Book layout development

FONT DEVELOPMENT

First I tried out a variety of fonts for the additional 'is for' text that will accompany the word on the page facing the image. I chose simple fonts because it is going to be paired for a decorative font and it needs to compliment a wide range of fonts as I want to use the same one throughout for continuity. 

I then tried these out with the first font I wanted to use to see how each would work with another font.

I chose this font in the end because it is very simple so will work with a variety of fonts but the rounded edges still give it a fun and quirky look that will be in keeping with the rest of my book.

A is for apple

I chose a bubbly font as I thought this would represent the roundness of the apple. I first tried I red background but I thought this was too much with the red from the image that would be beside it.

I think green works a lot better as it will go well with the red and represents the green of the apple. I also added a smaller leaf illustration to illustrate the text.


B is for buttons

I chose a rounded font because I wanted it to represent the rounded shape of the buttons. I decided to use a subtle blue because it complimented the large variety of colours within the image.

I thought it was a little plain so I added in some circular button shapes along the top and bottom. I decided it was a little much so I would like to just have them along the top.

I think it looks a lot less overcrowded with them along the top, I also switched the colour scheme around as the image also had a white background so I wanted the other page to contrast. The white text pops off the page because of the contrast with the blue and this makes it very bold and vibrant.

C is for confetti

I wanted the letters to represent confetti so I chose a variety of fonts and arranged them as if they were falling down the page to replicate it. I added a light pink background as the image had a white background so I needed some colour on the spread. I chose light pink so that it wouldn't overpower the colours in the image and instead compliment them.

D is for daisy

I chose a yellow to replicate the middle colour of the daisy. The yellow is subtler than the green grass so will compliment it rather then overpower it. I first tired a floral font but I think it is a bit too detailed and boldness and legibility are slightly lost.

I chose a script font instead and I think this mimics the delicateness of the daisies. I added in a small petal detail to the side to relate it further to the flowers and make the font look more illustrated as this is the style of the rest of the book.

I also tried using the green colour of the grass to completely mimic the colours in the image but I think they clashed a little and the contrast was stronger with the white and yellow colour scheme so it stood out more.

I think the white really contrasts against the background and jumps off the page so this is the most effective colour scheme to go with.

E is for erase

I chose a dark colour scheme with the blacks and greys because I wanted the illusion of the text being erased from the background. I chose a paint brush font to give the effect that it had been rubbed out.

I chose to slightly off centre it to give it the illusion of the rubber running off the end of the page.


F is for fur

I chose this font because the lines mimic the fibres in the fur and it is also very bold and really stand out on the page. I first used a colour background but because the image already has a coloured background this would be too much.

I coloured the text and removed the background and I think this looks a lot more effective because the text becomes a real focal point and is just as bold as it was before. The background on the other page is green so I wasn't sure the blue complimented it the best so I would like to try green.

I think the green will work a lots better with being cohesive with the other page and it still makes the text bold and stand out off the page.

G is for glitter

I wanted to mimic the elegance of the font written in the glitter so I chose a script font as this is also the style I used for the letter. I chose a bright pink background because the image background is white so I wanted to add a wash of colour on the page. This particular script font isn't very bold and I would like something that stands out more.

I think this font is a lot bolder and more effective because the stroke is a lot thicker and it really stands off the page.

H is for hay

I chose an orange and yellow colour scheme to replicate the golden tones in the hay and compliment the picture. I think the font is effective because the jagged edges replicate strands of hay bunched together.

I stretched the word across the bottom of the page because it looked a little small and insignificant in the middle and this makes it a lot bolder as well as adding a more interesting layout to the page and making it more fun to read.

I is for ice 

J is for jelly beans

The background of the jellybean image was bright red so I chose white so that I wouldn't over power it. I decided to use a bubbly font in a variety of colours to replicate jellybeans and I think this will compliment the jellybeans in the image.

