Graphic Resources|Kitzsune

#1. DO's & DONT's | Graphic Designing

Not sure if the cover or banner you made is good? Try checking out this list of do's and dont's! 

1. DO make the title and author name legible

+ Book covers are meant to show them since that's what the book is about.

+Graphic design in general should be able to effectively communicate with the audience. Just because the pictures look pretty, doesn't mean it communicates well!

+Clashing colours with a low level of contrast with each other will make it hard to read out as well. Use this only when you want to blend something together but avoid this when you want something to stand out.

2.DO be consistent with the story plot and the graphic

+If the story involves sadness, mystery, jump scares, etc, try darker colours to set the mood! This method is commonly used in Shakespeare's writings too; if the story is dark, he introduces dark imagery to set it (Hamlet and Macbeth, for example, both have eery opening scenes). If the story involves comedy, joy, and fun, etc, do the opposite: use lighter or brighter colours!

+ However, don't only stick to JUST dark/light colours. Contrast is good to bring out certain things you want to emphasise on like the title. Besides, if it was too dark, the graphic might be ineligible or hard to see. If it was too bright, it would blind your readers. The key is to have some points of light/darkness but not too much that it overpowers the main colours. —speaking of main colours, have a colour palette/scheme! It'll make things look visually appealing or aesthetically pleasing.

3. DON'T use an inconsistent font palette

+2-3 fonts (maximum number) are the most recommended (unless you are doing typography) to make it look more clean and organised. Too much different fonts would just look like a mess!

+Do select the font that BEST suits the text and not for how pretty it looks.

For example, choosing a rounded and "bubbly" font for a horror story will look extremely out of place and not scary at all.

+Have the font have the same colour palette as the whole graphic. There are some exceptions to this but just make sure that it doesn't look freakish (a graphic that's all purple tones then a bright orange font for example..).

4. DON'T just keep putting every pretty image you see on the graphic

+Too much images in one picture will look like a hot mess. Stick to what is needed and/or what looks more clean. (or be really good at blending?)

+Make sure that the whole graphic can be viewed effortlessly and isn't hard or confusing to look at because of all the clutter.

+It's not always a bad thing to have empty space or few pictures; if they're all presented properly, it can help balance out the graphic and get your point across without having to explain.

+Do not use too many effects as well or it'll be a lot too take in and will lose its effect.

5. DO use high quality images

+512 x 800 pixels is recommended instead of 256 x 400 pixels for covers. In general, just make sure that your graphic is big enough to be seen clearly and not be pixelized.

+Try to find good PNG cut outs. If there aren't any, play with the blending modes or find a way to make the image blend properly with the rest of the graphic.

+Avoid small images because if you stretch them to make them bigger, it usually turns out blurry. 

6. DO have a focal point

+Have around one or two images to capture the audience's attention and the main theme of the book. Make sure these images stand out or are easily seen as well cause what's the point of it being the focal point it doesn't come to focus easily?

+Just have supporting textures or blended images at the back to support it (if it's a manipulated graphic). 

7. DON'T be afraid to break some of these tips

+Some things have exceptions and it's only up to you, the graphic designer/artist, to make it work.

+It's better to experiment yourself and see with your very own eyes on the things that work and the things that don't. Along with this, you'll soon have your own style of making graphics. --Criticism is helpful too because they give points on improvement. 

What do you think of the list? Comment your opinions and thoughts down below or perhaps give some of your own tips!