Lettering for Graphic Design: This Is How We Did It

How we did lettering the old fashioned way: a collection of clips featuring analogue technology in use

Pencil by default: that was how we worked before the first Apple Macintosh systems arrived on the market. Newspapers were printed on metal type printing presses. Letters were added by hand, using typesetting equipment. Either at home or in the office, Letraset was your first port of call for transferring typefaces onto page. Many of us in the pre-computer age, either got our hands messy with Cow gum or inhaled magic markers. Or they took two hours trying to spell their name on a John Bull Printing Set (great if you had a name like Ian Ure, less so if you had a name like Vennegoor of Hesselink).

Today’s leaflets and reports are done with a variety of open source or proprietary software. Sometimes up in the cloud like Adobe’s Creative Suite or the Google Drive apps, or with QuarkXpress on your hard drive.

For today’s post, we go back to the era when lettering meant Letraset. Before your very eyes, here’s a selection of clips.

Kroy lettering system

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNHaU6lxCbM

Back in 1983, the Apple Macintosh had yet to make into the desktop publishing field. There was either traditional methods or (if you had serious money to burn) the Xerox Alto workstation. If you were too clumsy with the Letraset, the Kroy lettering system was a good alternative.

Leroy lettering set

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5t1YLxb2hbY

Before Comic Sans MS, comics had manually written text. There was also another way: the Leroy lettering set. This enabled you to copy text from a strip of letters and punctuation marks. They were a boom for cartoonists and architects.

Letraset dry transfer lettering

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ed6iXQW_O1U

If you couldn’t afford a Kroy lettering system, Letraset dry transfer sets were, and remains, a more affordable alternative. From your newsagent or art shop, you could get Letraset transfers with a choice of typefaces. With DTP largely consigning this method to history, art shops still sell the transfers, though with a more limited range.

Dreamkatcha, 13 December 2016.

Greenery: Pantone’s Colour for 2017

“Refreshing and revitalising shade” of Greenery set to bring “restoration, revitalisation and hope” in the New Year

Hasn't 2016 been a turbulent old year? How many musicians have we lost? Not to mention the political earthquakes on both side of the Atlantic Ocean. It is hardly surprising to find that Pantone, the colour people, have chosen Greenery as their Color of the Year for 2017.

Greenery aims to be an antithesis of the turbulence of 2016. It is a fresh, yellow-green shade that is easy on the eyes. It reflects recent developments towards introducing natural elements in architecture and graphic design.

There has been a Pantone Color of the Year for seventeen years. The first colour to have been announced, for the year 2000, was Cerulean (or Pantone 15-4020). For 2016, Pantone chose two colours, the first time that has ever happened. Last year’s colours of the year were Rose Quartz (Pantone 13-1520) and Serenity (Pantone 15-3919).

Technical Details: Greenery:

• Pantone Number: 15-0343;


• RGB Code: (136, 179, 75);


• Hexadecimal Code: #88B04B;


• RAL Colour Code: RAL 6018.

Spring 2017 Fashion Report:

Greenery came seventh out of ten places in Pantone’s Spring 2017 Fashion Report. The 2017 Color of the Year could be a popular shade for trousers, skirts, shirts and sweaters. Top colour for Spring 2017’s fashion colour report is Niagara (17-4123), a subtle blue-grey shade.

Dreamkatcha, 10 December 2016.

Greenery: Pantone’s Colour for 2017

“Refreshing and revitalising shade” of Greenery set to bring “restoration, revitalisation and hope” in the New Year

Hasn't 2016 been a turbulent old year? How many musicians have we lost? Not to mention the political earthquakes on both side of the Atlantic Ocean. It is hardly surprising to find that Pantone, the colour people, have chosen Greenery as their Color of the Year for 2017.

Greenery aims to be an antithesis of the turbulence of 2016. It is a fresh, yellow-green shade that is easy on the eyes. It reflects recent developments towards introducing natural elements in architecture and graphic design.

There has been a Pantone Color of the Year for seventeen years. The first colour to have been announced, for the year 2000, was Cerulean (or Pantone 15-4020). For 2016, Pantone chose two colours, the first time that has ever happened. Last year’s colours of the year were Rose Quartz (Pantone 13-1520) and Serenity (Pantone 15-3919).

Technical Details: Greenery:

• Pantone Number: 15-0343;


• RGB Code: (136, 179, 75);


• Hexadecimal Code: #88B04B;


• RAL Colour Code: RAL 6018.

