Word Art

Last month I created some Word Art for Mother's Day and I thought I would continue with that theme this month, showing you several types of Word Art and explaining step-by-step directions so you can create your own.

I don't know that Word Art has a dictionary definition yet, and I'm not even sure I can explain what Word Art means to me (kinda "I know it when I see it!"). It's more than just using several different fonts in a phrase or quote; it's laying out that phrase in an artistic manner, perhaps using some shadows or images behind the text.

Well, rather than trying to explain what it is, let's just create some.

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I tend to use three fonts when creating Word Art - an easily readable one for most of the words, a fancy one for the important words, and a contrasting fancy font for a shadow for the important words. This example uses Art Gothic Bold for the regular words, Acquiline Two for the "Stars," "High," and "Dream," and Porcelain for the shadows. Links to the fonts are in the pop-up window for the pocket page below.

Word Art can be created in either a graphics program, or in Word, and you don't need to be an expert in either. The important thing is to place every word on a separate layer (or in a separate text box in Word) so that you can manipulate them. Rather than take up space here, I've created pop-up windows containing step-by-step directions. Click here for directions for Paint Shop Pro (or other graphics programs), and here for directions in Word.

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I'm creating a mini-scrapbook (from a Caputo kit) for my niece who is graduating from college this May. I thought this Word Art quote was perfect for the first page of the book, which I made into a pocket containing 3 bookmarks with inspiring quotes on them.

    

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This is a different type of Word Art, but I saw this technique used by Jennifer McGuire in Scrapbooks, Etc. Techniques magazine, and knew I had to try it. This technique looks best when a "fat" font, such as Wide Boy, is used. Again, you place each letter on a separate layer (or text box) so it can be manipulated. You then type small words in a contrasting font and use to "fill" the letters. Below you see the word Journey typed using the standard spacing in the Wide Boy font. Below that is the "Journey" Word Art, where I moved the baseline and overlapped some of the letters. I then typed words that "went" with the word Journey, such as Dream, Imagine, Discover, Travel, in Copperplate Gothic font, filling the large letters. The Word Art "Love" was done in a similar fashion.

               

Click here for directions for Paint Shop Pro (or other graphics programs), and here for directions in Word.

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Here's another page of the mini-book, using the Love Word Art. I printed on lilac paper and trimmed closely. I then matted to silver and purple paper, and covered just the letters with Glossy Accents. It looks like a sticker, and best of all, you can make them in any size and any word, just to suit your card or layout.

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Here are two sites that classify fonts by type, and have a good selection of "fat fonts" to use in your Word Art. Links to the actual fonts I used are available in the pop-up directions windows:

ABC Web Worx. Click on the link to "Thick" fonts on the right side of the screen.

Simply the Best This link takes you to their "thick" fonts page

And here's one, just for fun:

Font Paradise

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I'd be happy to send you any of the Word Art created for this article - just send me an email. Or, better yet, make some yourself and display it in our Reader's Gallery! I'll be talking about alphabet image fonts next month and have some wonderful examples to show you.

Dyan Cross
dyancross@ssreflections.com
Captain's First Mate
Digital Deck Crewmember
S.S. Reflections, Inc.


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