This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
The Art and Type Tango
You buy them separately, but art and type are two sides of the same coin—and there’s magic in making them work together. Here’s how they relate.
Today, tens of thousands of professionally drawn images are available to everyone for pennies each. Type, the classic high art, is being given away by some companies almost for free.
Let’s put these tools to work—together. It’s typical to think of art and type separately: Art goes here, type goes there. But as a rule, they’re more effective together than apart. This means they operate in the same space—overlapped, side by side, stacked, interwoven, and so on. This allows the characteristics of each to rub off on the other, adding up to a “word image” that’s greater than the sum of its parts.
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1 Overlapped
Proximity Is the Key...
Proximity is what turns individual letters and artwork into useful logos. Bring letter and graphic close, closer, close enough to overlap, and you create a simple, artful icon.
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Picture Atop the Name...
What’s the Cookout Company’s specialty? The image answers the question without saying a word.
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2 Side by Side
Big Graphic, Small Word...
Create a boardroom look of authority by making the graphic object prominent and understating the typeset name. More big companies do it this way than any other.
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Big Word, Small Graphic...
A simple graphic can expertly convey who you are and what you do. In this case, replacing just the apostrophe is enough to create an unmistakable air. Look for ways to replace punctuation marks or even whole letters.
Note the monochromatic color scheme of yellows and golds. Colors that are similar to each other—reds and violets, greens and aquas—always harmonize readily, and, more important, the eye identifies them as belonging together. Note, too, the “reverse case” treatment of the type. The larger and more important word—fifi’s—is set in lowercase, while the smaller word—STATIONERS—is in uppercase. You can get excellent results from such unexpected contrasts. Try a contrast of very large but very light type against very small and bold.
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3 Stacked
Sandwich...
Stacking a letter atop a graphic is the classic way to create decorative initial caps, monograms, and handsome logos, simply.
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See Through!
A complete merging of text and graphic—both occupy the same space yet are fully visible. Useful for glass, plastic, haze, gauze, motion, dreamscapes, and so on.
Words tell and pictures show at a glance.
Why have words here and pictures there? Instead, put them together to double their impact. Verbal and visual combined are greater than the sum of their parts.
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Sophisticated
At right, a different object sends a sophisticated message; the soccer connection is obvious but wordless. What’s cool here is that comprehension is not instant; it requires the reader to linger for valuable moments, soaking your message in.
What creates such a strong illusion of depth? It’s that as an object on the ground moves toward you, it appears bigger and lower in your visual field (go outside and look at cars). To mimic that, make your photo bigger and lower than the letter it replaces.
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