K is for knitting

I used purple wool in the image so I decided to use purple for the colour scheme as the image had a white background so some colour needed to be added to the spread. I chose a script font because I wanted it for replicate a piece of wool running along the page, and to create this effect I lined the ends of the font up with the ends of the page. The white has a very bold contrast against the purple and although it is effective I think it takes away the effect of the wool running across as its too bold so I would like to tone this down.

I changed the colour to a darker purple and I think this looks a lot more effective because it replicates the colour of the wool I used so it will be a lot clearer that the font represents the wool. 

L is for lipstick

I chose a messy paintbrush font because I wanted it to replicate lipstick being used to write it on the page. I think this looks very effective because the little gaps within the font look very similar to the way lipstick looks when it is applied to paper. I chose the bright pink colour to match the colour used in the image and give the spread some continuity. I decided to use a lighter pink background because there wasn't much colour in the background of the image so I wanted to add some brightness and warmth to the spread.

I wanted it to look like the text had been scrawled across the page so I placed it diagonally and I think this achieves that effect better than placing it out straight.

M is for matchstick

I chose this font because I think the double strands of lines replicate the way I placed the double lines of matchsticks to make the 'M' in the image. I tried out orange and yellow colours to link in with fire which I associate with matches, and the image only had one tone of colour so I wanted to add some more colour and warmth to the spread. I think having the yellow as the background clashes a little with the smaller strokes of orange and the text is drowned out a little as the contrast isn't strong enough so I would like to try switching these around.

I think this looks a lot more effective because there is now a very strong contrast between the yellow and orange and it really stands out.

N is for needle

I chose this font because it looked as though it had been stitched on to the page and I think it works really well with the sewing theme of the spread, as well as it being very bold and clear and legible. I wanted to try out a variety of colour schemes because I was unsure about whether to use blues or greens to go along with the green stitching in the image.

I think this colour scheme looks the most effective as the contrast is subtle but still enough for the text to stand out, and the colours don't clash or overpower each other like they did in some of the colour schemes used above. I think the blue/green tones will compliment the green in the image.

O is for oak

I wanted to replicate the letters being carved into wood like in the image, so I chose this outline style font that I think not only looks as though it has been carved into the background, but also replicates the lines that run through wood when you cut it. I chose the brown and yellow colour scheme as these are the colours that appeared in the image and I wanted some continuity to run through the pages so that they didn't clash or overpower each other. 

I wanted the text to really stand out on the page so I increased the weight of the stroke a little to make it bolder.

P is for pom pom

There were a lot of colours in the pom pom image so I decided to pick out two of them and display them in a bubbly font. I didn't want to use any more colours then this because the page was already very colourful due to the amount of colours in the image, and I think the pink and purple compliment each other and stand out without clashing. I chose to add the pink background as this worked nicely behind the text and complimented the pink from the images background. 

Q is for quartz

I chose this dotted style font to represent pieces of quartz being lined up on the page. I went for a simple blue colour to link in with the blue background of the image. I didn't add a background colour as the image was very colourful already.

I decided to add a small row of squares along the bottom as I thought the page looked a little plain and I wanted another decorative element to make it more interesting and fun. I think this page looks effective because it links in to the quartz theme whilst being legible and won't overpower the actual image which is very colourful. 

R is for rice

I chose this font because the small details look like strands of rice which links it in nicely with the image. The colours were very neutral in the image so I chose a bold green background to add some vibrance to the spread. This also has a strong contrast with the white text so it really stands out.

I wanted to play around with the layout a little as the image was also very centred so I wanted to switch things up a big so I placed the text along the bottom and slightly off the page. This gives a fun and quirky twist to the spread and will make the book more interesting and interactive to read. 

S is for shadow

I chose a dark grey colour scheme to be cohesive with the dark colours in the image, and to represent shadows. The light grey has a strong enough contrast to stand out, whilst still replicating the colours of shadows. I wanted the font to also replicate a shadow effect so I experimented with fonts that are layered to try and recreate this.

I decided on this font as it's still very clear and legible but is a lot subtler than the other ones I tried so has a more dark and shadowy feel to it. I would like to try and create even more of a shadow effect by layering it with more transparent versions.

