DEC29111

Ok you DVD Cover Pros...

Can you give me any hints and suggestions on how to get the small font text on the back cover readable when placed over graphics??

I have tried using shadows, bevels, reducing the level of color.. and still the text on covers that I have created are very hard to read!!

I have created a custom cover for a VHS -> DVD+R of a 1988 "campy" grade "B" Sci-Fi movie based on the John Norman novels "GOR"

It can be downloaded from "MY YAHOO" photo Briefcase ..

(The file is in JPEG format and the only font used is Univers. My PhotoShop file was larger than the 15mb file limit even 'ZIPped')

Could one of you pros take a look at it and tell me what you would do to get the text on the back cover more readable??


--David

danol

Sir I would not waste my time in Vhs it's simply not worth it, for an example "Gone With The Wind" VHS used to cost as much as $89.95. You can now buy it on DVD for as low as $5 used and about $15 new.
I print out DVD cover art for damaged discs and for discs I purchased without no cover art. Times are a changing and Vhs prices are losing ground so quickly, even pawn brokers will only buy 5 at the highest amount of $2 with cover art and a used or even new pre-record. Ask around get it straight and wonder no more.

DEC29111

Trouble is.. this movie is not out on DVD and my VHS copy is starting to show wear and in two of my VHS machines will not even track correctly any more.. so copied to DVD.

JLyon1515

It looks like ou are doing an outer bevel on the text on the back...am I right? I think part of the reason why it is hard to read is that your font color and the highlighted bevel color are too similar. Personally, I'd not use the bevel. If you keep the font that yellowish color, and do an outer glow on the text, I think it will give you the cointrary you need. Do the outer glow in black at 75% opacity, make sure it's set to normal and not screen. And make the size oh...lets say 60. The effect will dark the background image a lot...but that's why you got to do if you want the text to be readable.

This is just the thought off the top of my head, play with the opacity and the size a bit and hopefully it helps.

DEC29111

I used the bevel to try to make the letters stand out more.. with out it the letters are really flat and twice as hard to read.

I will try changing the bevel and font colors to see if that helps get the text more readable.

--David

JLyon1515

You mean, you don't even want to *try* my outer glow idea?

DEC29111

Hu? No I did not mean that I would not try it.. I just grouped my reply as;
"..I will try changing the bevel and font colors to see if that helps get the text more readable.."

Sorry if I did not reply correctly!

--David

DEC29111

Thanks!!

I went with 50% on both the opacity and size.. but the black was the trick as I had been trying to use blues and gold's...

I made this change to my top layer to text.. as what I had going on there.. I am self trained on PhotoShop so please excuse me if I use the wrong terms .. I had two layers of text..
The top layer I was leaving alone with the base color of 'Yellow/Gold". (this is the level I added your suggestion to.)
The bottom layer is/was the bevel layer where I did all the changes to the text trying to get it to visually stand away from the page and graphics.

With the changes now the text looks as if the letters are being formed on the top of a mountain... and really stands out on a printed page.. don't really notice the effect as greatly on screen... which is a first for me since in the past most of the effects that I have tried looked better onscreen than on paper!!

I will try to remember this trick.. thanks!!

--David

PS: You don't know of a 'free' online PhotoShop course do you.
I got my PhotoShop from a OEM install disc that I purchased at a local yard sale.. went to the Adobe web site and installed a patch that upgraded the version, as far as I can tell.. other than durring the splash screen.. to the full version of 7.01.. because features that had been locked out before the patch.. were unlocked after the patch! Things like being able to save in many different formats. where before the patch could only save in 'PH' format... may not have all the fonts, brushes, and textures of a full install??