and weighting of the font are inconsistent, leading to a haphazard appearance in large swathes of text (or even small ones).

Todd Klein did an analysis of why Comic Sans isn’t even appropriate for comic books in his post, "Comic Sans Font Examined". It’s an interesting read, and points out some further shortcomings of the font.

Some Alternatives to Comic Sans

If you’re looking for a font that gives the same impression and feeling as Comic Sans but doesn’t come with all the negativity, give the following fonts a try.

Lexia Readable

P22 Kaz Pro

JM Doodle Medium

FF Friday Regular

Sharktooth Regular

Comic Strip

Ban Comic Sans has a list of Comic Sans alternatives available on their website.

Additional Resources about the Comic Sans Controversy

• Ban Comic Sans: An article by Dr. Christopher Scanlong on the font.
• Most Inappropriate Use of a Typeface: A thread on Typophile that includes multiple references to Comic Sans.
• Comic Sans: A profile of the font from Typophile.
• Not Funny: Fighting the Good Fight Against a Very Bad Font: An opinion piece by Mike Miliard on The Boston Phoenix site.
• The History of Comic Sans at ROFLThing NYC: A video history.
• Comic Sans, the Font of the Gods: A piece from Coding Horror.

Image Sources:

• Watchmen characters
• Batman: The Dark Knight #1
• Vincent Connare

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About the Author

Cameron Chapman is a professional web and graphic designer with over 6 years of experience in the industry. She’s also written for numerous blogs such as Smashing Magazine and Mashable. You can find her personal web presence at Cameron Chapman On Writing. If you’d like to connect with her, check her out on Twitter.

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The letterpress type treatment (or as I call it, inset text treatment) can be easily done in Photoshop. In this article, you’ll find a collection of tutorials from various parts of the web that will teach you how to create this awesome text effect using common graphics applications (and a couple using just CSS).

Check out my own tutorial here on Six Revisions called How to Create Inset Typography in Photoshop. You may also want to peruse the Beautiful Examples of Inset Typography in Web Design collection for design inspiration and usage examples.

1. Web Design Trend Showcase: Letterpress Text Effect

The Line25 Web Design blog has a tutorial and showcase all-in-one article that features great examples of the text effect as well as a method for creating it in Photoshop.

2. Create a Sleek Pressed Letter Design

MyInkBlog, a great resource for graphic and web designers, regularly publishes awesome tutorials and one of them that features a see-through letterpress text effect.

3. Creating Editable Letterpress Styled Text in Illustrator

Creating your text in Adobe Illustrator lends you flexibility in resizing it without loss in fidelity. Learn to create the letterpress effect in Illustrator with this tutorial.

4. Grooveshark Design Style in Fireworks

Inspired by Grooveshark‘s old user interface, this Adobe Fireworks tutorial walks you through the inset effect that design.

5. Letterpress Emboss Text Effect

Some individuals learn best by viewing video tutorials and here’s one that will walk you through the creation of the letterpress text treatment in real time.

6. Typography Inset-Advanced Photoshop Techniques for Web Designers

This article from Carsonified goes through five different Photoshop techniques for web designers, one of them being how to make the inset text effect.

7. Create a Letterpress Effect with CSS Text-Shadow

If you already use CSS3, this tutorial will teach you how to create the letterpress effect by using the text-shadow property and a simple png background (made in Photoshop).

8. Create Letterpressed Type Using Only CSS

This tutorial recreates the inset text/letterpress effect using only CSS2 specs.

9. Two Simple Ways to Create Text Embossing Effect

In this tutorial, you’ll find two methods on how to create the letterpress/inset text effect.

10. Quick tip: Inset Shapes, Lines and Text

Here is another method for creating the inset text effect applied not only to text, but also to Photoshop’s preset shapes/brushes and lines.

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About the Author

Jacob Gube is the Founder and Chief Editor of Six Revisions. He’s also a web developer/designer who specializes in distance-learning education, front-end development, and web accessibility. If you’d like to connect with him, head on over to the contact page and follow him on Twitter: @sixrevisions.

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Some logos are very creative and have subtle symbols and messages that represents something about the company it stands for. We explore a handful of such logos in this collection.

