a thought on MIXED FONTS

Image by: www.shutterstock.com

By Laura Mooney and Erika Hayes

Using mixed fonts in a title can bring great fun and interest to a layout. It can also be part of the story telling process.

Think what you are trying to convey in your title. Do you just want to add an element of fun? Then add a few fonts of differing colors, type, and height. Do you want to emphasize part of the title? Make those words larger, while making the supporting words smaller. Do you want to add interest and dimension? Add letters with differing heights, textures, and thicknesses.

It doesn't have to be a difficult process. You can use mini letters, Thickers, die cut letters, words printed from the computer, the negative space left after die cutting, or even your own handwriting!

Using different fonts can help tell your story. Typology is used in professional graphic design as a way to convey feelings. Just as with color, typeface can convey emotion. Using script fonts can bring a sense of elegance, where a blocky serif font can convey part of the story like the first day of school. Mixing your fonts in your title and journaling are a great way to add visual interest to your work.

Just My Type

Fonts convey mood and personality. Fonts have a deep rich history and are important to understand. In marketing, different fonts are used to envoke feelings of warmth and security toward a product. Fonts are also use to give the illusion of strength or youth. A great book to read all about the history and meaning of fonts is "Just my Type".

On your next work of He{art} mix it up a little... think about HOW your fonts make you feel and what fun you can have with mixing different colors, style and size of fonts and post it here!

Let's check out what the TG's did with fonts

*********************************************************************************************

Layout by: Jennifer

Jennifer’s thought: When I create a title, I usually use more than one font. I usually use a smaller, less colorful font for the minor words, and I use a brighter, bigger font for the more important words. Here, I used red on the big word--Garden. I didn't have small purple letters--I guess that would have been obvious!--so I used small pink letters for the word "purple." I like how this hits on the most significant word--Garden.

********************************************************************************************

Layout by: Colleen

Colleen’s thought: I think of using mixed fonts a lot like how I was taught to write titles back in elementary school: capital letters start the important words and unimportant words begin with lowercase. That translates into big fonts for the important and little letters for the not-as-important words when I scrapbook. I’m not much for mixing fonts in a word, or having different types of little/big fonts, which is why I used the same letters for the small and big respectively. I struggled a bit in coming up with a title for this; they were all literal ideas like “Hiking in Michigan.” I was drawn to the trees in the pictures and the contrast in my kids running versus holding their father’s hands, and somehow the title came to me. Because of the title, I actually took the journaling a different direction than I first intended, and I added a hidden picture with additional journaling to tell the whole story.

**********************************************************************************************

Layout by: Laura

Laura’s thought: I’ve long been a fan of mixing fonts in my title! First, I think it’s just fun! Secondly, it does help to tell the story at times. I picked these grey letters for my word “elephant” because they are the color of elephants and they had a great texture that reminded me of the wrinkly skin. I chose green for the word “salad” because, well, salad is green. I often use larger and smaller letters to signify the importance of a word in my title.

********************************************************************************************

Layout by: Carolyn

Carolyn’s thought- I love mixing fonts! I think it is a great way to add interest to a layout, not only mixing the fonts, but by mixing the colors at the same time.

I cut part of my title with my Cricut, using the Cuttin' Up cart for the "S" and the two "t's", the Lyrical Letters cart for the "A", and a doodlebug design Inc. sticker for the "e". The Syracuse Bulldogs was cut from pp that I purchased at a LLS, I am not sure of the font. To finish my layout, I used a couple of elements with different fonts. Be sure and give our newest "thought" a try on your next layout.

*************************************************************************************************

Layout by: Devra

Devra’s thought-- A lot of times when I look at my photos, a title immediately comes to me. After I choose the papers for my page, I think about how I want to do the title. There are so many other options to choose from, that sometimes I just can't decide, so I use multiple styles in my title. One of my favorite types of alphas to use right now are tiny alpha stickers. They mix so nicely with larger alpha stickers, chipboard letters and die cut letters. I don't really have a "rule" when I mix my alphas in the title. Sometimes I try to pull out colors from the papers and photos. Sometimes I look for opposite styles in the letters, other times complimentary styles. I have found the small letters help bring the mixtures together. In this title, I used complimentary colors, and picked up the glitter accents as well.

***********************************************************************************************

We would LOVE to have you join us on facebook as well and PLEASE post your layouts we will beging highlighting readers soon. MORE to come on that.. we look forward to hearing your thought and seeing your work!

Blessings

the t*t*d girls