Spring 2017 Fashion Report:

Greenery came seventh out of ten places in Pantone’s Spring 2017 Fashion Report. The 2017 Color of the Year could be a popular shade for trousers, skirts, shirts and sweaters. Top colour for Spring 2017’s fashion colour report is Niagara (17-4123), a subtle blue-grey shade.

Dreamkatcha, 10 December 2016.

WordPress Update's Vaughan Identity

Latest version of WordPress named in honour of Sarah Vaughan

WordPress Version 4.7 could also be known as “the divine one” or “sassy”. This is in honour of the jazz vocalist, Sarah Vaughan. The latest version of WordPress will include a wealth of exciting features and the welcome retention of familiar ones. New features that include:

• Video Headers: instead of static headers, Version 4.7 will enable you to add YouTube and Vimeo clips into your header graphic windows;


• Easier CSS customisation: new editing facilities will enable you to make tweaks to your theme’s Cascading Style Sheets in a more easier way than previous versions;


• Improved theme preview mode: changing a WordPress theme will enable you to see the changes instantly, prior to saving them.

Since WordPress began, each version of the world’s most popular content management system has been named after jazz musicians and singers. The first version was named after Miles Davis. Later versions were named in honour of Dinah Washington and Billie Holliday.

Sarah Vaughan was also known as “the divine one” or “sassy”. She was a four-time Grammy Award winner, including one for Lifetime Achievement. Her best known songs include If You Could See Me Now, Don't Blame Me, and Send in the Clowns. In 1977, she also guested on Consequences, Godley and Creme’s first album after leaving 10cc, singing Lost Weekend. The Manchester-based duo couldn’t get hold of their original choice who was Ella Fitzgerald.

Introducing WordPress 4.7: Vaughan

Mr. Mullenweg and Co. have produced a rather nice video of Vaughan's features. It is fair to say that the features of our favoured CMS have improved again. At this very moment, there’s no sign of our favourite CMS waning in popularity.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiS8rZBeIO0

Dreamkatcha, 11 December 2016.

Web Design Bracknell, Berkshire - Dreamkatcha Graphic Design

Dreamkatcha Graphic and Website Design in Bracknell

Are you looking for a Graphic and Website Designer that is dependable, timely and an expert in many different fields? 

Creative Director Lee Ault of Dreamkatcha has over 20 years experience in the desktop publishing, graphic design and website design fields. From small start up companies to multi national corporations, Lee has worked with hundreds of satisfied customers over the last two decades. 

Website Design with WOW Factor

Enabling them to improve their market reach, to add that “WOW” factor to their printed and online media and enabling them dominate their prospective markets. If it’s a brand new website you require, an attractive brochure or promotional media such as posters and flyers, then speak to Lee at Dreamkatcha. 

Whatever your project, no matter how large or how small – chances are Lee has done something similar before. Having worked with so many clients over the years, Lee has learnt that a good relationship with his customers is imperative to a productive working ethic. 

2016 Website Design Case Study

Read about the Little Royals client showcase blog post here.

Ongoing Relationship Building with Clients

Communication is a must for any successful design project. If a client can’t talk familiarly with their designer, then the creative process becomes disjointed and unproductive. Lee believes that his friendly, no nonsense approach to each project and his clients, enables the creative juices to flow from both ends. This allows both client and designer to bounce off each other and to really get an understanding of the final goal. 

Because of this approach to a working relationship, the majority of Lee’s clients continue to work with him on current and further projects. This includes completely new projects requiring completely new skills, or simply alterations and maintenance of a current design or website. Having just one designer take care of all your creative needs is beneficial in many ways. Not only have you already established a level of trust and understanding of one another, but you also understand how each other work.

Showcase Video of Dreamkatcha Designs

Deadline and projects with short notice

If it’s deadlines that are crucial to you, or maybe it’s attention to detail such as colours, measurements or a certain design style you are fond of, all of this information is already stored in the mind of your designer. This allows more time to be spent on the project at hand without the need to run through all of this again. Moreover, he will always have copies of your previous work backed up that you can refer back to at a moments notice, and any stock media of files that you have been using in previous projects can be called back in to play in an instant. 

Another reason to keep hold of your designer is that he will be able to guage how long most of your projects to work, and also how you work with him. This will enable him to factor in your work immediately to his monthly routine, possibly leap frogging your work to the top of the pile of projects to be completed. 

