Do I have any style whatsoever? Is this marquee any good?♦♠

[Cero21]

This is my first attempt at a marquee.  What do you guys think?  Be as harsh as you like (I can take it really!).  I really do want as much commentary as possible so I don't end up printing something that doesn't look good.

** UPDATED 19 May 08 **
Got it printed a couple weeks ago from EMKAY.  Looks awesome!  Thanks so much for your input everyone.  Pics are at the end of this post.

Now I need your help with my control panel.  I'm sure I could use your advice.  Check it out and make comments here:
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=80290.0


1)


Large version:


Edit after the first 2 comments:
2)


Large Version


3) The original with the adjustments from the 2nd.
Scrapped completely.

4)Latest and hopefully greatest!


Large Version:


5) Final Marquee dimensions version.  After measuring everything I now have an extra inch from top to bottom.


Large Version:


COMPLETED!!!  Printed by EMKAY! 

[ivwshane]

It looks good but something about the lettering is throwing me off, too boring maybe? Can you "dirty" it up?

[RoninEditor]

Yeah dude, it's not bad at all, I'm imagining it with the light behind it.  The above post has a point though, the lettering's a little off... not the color, but the font, everything else is nice and crisp but the font seems to need to be a little more bold.  A free font like AtomicBomb might be nice, or even the GTA font.  And maybe throw on a color dissolve from, like, an orange to yellow on the top third of the lettering.  Maybe even try it old school, using a thick line of one color, thin line of the other, then increase and decrease the lines until it switches to the main color.  Either or would make it look even better I think.

Good job though.

[Cero21]

Thanks so much for the comments.  You guys are keeping me up late at night!  lol

I made some changes based on both your suggestions.  Images #2 in the first post.

1) I changed the font.  You're right, I wasn't 100% happy with it either but I couldn't at the time find anything better.  Now that I look at it more and more, the first font makes my eyes hurt.  Too confusing I think.
2) Put in a gradient like RoninEditor suggested.
3) Made the text 85% transparent.  Not very much but it makes a slight difference.

Do you think these changes work?  Would you make any other changes?

[ivwshane]

Looking better but lets see that same gradient or other affects you did with the original font.

[Jakobud]

I think the only way to make it better is to replace the robot with a picture of Mark Summers.

[DJ_Izumi]

What's with the Gundam?

[DaOld Man]

What's with the Gundam?

Ahhh, so that's what that is?
I wanted to ask, but didnt want to show my ignorance right off the bat..

Cero21:
Good work, I like it.. Just live with it a few days before printing it out, you will probably see some small way to improve it yourself..
BTW, you are the one that has to live with it on your arcade so it's really what ever you want..

[Cero21]

Thanks again for the comments.

I made a 3rd which is the first with adjustments from the second.
Gradient, colours and slight letter tilting.

I kinda like the font again.  It's sorta futuristic which works with the Gundum robot.  Anyone with any futuristic font choices that might work as well?

I put the Gundum in there because I've seen and liked a lot of the space themes out there but adding a Gundum to replace a generic space ship or something would make it a little different plus I love big giant robots.  Plus that image would work great with my eventually CP as I found it as a very high res image, which looks really cool.

DJ_Izumi - Do you like it?

Check out it out:
http://nepunicorn.deviantart.com/art/Gundam-Blizzard-20557066


So anyways, do you like 2 or 3 better?  Any more changes you think I should make?  I know it's me looking at it all the time but I want other people to enjoy it as well, esp if they had never seen an arcade cabinet in a house before.  I really do value your comments.  Thanks in advance!

[Ginsu Victim]

3rd still has the problem of the first...it's too hard to read and that font is kinda ugly. It's not quite right. There might be a better font closer to what you're after. Check www.abstractfonts.com

I think the 2nd looks best so far.

[RoninEditor]

Yeah, I think the second is looking the best (the latest 2nd you have up there), it pops the most. 

I kinda got thinking, this might be stupid or... could look really cool and nostalgic, but what about the original Double Dribble font, similar to your name...?  Check this link here:

http://www.consoleclassix.com/info_img/Double_Dribble_-_The_Playoff_Edition_GEN_ScreenShot1.jpg

I think the Double Dribble font/look would be great regardless but then you have the added 'classic meets modern' feel to it.

[Zobeid]

I also vote for the second image with the smooth and readable lettering.

Looks like a good marquee if you're into the many many Japanese Raiden/Truxton style games, that have two-player cooperative modes.   

[Cero21]

Yeah, I think the second is looking the best (the latest 2nd you have up there), it pops the most. 

I kinda got thinking, this might be stupid or... could look really cool and nostalgic, but what about the original Double Dribble font, similar to your name...?  Check this link here:

http://www.consoleclassix.com/info_img/Double_Dribble_-_The_Playoff_Edition_GEN_ScreenShot1.jpg

I think the Double Dribble font/look would be great regardless but then you have the added 'classic meets modern' feel to it.

OOooohhh!  That might look really cool and I'm def willing to try it out.  Where can I find this font?  I tryped double dribble font in google with no results.

[IA1NY]

My vote's for the second one.  I agree that the lettering is more readable and the lettering texture more interesting.  I also like the movement of the background from the dark to the light. There are only two things that bother me: The flat lettering, and the crowdedness of the foreground.

