Author Topic: Marquee for first time builder, your thoughts? (Read 4133 times)

phishpac · « **on:** December 16, 2007, 02:41:35 pm »

Here is the marquee I made for my cabinet. It will be a grateful dead themed cabinet. I plan for CP and side artwork to be limited and very simple. Please give these a look and let me know what I have overlooked and can improve on.

I have it saved as a 300 dpi 8" x 26" .tif on my computer. I know very little about graphics programs, so your thoughts and comments are greatly appreciated.

Thanks so much!

Denverlatino · « **Reply #1 on:** December 16, 2007, 07:19:23 pm »

looks simple but nice , if thats how you like'it.
For me i would add some background.

waveryder · « **Reply #2 on:** December 17, 2007, 08:29:00 am »

You should make a bit more of the red blue theme with the background. Your logo should be cleaned up a bit too loads of pixelation. Personally I would go with a more striking font.

phishpac · « **Reply #3 on:** December 17, 2007, 12:20:49 pm »

I agree about the background, I definitely need to add something, it's a bit too plain. When I look at the version I have saved on my computer, I don't see the pixelation, I think that might be a product of converting it.

When I get home, I will upload the .tif I have saved on my computer. Perhaps someone would be willing to look at it and see if it's OK.

I will also do some research on addding backgrounds in paintshop pro.

Thanks for your tips denver and wave

waveryder · « **Reply #4 on:** December 17, 2007, 12:36:48 pm »

If your using psp7 or above just add a layer and move it to the background. Id go for a nice mettalic feel Id do the same with the logo outline personally, Dont know to what extent youd change the logo but if you use some radial gradients on the fill you can make it look a little less flat. with a nice glow or subtle drop shadow it would look dead eye catchin!

This is just an example of what I mean used your original as a basis,

phishpac · « **Reply #5 on:** December 17, 2007, 05:20:09 pm »

WOW, that looks really incredible waveryder! I am blown away. I wish I had better knowledge of PSP, that's some great motivation. I have the trial version that comes with Saint's book, I believe it's PSP8. Your idea for the metallic background is also very cool. I have attached the original skull image I am working with. Also, here is a link to the .tif version of the marquee http://www.sendspace.com/file/ph7iyb.

I will see if I can figure out how to make a background that looks half decent

Also, I am timid to change the font because it is based on a lettering style that is common in some of their album artwork, but I'm open to suggestions.

phishpac · « **Reply #6 on:** December 17, 2007, 10:23:40 pm »

I've searched the forum and through google to find some good beginner tutorials for PSP. I have found a few, but no site that really blows me away. Does anyone have a real good starter site for me to head to?

Thanks

waveryder · « **Reply #7 on:** December 18, 2007, 02:55:12 am »

Phishpac,
I dont personally use Paint shop pro anymore for detailed work so I never went beyond PSP7 I used to use a lot of techniques descriped here:
http://www.pinoy7.com/psptutorials/interfacedesign.shtml
I use photoshop now for my detail work and only use psp for web graphics. You will find that the principles used on the tutorials listed above should work in a similar way on psp8.

I had a look at your original and tiff file there is a lot of pixelation at full size. It is going to be really noticeable when printed. Trust me it wont look good printed at 300dpi. If you give me the exact size the logo needs to be i'll vector it for and send it to you as a transparent .PNG, so you can paint it. Although you are going to stick to the typeface for the marquee give it a gentle outline and drop shadow to make it stand out from the background. Done properly it doesn't matter how big the font is! Go for it!

phishpac · « **Reply #8 on:** December 18, 2007, 09:10:39 pm »

excellent advice waveryder, thank you for your input. The marquee needs to be 8" x 26", it will be going into a lusid type console based on the instructions in the project arcade book.

Thanks so much for all of your help.

I am able to buy photoshop at a great discount from school, so I am considering doing that and learning the ins and outs of the program. I have a feeling this will become a big hobby for me.

KDOG · « **Reply #9 on:** December 19, 2007, 05:34:15 pm »

Pixelperfect has Bert Moroy do howto videos.

phishpac · « **Reply #10 on:** December 22, 2007, 10:40:55 am »

bump for waveryder

merry Christmas everyone

waveryder · « **Reply #11 on:** December 22, 2007, 11:50:37 am »

Phishpac,
Sorry been doing some character artwork for someones cab and have kind lost track of all my other jobs

Heres your logo, I vectored it in illustrator and saved it for you as a transparent PNG. It is 300dpi so its quite big and has been made to fit your original marquee design at 26" x 8". Load it up in PSP or Photoshop and make a new "multiply" Layer above then start painting.