Big 10

The Big Ten Conference is the United States’ oldest Division 1 college athletic conference. Since Penn State joined in 1990, there have been 11 schools in the Big Ten. They revamped their logo by placing a hidden number 11 on either sides of the letter T to stand for the actual number of schools in the division.

Goodwill

Goodwill is a nonprofit organization that helps disadvantaged people in North America. The letter G in the logo is a smiling face, conveying the notion that Goodwill provides happiness and relief to those in need.

Sun Microsystems

If you look at the diamond icon on the left of the company’s name, you will see that it spells out Sun starting from any corner. It is a wonderful example of symmetry.

Amazon

This logo has been around for over a decade, but many people do not know that there’s a hidden symbolism in Amazon’s logo. The arrow from A to Z represents that the website sells everything from A to Z, and doubles as a "smile" to suggest satisfied customers.

Toblerone

In the company’s logo, you will see a bear hidden in the mountain. The bear is the symbol of the city of Berne in Switzerland where Toblerone is produced.

Baskin Robbins

At first glance, this logo looks simply like the initials for Baskin Robins but if you take a second look, you will see the number 31 in the acronym (highlighted in a pink color). This stems from the idea that Baskin Robbins sells 31 types of ice cream, one for each day of the month.

FedEx

The hidden rightward-pointing arrow in the negative space between the letter E and X conveys the speed and precision of the company’s delivery service.

Hope for African Children Initiative

At first glance, this logo looks like a map of Africa, but if you take a closer look, you will see two people facing each other.

Milwaukee Brewers

The old Milwaukee Brewers logo uses the team’s initials (B and M) to form a catcher’s glove holding a ball.

Northwest Airlines

The old Northwest Airlines logo has a very clever icon. Not only does the icon on the left of the text spell out N and W, but the arrow and circle symbolizes a compass pointing in the northwestern direction.

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About the Author

Thomas Hardy is a web designer from Newcastle upon Tyne (UK), here is his portfolio. He founded Design-Heaven, where he regularly blogs. You can will also connect with him on Twitter.

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The step-by-step tutorials featured in this article shares techniques that will help you expand your range of knowledge in making vector illustrations for your graphic design and illustration projects. If you would like to learn about the differences between vector and raster graphics, please see the article called Design Battle: Vector vs. Raster on Design was here.

In this article, you can find the good number of high quality lessons by the best and most talented graphic design artists on ways to create vector illustrations.

1. Create a Cute Furry Vector Monster in Illustrator

Learn how to make a unique and adorably cute monster character using basic shapes and gradients by following along this Illustrator tutorial written by the talented graphic/web designer, Chris Spooner.

2. How to Create a Rocketing, Vector Aircraft Shuttle

You will learn a technique for illustrating a vector art piece using the Brush Tool (to start the outlines) in Illustrator and the Gradient Tool, as well as blend techniques, to color in the illustration.

3. Create a Cute Panda Bear Face Icon

In this vector illustration tutorial, you will observe a methodology for constructing a cute panda bear character using basic Adobe Illustrator shapes and tools like the Ellipse Tool, followed by the Direct Selection Tool to transform the vector paths.

4. How to Illustrate a LeBron James Cartoon Character

This tutorial by cartoonist/illustrator Wardell Brown teaches readers a professional-level method for producing cartoon vector illustrations. The procedure starts by tracing the outline of sketches using the Pen Tool in Illustrator.

5. How to Create a Stinking Zombie Flesh-Eater in Illustrator

This tutorial shows readers how to create a unique character (a zombie) in Illustrator, using a sketch as a reference, the Pen Tool for creating the vector paths, and the Pathfinder Panel to combine and manipulate the various vector pieces.

6. How to Create a Landscape Wallpaper for your Desktop

Liven up your desktop by creating your very own vector illustration wallpaper with this step-by-step tutorial. This tutorial teaches you effective use of the Mesh Tool in Illustrator by way of a practical application.

7. How to Create a Cartoon Character with Expressive Lines

Discover a process that many illustrators use when constructing vector characters via this Vectortuts+ graphic design tutorial that uses Illustrator CS3, a Wacom tablet, and ink drawings scanned into your production workstation.

