Colors? Ideas? I'm re-doing my Index Page.

[Jin-roh]

I've decided that my webcomic's page looks rather drab. To that end, I'm changing it drastically. I wonder, though, what colors and such I should use to make my web site more attractive. I've considered earth tones, but I don't know if that fits my comic. I have my current background option attached.

[Swikan]

I like that, Jin-ro. Maybe dark blue borders around banners and things?

*(Of course, I'm a bit partial to the blue-ish scheme... I just re-made my site with a blue scheme, too.)*

[Americangothic]

Depends on the mood you are going for-

Blue is a great color because it's one of the most popular world over. Men like it, women like it, children like it....it's extremely versatile and it's not pink.

The gray you have done your background in is very nice...but I'm partial to gray because like black and white, it doesn't clash with everything. If you go with a warmer chromatic selection of grays or tans/mocha/cream colors..it would change the feel of your comic...question is...what is the emotional thing you are looking for? Is your comic a warm and friendly place to be?

Now if you really want to look at color-as-emotional indicator..go to your local grocery store and look at the products. Ever wonder why Tide was a bright orange box with bright electric blue? It became such a hot seller that other soap brands started mimicking the color scheme...and as I recall, Tide actually had to sue others for trademark infringement. Tide boxes look exciting for a reason.

And coffee products are all based off that dark coffee color for a reason...coffee drinkers immediately associate that rich brown with drink happiness, creams and tans with creamer etc....

[Kirb]

If you're going to spiff up your index, you're going to have to create a good logo and a working color scheme. Make the readers know that they're reading something about a coffee place, even without reading or knowing about the actual comic.

[Jin-roh]

I think "warm and Friendly" might fit the comic. Most of it doesn't take place around the coffee shop it's named after, but it was still inspired in/around one.

I like to tell stories, and stories are usually "warm." I've done one serious story and will probably do others in the future, so I don't if that makes things "cold". Also, my characters are all college students so it would help if I had something that matches the internet generation. So I think Tan might work. Blue is maybe a bit generic, but maybe more universal?

I've attached a tan and gray background.

[Jin-roh]

Yeah, I am planning on doing a logo too, but that means buying fonts, which means collecting donations.

I'm thinking of making a donation button that says, "Please Donate: I majored in Theology."

[Swikan]

You don't have to buy fonts, Jin-roh! there are tons of free fonts around!

[Americangothic]

Oooh... I really like the tan one better.


And for fonts...he he...I saw a CD of fonts for 99 cents at Big Lots and bought it....got like 500 fonts, of which 400 sucked...but I found 5 I really love.

And my favorite font I got off the Harry Potter website... "Inkpot" for free.

Fonts just take a little searching

[Jin-roh]

Well, I don't have the greatest eye for fonts. I've been using comic sans, and apparently it's an affront to God and all things holy.

[Kirb]

People buy fonts?

Go to 1001freefonts.com


Most of them are royalty-free.

[Swikan]

Jin-roh: Also check out the free fonts at Blambot.com. They have pay fonts too, but the free ones are really great.

[Guyford]

I agree with Swikan. Blambot.com is a great place to get fonts. They post a new free and pay font every month, and even if you just stick to the free fonts, the selection is pretty good in my opinion.

[Jin-roh]

I've mined Blambot already. I just need something to replace the dailouge font and I really like "Blambot pro" I believe. It seems hard to find a good upper/lower case hand-written looking font.

[Jin-roh]

Okay, everyone. I've decided on the tan background. I think it works the best, but I can always switch the the blue or grey and keep my current banner color scheme.

Now, I'm doing link buttons. Attached are a few link buttons I've tried as well as the tan background I intend to use. I don't plan on keeping the same shape (I still need to figure out how to make transparent giffs) but I will keep the current font. Now, what do you guys think of my options for navigation buttons?

[Jin-roh]

Stupid max attachment rule...

[Mon Ami]

One thing I would point out Jin, is that even though your background is a lovely selection of your work and even though it is faded, it will distract from your comic overall. I have seen it on a couple of websites where the webdesigner has put a montage of images together and faded them ever so slightly, they take away from the actual work you are trying to showcase (that of course being the comic itself.)

If you do want images of your characters though on the website itself but not in a way that would distract the viewer from the comic itself I would suggest something more like this setup:

http://stuffsucks.com/

It is a good example of how to encorperate images, but not in a way that would distract the viewer. The creator also has a pretty simplistic background that does add to the chaos, but nothing that disorganises it.

..Anyway I hope that helps a bit ^__^

[Jin-roh]

Really, I'm only after a background image. Have you not seen the montage thing work before? Has anyone?
What about Goblins Comic? Does it work there?