Merry Xmas

phishpac · « **Reply #12 on:** December 23, 2007, 10:43:59 am »

THANK YOU. THIS IS A GREAT GIFT !!! YOU ARE APPRECIATED!

phishpac · « **Reply #13 on:** December 23, 2007, 11:13:18 pm »

here is my latest idea.. i know it's not much different.. but it takes its inspiration from their "in the dark" album cover artwork.

the resize looks like garbage, but you get the gist

phishpac · « **Reply #14 on:** December 23, 2007, 11:15:20 pm »

good god that looks terrible. I will work on converting/resizing a better representation... enough print shop for tonight though

phishpac · « **Reply #15 on:** December 24, 2007, 12:24:53 pm »

here is yet another

waveryder · « **Reply #16 on:** December 24, 2007, 12:35:55 pm »

Now that is starting to look good. Loving the background and logo. The text needs to be more visible though, try a brighter stroke around the text before you drop shadow it so it becomes a bit more prominent.

phishpac · « **Reply #17 on:** December 24, 2007, 12:52:42 pm »

waveryder, you have been my inspiration to force myself to learn how to use paintshop. I agree with you.. the text is the only thing I don't like about the last one that I posted. Could you be more specific about what I need to do to to make the text look better?

thanks for all of your ideas and input!!!

phishpac · « **Reply #18 on:** December 24, 2007, 03:07:51 pm »

OK!!!

I finally have one that I REALLY REALLY like. What would be the best way to preserve it's appearance (resizing + format change) , yet make it attachable on a post here?

Jdurg · « **Reply #19 on:** December 24, 2007, 08:13:35 pm »

That last one you posted looks awesome! I would just make the text a little bit bigger and enhance the edges a bit so they stand out and make the text brighter. I would also consider making the text a bit wider and having it fade into the skull image in the background. (So that you can still see it easily on the marquee in front of the skull, but it becomes more solid the further away from the center of the marquee you get).

phishpac · « **Reply #20 on:** December 24, 2007, 10:33:28 pm »

Thanks for the advice Jdurg! I think bigger letters would look better. When things settle down tomorrow.. I will work on it some more.

Here's the latest version

phishpac · « **Reply #21 on:** December 26, 2007, 11:40:09 am »

I've come so far with paint shop, that I've started on my CPO. I am running into memory problems though. It says that there's not enough memory and that I need to shut off other programs. I am running PSP only, and my pc has 1 gig of RAM. What else can I do?

the CPO image is very large, and I'm sure that's the source of my problems, but what else can I be doing to limit these issues? It's brought my progress on the CPO to a halt

phishpac · « **Reply #22 on:** December 27, 2007, 04:07:37 pm »

wow! The progress keeps coming!!!

Here are my latest versions for my CPO and marquee.

I welcome all criticism and ideas!!!

Thanks!

Daniel B. · « **Reply #23 on:** December 28, 2007, 01:19:04 pm »

I really like the trackball mount inside of the skull.

If it were me, I would maybe consider not putting any text on the marquee at all. The skull makes a statement!

Keep up the good work.

phishpac · « **Reply #24 on:** December 29, 2007, 11:29:26 am »

hmmm.. good idea. maybe I'll pull the words off the marquee. that would look pretty sick!

waveryder · « **Reply #25 on:** December 29, 2007, 12:16:28 pm »

Gotta disagree with you there phishpac, A marquee just has to have a title. You should try this effect on your font in a completely opposing colour (id go for white myself)
http://www.pinoy7.com/psptutorials/9/drips/p1.shtml
Now thats what I call some eye candy

phishpac · « **Reply #26 on:** December 30, 2007, 11:10:23 am »

thanks! i'll give it a try

phishpac · « **Reply #27 on:** January 13, 2008, 10:01:49 pm »

I was unhappy with the lettering, and the quality of the golden tee directions section of my CPO, so I've decided to change a few things. Give these latest versions a look and let me know what you think. Also, I have done the side art.. it's the skull all alone as a circle, no background.. looks pretty killer, very simple.

phishpac · « **Reply #28 on:** January 13, 2008, 10:04:54 pm »

Also, I have all of the tools I will need to build the cabinet. I even picked up a great tv with power return and input recall. After I finish building a new workbench in the garage and pick up the MDF to start building the cabinet, I will start a project announcement thread and keep those interested up to date on everything. Again, thank you all for your thoughts and ideas, everything helps!

phishpac · « **Reply #29 on:** January 15, 2008, 09:17:05 pm »

still another version

phishpac · « **Reply #30 on:** January 23, 2008, 09:47:38 pm »

another bump for feedback. thanks!

mybrainhurtz · « **Reply #31 on:** January 24, 2008, 08:58:27 am »

I think both the marquee and the cpo are looking real good... the artwork has progressed nicely from the original idea! keep up the good work!

BORIStheBLADE · « **Reply #32 on:** January 24, 2008, 10:00:50 am »

Talk about coming a long way. I like the marquee.


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