Graphic content suggestions

[chasm]

Hi All,

Maybe this forum is a good place for this but I thought I'd ask as I've crated a basic graphic for a public library event via a poster. We're trying to communicate that we teach 3D printing and the Cricut machine both for free with free prints either one-on-one or small groups.

I'm wondering how I can, as my mom would say, "doll it up" a bit?

Besides the basic graphics what could I add that might give it other attractive features?

I'm not a graphic designer so something like curved lines or other little graphic enhancement so it doesn't look so basic?

If this is an inappropriate topic, would you please be so kind as to share a good forum one can post projects on and get constructive suggestions?

Thank you.

 

 

 

[Anonymous Puddle]

This is the right to place to get feedback on work you created (or just show it off)!

I am also not a professional but merely a hobbyist (so far…). Play around with fonts that you feel express the mood you are going for (I see you’ve already done this with the title- nice job!). Also, try some ideas for a background of the overall poster. Even a simple gradient can be very effective!

What I like to do when I’m designing is look up other images online first, whether it’s just the image results from an internet search or searching on a specific pace, like Pinterest. So, in your case, I would look up “free classes poster” or “public event poster” or something (I also like to throw in random words to help the search like ‘design’ or ‘graphic design’- my search ends up looking like: ‘free classes poster graphic design’). But be flexible with your search and you’ll be surprised where you find inspiration from. Maybe some concert posters will even give you inspiration, even though they’re not for the same event. Graphic design ideas can be found from anything (including looking at the design of billboards and signs in real life as you’re going about your day)! I love this approach because then I can see what others have done with their work and I can see what I like and what I don’t like, what looks good and what looks bad, what works for my purposes and what doesn’t.

[William Overington]

I too am a hobbyist.

To start, I think it would be a good idea to state the size of the poster.

Then consider at what distance you want people to notice it, read at least one or two or a few words so that they are likely to move closer to the poster to read what is in smaller type.

Please remember that eyesight varies among people and that some people are wearing glasses and if your lettering is too small then people may have a problem reading it standing by it rather than sat down reading a leaflet.

If the poster is to be indoors at the library, perhaps on a noticeboard, maybe you might consider having a pile of leaflets available at the enquiry desk, then the poster could have something like There is a free leaflet available at teh reception desk with further details.

What the "one or two or a few words" are in something to consider.

Maybe FREE COURSE will get people to read the poster.

Or maybe 

3D PRINTING

text

text

text etc etc

FREE COURSE

might be more effective.

What information do you want the poster to convey.

When I first saw your post I had never heard of a Cricut machine.

Maybe a lot of people who see your poster will not have heard of it either.

So maybe somewhere you need to include

A Cricut machine is (then concisely say what it is, in general terms)

What software are you using?

William

 

 

[Anonymous Puddle]

5 minutes ago, William Overington said:

When I first saw your post I had never heard of a Cricut machine

I am the same boat, therefore @William Overington's suggestion is a good idea if you think most people in your area will also not know what it is:

5 minutes ago, William Overington said:

So maybe somewhere you need to include

A Cricut machine is (then concisely say what it is, in general terms)

[William Overington]

[Alfred]

2 hours ago, Anonymous Puddle said:

Play around with fonts that you feel express the mood you are going for (I see you’ve already done this with the title- nice job!).

A good, eye-catching choice, but I’m a great believer in avoiding distorting font proportions if at all possible.

[William Overington]

[Alfred]

2 minutes ago, William Overington said:

The above brochure/poster features a rather boring font, and the yellow background is uncomfortably bright. (A brief amount of research will tell you that a Cricut machine is not a 3D printer. The clue is in the ‘cut’ part of the name.)

[William Overington]

I was just trying to suggest a layout, that was my objective. But you are right, I got it muddled.

> we teach 3D printing and the Cricut machine

I took that as one topic not two. Oh dear!

William

 

[chasm]

Hi All,

Your comments are very appreciated.

I'm looking at what graphic designs I could add as the audience will be familiar with what a Cricut and 3D printers are and some of the things you can create.

Ex. I added borders to add some "jazz" to it.

Again, not being a graphic designer I wanted to add other designs (don't know the descriptive terms) like curly-cues, or curved lines - other thing which fill in empty spaces... that sort of thing?

Thank you.

 

 

 

 

[Anonymous Puddle]

@chasm Sounds like great ideas!

[Alfred]

48 minutes ago, chasm said:

I wanted to add other designs (don't know the descriptive terms) like curly-cues, or curved lines - other thing which fill in empty spaces

Curlicues is the correct term for decorative twists or curls. If they’re directly attached to the text they’re usually called flourishes.

[William Overington]

I do not know if these will be of any interest to you, but there are some stand-alone flourishes available in my Sonnet Calligraphic 047 font.

https://forum.high-logic.com/viewtopic.php?p=17690#p17690

To try to make using them as straightforward as possible I have made a PDF document as a typecase.

If you want to use them please install the font and set up a document to be using the Sonnet Calligraphic 047 font where you want the flourish, then copy from the PDF document and paste into your document.

William

 

typecase_Sonnet_Calligraphic_047_flourishes.pdf

[William Overington]

For some unknown reason, a copy and paste works sometimes but not others.

The glyphs can be obtained from the Glyph Browser in Affinity Designer in the Private Use Area but that is easier said than done as the glyphs are displayed tiny.

William

 

[chasm]

Thanks all and for kindly sharing alll the helpful info and such terms as flourishes.

I didn't know.

I'm trying my best to find really good to cool looking "things" you place in a poster to bth fill empty space and to draw the eyes in.

I used borders which create rectangle shapes which both fill in empty space and draw your eyes in.

I don't know what other "tools of the trade" graphics designers use to accomplish this.

I probably should try to find a poster designer Web site but Googling has become less rewarding over time.

If anyone has found a really cool or interesting poster if you could please share that so we could get a better idea of at least "things" designers put in posters that kind would be so appreciated.

Thank you again for your help.

 

 

 

 

[Alfred]

8 minutes ago, chasm said:

I'm trying my best to find really good to cool looking "things" you place in a poster to bth fill empty space and to draw the eyes in.

Do you have any particular kind of eyes that you’d like to draw in? 

 

[chasm]

1 hour ago, Alfred said:

Do you have any particular kind of eyes that you’d like to draw in? 

 

Hi there,

Thank you for sharing that.

What format is that file in?

I couldn't open it in Irfanview.

Here's some things I've found on Canva.

I'd like to create those in Publisher, if possible?

Thank you.

 

 

 

[Alfred]

27 minutes ago, chasm said:

What format is that file in?

It’s made for importing into the Assets panel.

29 minutes ago, chasm said:

Here's some things I've found on Canva.

I'd like to create those in Publisher, if possible?

Yes, it’s perfectly possible. The second one should be particularly straightforward, since it’s just overlapping shapes in different shades of teal (and the top and bottom halves are identical, apart from one being rotated through 180° with respect to the other).