8. How to Create a Fantasy Character in Illustrator

Graphic designer and Illustrator, Emily Gonsalves, shows us a method for creating a comic character by leveraging the Live Paint feature (available in CS2 and above) of Adobe Illustrator.

9. Stylized Portrait Illustration

This downloadable PDF tutorial by Illustrative Designer and Author, Von Glitschka, demonstrates how to create a vector illustration using a photograph as a reference with Adobe’s two most popular graphics creation software: Photoshop and Illustrator.

10. How to Create a Retro Vector Illustration with Stylized Lines

This retro-themed vector illustration piece is created in Corel Draw using a stock photo as a reference. This tutorial is geared towards beginners, but will be appreciated by all.

11. How to Create a Cartoon Spaceship Interior in Under One Hour

Geared for intermediate and advanced Adobe Illustrator users, this vector illustration tutorial will walk you through the development of a cartoon spaceship interior.

12. How to Make a Sweet Vector Popsicle Illustration

In this illustration tutorial, you’ll get a smooth crash course on how to quickly illustrate a cool popsicle vector by through the use of such tools as the Rounded Rectangle Tool and the Gradient Tool.

13. Create a Super Happy Octopus Character

Designer and Illustrator Ryan Putnam of Vectips walks readers through a way of designing a vector character by employing the usage of simple shapes and the Pathfinder Panel.

14. Create a Simple Vector Creature in Illustrator

This quick and easy tutorial shows you the fundamentals of composing a unique character using a scanned-in sketch as a reference for the illustration and setting up Guides to make sure that the facial features are symmetrical.

15. Create a Character Mascot with Adobe Illustrator CS4

This comprehensive vector illustration tutorial for intermediate users shows readers an effective route for developing a character mascot, starting from a sketch that is used as the template for the illustration.

16. How to Create a Vector Illustration and Prepare it for Micro-Stock Sale

In this Adobe Illustrator tutorial, you will learn how to create professional-level vector graphics that is ready for distribution in vector stock e-stores like GraphicRiver and Shutterstock.

17. How to Create a Cute Hippo Character

This vector illustration tutorial, by Graphic Designer and Illustrator Asmaa‘ of AiVault, highlights how shapes (which are simple and basic tools in Illustrator) can be utilized to create a beautiful and unique vector character.

18. Create an easy landscape scene in Illustrator

Here is another tutorial for making a vector-based landscape, a popular design trend right now. Tyler Denis, whose work you’ve seen here many times before, especially in the Tutorials section, uses Adobe Illustrator to design an engaging art piece.

Did we miss your favorite vector illustration tutorial?

Don’t forget to share your favorite vector illustration tutorials in the comments. *Edited by Jacob Gube.

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About the Author

Tomas Laurinavičius is interested in web design, graphic design and web development, based in Lithuania. If you’d like to connect with him, you can follow him on Twitter.

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Adobe Fireworks is the neglected cousin of Illustrator and Photoshop. For those who doubt the capabilities of Fireworks in creating vector, raster, and hybrid vector/raster digital artwork, have a gander at this collection of tutorials.

In this article, you will discover some great Fireworks tutorials that showcase the capability of this often ignored graphic design software.

1. Creating Fading Light Vectors in Fireworks

In this step-by-step Vectortuts+ tutorial, you will find a method for creating attractive lighting effects using linear vectors in Fireworks. The use of the Pen Tool and a few Fireworks Command options are just some of the things covered here.

2. LED Cinema Display in Fireworks

Learn to craft a realistic LED monitor display that you can easily use as a graphic element in a website or print design to for showcasing your art work. Vector tools (the Pen Tool) are used to build the monitor so that it can be scaled if necessary.

3. Creating an Amazing Palm Pre Icon on Fireworks

By following along this Fireworks tutorial, you will learn the basics of making vector icons by way of a practical example: creating a Palm Pre icon. This tutorial also outlines the strength of Fireworks with regards to vector/raster hybrid illustrations.

