Vital Imagery Blog

In just two days Valentine's Day will be here and you are working on a last-minute project.  The design has been imagined, the illustrations found, the text decided.

However, while you might know what to say, you also know that 'how' you say it is equally important in graphic design. Whether you're working on a promotion for Feb. 14 or a special card for your own Valentine,  choosing the right font goes a long way to pulling mood and message together.

I have to be honest. When it comes to typography I really only know what I like; whether it's the right font for the project I'm less certain about.

When I worked in print media,  the discussion was always about serif verses sans serif.  The popular notion at the time was that serif was preferred for print as it was more 'readable'. Italic and bold were used to emphasize,  but sparingly.

Mixing it up was also the suggestion, which the editorial department did incoprorating different fonts for cutlines, he…

What does romance mean to you?

Through the course of several decades in this world, I've learned one thing about that question — romance has different meaning for everyone. Simply reflecting on quotes by some famous people will prove that.

To author Nicholas Sparks, "Romance is thinking about your significant other, when you are supposed to be thinking about something else."  Actor Elizabeth Ashley has a little more of a cynical viewpoint on the topic saying, "In a great romance, each person basically plays a part that the other really likes."

One sure to appeal to the dewy-eyed from the academic,  Carolyn Gold Helbrun: "Romance is the glamour which turns the dust of everyday life into a golden haze." And finally, one for the truly sentimental,  romance, according to novelist and poet Gertrude Stein, is "everything."

For me, romance is about the little things. It's the offer of a back massage (no strings attached) at the end of a long d…

When you think about Valentine's Day, you think of love and romance, of course. You think of hearts, of chocolate, of fancy candlelit dinners, of jewellery. 

Romance means a lot of different things to different people. There are women who would consider their partner getting up to do dishes, unasked, the ultimate romantic gesture. The hearts of some men would be warmed seeing their wife or girlfriend washing the car.

On the flip side, there are folks who require the grandiose — the thought out, planned major event — a weekend getaway or elaborate surprise.

Something that typically comes to mind when one thinks of romance, though,  are red roses.  These are the flowers to give as a reflection of great passion and love. The number can also have significance, with the single bud meaning love, while 50 proves that love is unconditional.

Or maybe just that the buyer has a bigger expense account.

Roses are linked to romance in poetry, literature and film. Remember when Meg Ryan's K…

A very important factor in making a project — whether it's a relationship or a building — is a strong foundation. A marriage built on less can't sustain itself; a house without one will sink and fall.

When it comes to creating something with an illustration, often the thing to tie it all together, to make it cohesive, to make it solid, will be the right background. The perfect one can add interest and pull all the other elements of your design together. 

Backgrounds can truly be the foundation and the framework of a good design. Often a background can be so ideal that it can stand alone, with only the addition of  some text to fill the space.

Interestingly, they are suited to both the creative and the unimaginative. The former can use talent and expertise to build around the background, while the latter can let the image speak for itself.

The principle challenge for each then is to find the one that suits style and need.  With the diversity of graphics available online there…