I think this is a little too much and looks cluttered so it would be more effective to layer a single version behind the main text.

I think this is a lot more effective because it's very subtle so doesn't look cluttered but still adds some extra shadow and dimension to the page.

T is for tape

The background for this image was white so I wanted to add something more colourful to the page. I chose this font because it is very straight and replicates the strips of tape that made up the letter.

I changed the colours to something slightly more complimentary as the blue and yellow clashed too much. There is still a good strong contrast between these colours and the text really stands out.

U is for untie

I chose this rope style font to replicate shoe laces. The colour scheme in the image was very bright and pink and the blue and yellow here clash a little so I would like to try something warmer that would go better with the pink. A full background colour is needed as the image background is white.

I think this colour scheme is a lot more effective as the colours compliment each other and the I matched the pink text to the pink of the laces to make the pages cohesive. I also stretched it across the page to make it look like the laces run from one end to the other which further links to the word.

V is for vine

I chose to use a bright green to link in with the green of the vine in the image. I wanted the text to mimic a vine so I first chose a script font that could replicate a long line of vine but I think its a little too simple and no where near as decorative and illustrative then the fonts I have used on the other pages.

I chose this font that is decorated with flowers and leaves to further mimic vines and I think it looks effective as it leaps off the green background and will fit in perfectly with the vine image.



W is for watercolour

I chose blue toned colours to link in with the blue from the image as its quite a subtle image so I didn't want anything to overpower it. I gave it a blue background as the background behind the image is white so I wanted to add in some colour to the spread. I used a paintbrush font to link in with the water colour theme but I think this one is a little too messy and plain.

I think this font looks a lot bolder and has a neater and more professional look to it. It doesn't really capture the water colour element of painting as it is all one shade so I would like to play around with this.

I added in various shades of blue and purple to create the same effect I made in the image and I think this adds a lot more depth to the page and will really compliment the image.


X is for x marks the spot

I chose this first font to replicate old pirate style writing but I think it looks too bold and would overpower the entire spread. I chose red for the background to match the red 'X' and give the page continuity. 

I chose this font to replicate the dotted lines that often run across treasure maps. The spacing is quite large so I would like to reduce it to make it more concise.

I reduced the spacing and I think this makes it look a lot neater and more concise.

I then added in some lines around it to frame in the text and replicate the lines across a pirate map.



Y is for yolk

I chose this first font to create the effect of the egg white running through the yolk. I think it looks a little too messy and a coloured background will look a bit much against a full coloured image as the egg yolk image has a lot going on in it.

I chose a much simpler font that had a bold and rounded 'O' to replicate the middle of the egg. I chose the yolk colour for the text to be cohesive with the egg image. I added a small splash of colour in the corner to replicate the runny egg yolk and add some extra colour to the plain background.



Z is for zip

I chose this first font because the bumps reminded me of the bumps along the side of a zip. I tried out a few colour schemes to try and find one that would stand out best and work with the blue zips in the image.

I decided on purple and white as I didn't want too much blue on the page but the purple still compliments the colour, and the white has a very bold contrast and stands out well. I wasn't happy with the font as it looked a little too messy and detailed to go along with the zip image so I tried out some more. I think the legibility isn't good enough on this one so I will need to try more.

I think this font works well because it is clear and legible but still simple enough not to overpower the image. The lines reminded me of the straight lines down the sides of the zips and I think it links well to the image.

Layouts with images

I then placed the text with the images to ensure that they all worked well and the colours look effective against each other. I had to edit one of them as I went along to improve the coherence in the spreads. Overall I think these look very effective because I picked up not he colours in the images or colours that relate to the words for the opposite spreads and linked all of the typefaces to the meaning of the word to make the book more quirky and more fun to read. I think adding coloured backgrounds was especially effective with the images that had white backgrounds as it brought a lot more colour and intensity to the page.

The orange and red clashed a little and didn't compliment each other so I decided to go with the red/ pink theme within the image and change the background to pink. I made the text white as this had the strongest contrast so it really stands out and also completely links to the white/pink colour scheme of the image adding better continuity.