4. Dot Matrix Effect

Give your vectors a remarkable dot matrix look by having a read at this Fireworks tutorial. The dot matrix texture is implemented by way of changing the Fill Texture of your vector illustration.

5. Web Site Design Tutorial: Wellknown.as Case

Fireworks is known for its ability to let designers produce quick and functional (low-fidelity) user interface and web design prototypes, but it’s also very capable (and, in fact, created for) creating full web designs, as this detailed tutorial on Abduzeedo shows.

6. Pixelate Effect Tutorial

Usually, designers want to remove pixelation from images, but when done intentionally and purposefully, the result can be quite unique. Learn how to introduce a beautiful pixelation effect onto your raster graphics via this excellent Fireworks tutorial.

7. Creating Grunge Text Using Adobe Fireworks

Find out how you can apply a grunge effect onto your text via this Fireworks tutorial that uses the Ellipse Tool to create small holes in the text and the Reshape Area Tool to customize and finalize the grunge look.

8. Fireworks – Interactive Prototypes in PDF

Adobe Fireworks is a wonderful tool for wireframing and prototyping a web design layout. If you would like to create interactive PDF’s that you can send to clients, this tutorial on Abduzeedo is a must-read.

9. Awesome Floral Type in Fireworks and Photoshop in 5 minutes

Learn a quick and handy method for adding florishes onto your text by following along this awesome Fireworks tutorial. A stock image for the floral type treatment is used alongside the Combine Paths and Layer Styles.

10. Adobe Fireworks: Text to Path

Discover all the things you need to know about working with the Text to Path feature in Fireworks (which works similarly to it’s Adobe Illustrator counterpart).

11. Circular Shadows & Highlights

Make your graphics stand out with these simple Fireworks techniques that leverages the Cone gradient, Shadows, and Highlights to convert a basic graphic into a 3D object.

12. Light Effects in Fireworks inspired by the James White’s O series

Create a stunning round object that utilizes Adobe Firework’s nifty lighting effects tools to create a James White-inspired graphic. Radial Gradients and creative use of Blend Modes are just some of the techniques you’ll learn in this tutorial.

13.  Vibrant Digital Collage Mixing Buildings and Vector Shapes on Paper

Create a mixed-media collage that uses vector shapes and raster textures that results in an impressive final product by reading through this excellent step-by-step Adobe Fireworks tutorial.

14. Sticky Notes

In this Adobe Fireworks tutorial, you will learn how to create a vector illustration of a "Post-It" Note paper. The tutorial uses the Rectangle Tool to create the base vector, and then the Pen Tool to add realistic bends and curves to it.

15. Gel Cap / Plastic Button

Discover a method for constructing a stunning button that has a glossy finish by checking out this excellent Fireworks tutorial. This technique can also be adapted to create a variety of other things–not just buttons–such as in icons or as a text effect.

16. Highway Sign

In this Adobe Fireworks graphic design tutorial, you will learn how to craft a realistic-looking U.S. highway sign from scratch. The trusty Pen Tool, the Vector Brush Tool, and shapes tools are used in this excellent write-up.

17. Classy Personal Portfolio in Fireworks

Learn to create a clean and professional portfolio web layout via this thorough and detailed Adobe Fireworks tutorial.

18. Motion Blur in Fireworks Tutorial

In this Adobe Fireworks tutorial, you will find out a technique for creating a pretty interesting effect: adding a motion blur onto a photo subject. It’s effective in establishing a sense of speed and dynamism.

19. Adobe Fireworks: Grunge RSS Feed Icon

See how you can make a grunge-themed RSS feed icon that you can utilize on your websites to highlight your RSS feed. This tutorial uses a stock texture set called loveicon007 by alisa.

20. Adobe Fireworks: Glowing Light Trail

Make some trendy and popular digital artwork by incorporating glowing light trails onto them. In this tutorial, you will learn how, using basic techniques and Adobe Fireworks tools and options.

Did we miss your favorite Fireworks tutorial?

Please share with us your favorite Fireworks tutorials in the comments. *Edited by Jacob Gube.

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About the Author

Tomas Laurinavičius is interested in web design, graphic design and web development, based in Lithuania. If you’d like to connect with him, you can follow him on Twitter.