Cover Design Contest

[Gelford]

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lol why didn't you say that to him 15 days ago?

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[Mason Malmuth]

Hi Everyone:

We'll probably have three winners. The third winner will be a cover that we select to use on the upcoming Ray Zee/ David Fromme book. We'll ask the designer to relabel for the different title and authors.

Best wishes,
Mason

[Gonso]

[ QUOTE ]
Hi Gonso,

Nice improvements. I can't help but notice, however, a striking similarity between Roxy's title text and your title text. Both have "Professional" styled the same: on a separate line from "NLHE", with the same font as "NLHE", a smaller size than "NLHE", and left-aligned with "NLHE". Both have "Volume X" off to the right in a script-style font. Both have "Volume X" slightly overlapping with "NLHE".

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Bozman, I'm glad you finally posted again because there seems to be a couple issues we need to address.

I've obviously participated and monitored this thread since it began, and from the beginning you've repeatedly shown nothing but praise for Roxy's designs - not just once, but numerous times throughout the thread. Gelford said something about her design you didn't like, you were on it. Any mention or compliment of someone else's covers was always qualified, but obviously you're very partial to Roxy's designs.

Then you make a pretty not-so-subtle stab at my cover (if not me personally) here, all but saying I'm ripping Roxy off, so let's take a closer look and I'll address it:

I can't help but notice, however, a striking similarity between Roxy's title text and your title text. Both have "Professional" styled the same: on a separate line from "NLHE",

That seems fair, but from the outset I was clear several times that fitting it all onto one line wasn't working well. A multi-line option was all you could really do if you wanted a legibile title, and breaking it up into more than two lines looks awful. So I suppose you'd rather I break it up some other way.

with the same font as "NLHE"

It's not even remotely the same font, I mean look at it.

a smaller size than "NLHE"

When there was a subtitle originally, it appeared on my cover in a smaller size font then the main title, prior to ANY other submission. This is so rediculously common though... we're trying to fit text to make it look pleasing to the eye, and you have to adjust sizes to do that.

and left-aligned with "NLHE".

At least this is correct, but then there's only a few ways you can align text like this... left, centered, or to the right. Right looks dumb, and centered didn't look good.

Both have "Volume X" off to the right in a script-style font. Both have "Volume X" slightly overlapping with "NLHE".

This idea also originated in one of my drafts, not Roxy's. If you go back, I had a right-aligned, script-styled "Volume X" that appeared on the spine. It was also on the cover, only there it was separate from the main title.

Also, did you notice Larrando also wound up with a similar title layout? Did you ever think we all might have had the same layout problems?

There are a number of other similarities between our designs also, you know. Different face card designs on each cover (I abandoned the queen design), translucent card images and card suits implemented into the background, don't forget the bordered see-through windows on the back cover, then there's the arrangement and location of the authors names on the front cover, and now the arrangement of the authors names on the spine also... should I go on? Did you miss all of these?

Now, I don't know what your deal is... maybe you're trying to play White Knight to get the attention of random girl online, or maybe Roxy's actually your gimmick account (I don't know). Hey, maybe you just really like her design and it's honest... but I put a lot of time an effort into trying to make an original, unique design for my submission. Despite doing just that, and then seeing a lot of my elements appear in other work, I now have to hear this...

[Gelford]

I wanted to say something similar, as the text design roxy has, actually originates from you Gonso.

I hope you'll find a way to please Mason within the timelimit, many of us feel your design it the nutz Gonso.

[Gonso]

Also, for the record, Roxygirl: I apologize if Boz and you have nothing to do w/ each other. Though there are similarities I'm not taking any pot shots at your design, because it does have an entirely different look (and, frankly, it looks good). Plus, obviously you have a lot of the same design challenges.

If a mod would confirm these are different IPs we could probably clear the air. I don't want to slight Roxy if Boz is just some random tool.

Mason, everyone else: Yeah the color too dark issue is no big whoop. For those of you who don't do any kind of design I'm working with layers, and the bottom layer is the textured red or blue background - can color than without messing with any of the layers on top of it. It's very easy to change - it's more a matter of things like "will the text stand out once I go to a lighter backdrop", "will I need to add shadows if not", "will the new colors actually look good?", and so on.

I don't have any formal training and know very little about marketing books, so if Mason says he wants lighter colors because they sell better, well then, he gets lighter colors.

[fraac]

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Successful covers, which aid in selling books, are covers that catch someone's eye.

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You forget that most of us don't live in Vegas. Don't you trust the reputation of 2+2?

[ama0330]

Can't believe I missed this thread...

I'm going to have a crack at this in the three days that remain - jebus [img]/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img]

Sounds like fun tho and the designs so far are amazing!

[Gelford]

Boz/Roxy ... hmmm ... yep, you guys seem awfully similar [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[Wilco666]

I must say that pretty much all designs I see in this thread look way better than the designs of all the actual 2+2 books I have at home. Great work!

[Stuey]

[ QUOTE ]
Hi Everyone:

We'll probably have three winners. The third winner will be a cover that we select to use on the upcoming Ray Zee/ David Fromme book. We'll ask the designer to relabel for the different title and authors.

Best wishes,
Mason

[/ QUOTE ]

Ray Zee! Now your talking. Now take away the cash prize and I can enter. I don't think I can beat any of the entries so far anyways but hey for a chance at Ray's cover I gotta try. The money is optional right? We can refuse the money and you will still use our cover? Wow a chance to make the cover for Zee's book! Why didn't yah say so earlier?