Try extruding the lettering a little to turn it 3D looking.  Second make both the lettering and the guy slightly smaller to bring them away from the edge a bit and open up some space between the guy and title.  That should make it look less crowded.

One other that doesn't really bother me but is only a nit-picky thing is that you might try playing with the lettering slant.  A little more slant might give you more "movement" in the lettering.

Keep it up, it's lookin' good. 

[rackoon]

let me put in one vote for the third font. And I do like the double dribble coloring better but I would look for some wicked awsome efects in photo shop to explore, just to make it really bad ass. look at this:

Crude!
I don't know how to link, so ill just tell you the spot so you can goggle it   "The best 80 photo shop effects on the web"   

[ivwshane]

I think for the look you are going for the third one looks the best.

It just looks "gundamish"!

[Ginsu Victim]

I think for the look you are going for the third one looks the best.

It just looks "gundamish"!

Yeah, but there are way better "gundam-esque" fonts out there.

[SavannahLion]

I think for the look you are going for the third one looks the best.

It just looks "gundamish"!

Yeah, but there are way better "gundam-esque" fonts out there.

I concur, the original font choice is too inconsistent in the character component and character spacing. At first glance, I thought it read DOBLE DARE. There are other fonts that have more consistent spacing, more interesting, and are more legible.

[RoninEditor]

Yeah, I think the second is looking the best (the latest 2nd you have up there), it pops the most. 

I kinda got thinking, this might be stupid or... could look really cool and nostalgic, but what about the original Double Dribble font, similar to your name...?  Check this link here:

http://www.consoleclassix.com/info_img/Double_Dribble_-_The_Playoff_Edition_GEN_ScreenShot1.jpg

I think the Double Dribble font/look would be great regardless but then you have the added 'classic meets modern' feel to it.

OOooohhh!  That might look really cool and I'm def willing to try it out.  Where can I find this font?  I tryped double dribble font in google with no results.

Hmm... yeah, I'm nut sure if there's an exact font based on this but I know they used a standard font for this back, what, like 20 years ago...?  So it's GOTTA be out there on a free font list (the original one they used).  I know for sure I've seen it in other things.

This free site here has a lotta good ones I've found:

http://www.1001fonts.com/

[Cero21]

Added #4.  3-D text with the font that most people seem to like. 

Am I now ready for printing?

RoninEditor - Yeah, I use that site too.  Didn't seem to find the font.

[Ginsu Victim]

The letters seem a little too soft/blurry. It really stood out to me, especially the E in DOUBLE.
Sharpen that up and I'd say it's good.

[Cero21]

The letters seem a little too soft/blurry. It really stood out to me, especially the E in DOUBLE.
Sharpen that up and I'd say it's good.

Fixed #4 like you suggested.  How is it now?

[thatitalian]

Nice job!  #4 is the one for me!

[Ginsu Victim]

Yep, that's how I thought it should be. Looks great.

The only thing now is you should make the font smaller and shrink the robot.

You have to consider the amount of the image the retainers will cut off.

[RoninEditor]

Yeah, #4 looks great!!  I like the balance of colors in there, feels like something you'd see in the corner of an arcade, which I think the point of all of this.

[Cero21]

Thanks so much for all your help guys!   

Without you I would have been left with ugly #1!  lol

GinsuVictim - I'll keep your comments in mind.  I still haven't measured for the final size (cabinet still in construction) and you're right that the retainers will cut some off so I'll have to make some small adjustments.  Thanks.

So, eventually I'm going to get working on the CP art.  I'll be looking for some help again then so stay tuned.

Again, thanks for all your help guys.  It's really nice to have such a great community.

[rotheblog]

I seem to be coming into this thread a little late...

I think you have made a nice progression in your attempts.  Better font choice, and better treatment.  I think the raised lettering works much better than an offset harder edge drop shadow.

I still feel like you have this really color rich image in the background, shades of blues and reds, and you have a simple two color gradient text treatment and sold dark grey drop shadows. 

If this were mine, I would try some blending layers with those raised shadows.  Maybe use a dark blue or dark red and try some blending modes to pull some of that background into those shadows.  I feel like the text needs something other than the simple gradient...but I don't know what.  If you decided this was worth a shot to try at least, post it and it might pop into my head as an idea beyond.   Sometimes simple is better, but you started out techie, gundam, and it feels like maybe something subtile could be incorporated into the lettering.

[Cero21]

I just measured my cabinet and it turns out I have an extra inch top to bottom (7 inches) to work with.  I just took #4 and extended the background 1 inch.  Does everything still look aright?  To me, the text now looks less dominate.  The retainer/pieces of metal I bought will cover 1/8 of an inch top and bottom.  If you guys think it is still just as good as before I'll get this sucker printed.  The new one is #5.

rothecreations - I tried quickly some different blending modes but nothing seemed to have a new effect.  I guess I'm not the photoshop master I thought I was. 

[Ginsu Victim]

The new version is exactly what I said to do.
Looks ready to print.

[Lachlan438]

love the background 

[Cero21]

Completed and printed.  Thanks everyone!  Pics are at the top of the thread.

Please take a look at and critique my CP.  The link is at the top of the thread as well.