Lee Ault at Dreamkatcha provides the creative solution you've been searching for and is looking forward to working with you in the future.

Contact Lee by sending a message on his Contact Form today.

Media Design Reading Corporate Branding and Logo Design

Corporate Media Design Reading

The design of your company brochure and media can have a huge impact on its success in attracting new enquiries and prospective customers or clients. Good literature design can mean so much more than just the way the information is laid out. It involves everything from the size and shape, the colours and images, all the way down to the choice of text, finish and method of distribution.

By understanding these requirements, our graphic designers are able to apply their bounty of knowledge and experience to make sure that we help our customers dominate their marketplace. At Dreamkatcha we are able to provide our clients with in-depth knowledge in design, print and marketing that will help them to surpass their intended goals.

If we look at a corporate brochure for example: The shape and size of a business brochure can have both practical and branding implications. Smaller sizes can enable cheaper printing and distribution costs, but at the same time can limit the size of images, logos and illustrations diminishing the presence and overall impact of the final design. Based on your brand, distribution method, budget and marketing aims we can advise you of your best options and create what is right for you in your current situation.

Alongside shape and size, the choice and finish of material also has implications for overall success. A slight change in paper weight can make a considerable difference to the feel and impression it creates in the mind of a client or customer. In some cases a printed brochure isn’t always the best option. We can also design and host virtual brochure websites - providing a cost-effective option for those who are on a budget or work with customers internationally.

Corporate Brochure Website Design

Anyone online these days can tell by the look and feel of your website, if you have made the effort to represent your business properly. One of the most common mistakes made in recent years is using an online site builder to create a free website that looks basic and has adverts popping up all over the place.

We all know that first impressions count, so make sure yours is a strong and impressive one. A poorly designed website can be a disaster when it comes to creating new business and awareness.  Statistics show that you only have around 5 seconds to make that crucial impact on a prospective customer or client. If they aren’t impressed, they simply move on to the next website.

Alongside that, if your website isn’t laid out well and easy to navigate, again, you have lost the attention or patience of your audience. We have been designing websites since the 90's, so we know what works and what doesn’t. When you have your website designed by Dreamkatcha, you can rest assured that you are in good hands.

Corporate identity, Branding and Logo Design 

Your corporate identity usually consists of a logo design, business cards, letterhead, brochures, websites and other media are also included in the overall branding package. This is of the upmost importance to your business or organisation, especially when it is at the start-up stage or relaunch/revamp.

These individual items can act as a powerful tool to instantly communicate your corporate style and philosophy, boost popularity and sales effectively setting you high above your competition.
At Dreamkatcha we believe that consistency is the key to making a solid impression to your audience and bringing your brand to life.

Once we have designed your logo and established your colour palette and font, we will then apply it to all of your corporate literature, from business stationery, promotional materials and website, to vehicle decals, uniform and anything else that is associated with your brand.

We can also help you create concise and carefully organised corporate identity guidelines that include the essential elements to guide the creation of your brand.

If you still can't decide if Dreamkatcha is the right graphic design company for you, we have listed below what we feel are the key values when selecting your design company:

Affordable

Every company has to keep an eye on cost. This is why affordability is one of Dtreamkatcha’s key values. There are no spiralling hourly rates and no hidden extras. Working predominantly online we are able to cut out the costs of meetings and travel to provide efficient and professional design work at the best price possible.

Creative

As graphic designers, creativity is in our blood. With our skills and experience we can take your ideas and content and turn them into eye-catching, high-impact designs which strike your marketing audience and get you noticed and remembered.

Straight Forward

The majority of our customers are busy people with lots going on in their everyday life. We at Dreamkatcha understand this. We don’t over complicate things our design process is clear and simple for you to understand. Every design is sent as a PDF directly to your email for feedback and approval. Each email will explain to you at what stage of the project we are at and what you need to do next to progress.

High Quality

High quality doesn’t always have to mean high prices. By cutting overheads to a minimum and being a modern green, eco company, we are able to offer high end professional graphic design and website design for a fraction of the cost you would pay to some of the larger London-based graphic design companies.

Focused on Contact

One point of contact throughout the design is available by phone or email to answer any questions, give us your feedback on designs, and offer advice on any stage of your project.

With all of these services available to you here at Dreamkatcha, why would you look anywhere else for a company to help grow and solidify your business?

DREAMKATCHA is a Berkshire based Website Design Company, originally established in 1995. Send a message via the Contact Form or call/text Lee on 0777 1818 111 today.