Adding a few AlphaSets from CottageArts.net to your toolbox, and allowing them to play
a key role in your layouts, is sure to make your pages shine.
These little letters can be as small as an initial or as large
as the page, and, when mixed and matched appropriately, will
add spice and appeal to your creations.
There are four elements to consider when designing with
AlphaSets:
-
Emphasis
-
Rhythm
-
Balance
-
Unity
Create EMPHASIS
To create emphasis, first define the message of your layout.
What do you want to communicate? How do you want the page to
feel? The answers to these questions will not only help you
define the focal point, but will also help you choose right AlphaSet to accentuate it. Emphasis is usually created through
size, with larger items being more important.
However, you can also emphasize through color, shape, and
texture. For example, bright colors will dominate subdued
tones.
Produce RHYTHM
Rhythm results from a pattern with both repetition and shape or
other detail. A pattern can be either regular or irregular, but
consistency is important. Here are just a few ways to produce
rhythm using AlphaSets: repeat a color scheme of three different
shades; repeat different sizes of the same shape; create an
irregular pattern with letters of different weights or strengths
spaced at different intervals.
Achieve BALANCE
Imagine a vertical line running down the center of your page.
Now assess the weights of the objects on the left and right of
this line. Do the same with a horizontal line. Does one side
feel too heavy or too light? If the answer is yes, some simple
rearranging of letters and elements will create balance.
Attain UNITY
Many elements of design, including shape, size, color, and texture, can
contribute to unity. Here are just a few ways to use AlphaSets
with unity in mind: choose a color scheme and stick to it; use
only one to three lettering styles; use a border or linear
design to connect letters. Lining up letters along grid lines,
either regular or irregular, will also aid in creating a unified
layout.
