Back Text

[MF29]

This is probably the only downside in my design technique, the back text. Could anyone recommend the best fonts to use?

What blending options should I use?

How do I create text on backs without them looking choppy and ugly when being looked upon from a zoomed out perspective?

Here is a prime example of perfect text, MARKER.

http://www.vgboxart.com/view/28605/l...da/?replies=24
http://www.vgboxart.com/view/22343/d...ls/?replies=29

How is it done?

[MARKER]

Since you gave samples using my boxes... thought I better reply.

I'm guessing you mean the main story/synopsis block text? If you mean other text (tagline, small info., etc.) then.. you'll have to tell me. Then again, I am planning to do a tutorial/guide on text on my site at some point.

Anyway... anyone that knows me fairly well will know, I don't use many fonts in my boxart... if you look at most of my boxes, I more or less use the same fonts. The Story/Synopsis block text IMO should be the most clear and readable, and thus shouldn't really use any fancy fonts, and should be 'opposite' colour to the background.
9/10 times I use "Myriad Pro" font (Semi-bold & Condensed), with Strong anti-aliasing. The font is a commercial font (Not Free), although it was included with the free version of Adobe Acrobat at some point --- probably not now? Alternatively, I use "Helvetica Neue" since it's similar and has a lots of font styles. If the game is more "fun" and "creative", then I'll use a Serif font like "Adobe Jenson Pro". If it's Horror, then I use "Mom's typewriter" font.

However... When using fonts, unless you are just writing a single word or a few words on a line, then I suggest using the paragraph mode. ie. Click on "T", then drag a box, and type your text in the box. You should have your Character and Paragraph panels out too (essential). In Character panel, if you type in say 9pt font, the leading (space above your text) should usually be 9pt too. It's different with different fonts however. Staying on the character panel, you can also adjust the height/width of the characters to make your font look different. ie. on my ADA box, the top orange quote text has a vertical scale of 140%, and a tracking (space between characters) of -40 making the font a lot taller and thinner and squashed.

On Paragraph panel, ALWAYS uncheck hypenation at the bottom. I hate hypens, makes texts look awful. On my ADA box, the text is "justified last left" so that it's straight on the left as well as on the right apart from the last line.

Blending Options. Usually, I have a small drop shadow on most text. Usuaully, I have blend mode NORMAL, 120 degree angle, with distand and Size at 2px. If however, your background is different colour.. say white to black gradient... then have a very thin outline using the middle colour (grey) on the font instead.

On my Dante box, the text works around the images on the right. I really don't like this much... I prefer boxed text, however, if it does work around images... it shouldn't work around much. Basically, use the pen tool to draw the boundaries, and then type your text in the box.

As for how to make it not look choppy/ugly when zoomed out/perspective --- I don't know about that as I just make the boxes at full size but at 200dpi (instead of my usual 300dpi), and it turns out okay when I 3D the boxes. NOTE.. don't use Imandix (especially the Pro version), it's crap for 3D text as it seems to blur things and over do anti-aliasing.