New Kit Logo Development

I'm currently developing three new kits and one accessory for the Odd'l Rockets product line.

Years back I worked as a graphic artist in a hometown print shop.
I spent too many hours working on a phototypesetting machine.
Needless to say, I'm picky about type fonts and how they are set.

I try to find a font that fits the product.
For example - a short and stubby rocket should have a short and stubby font.
The font and logo design should imply what the model is or does.

In the past, I've seen some decal sheets that didn't reflect the kit design. Some vendors would simply set the model name in a standard, boring Press Roman type style.
Other vendors might name their design something like "The ST-67". That doesn't really tell me anything about the model, it's just a number. I try to go for obvious, hopefully clever, names that say what the rocket is.

Before you send off for some custom cut vinyl, spend some time on a free fonts website like:
http://www.1001freefonts.com/
You'll be amazed at what's out there. Sometimes a font can inspire a whole new design idea.

Here you can see the original font and below it the changes I made to have it fit the new UP! Cup odd-ball kit design.

The original font is named Loveladies.
Quite a few changes were made in Corel Draw.

• The "U's" were changed into a cup profile.
  The exclamation mark was turned into a exclamation up arrow.
• The loser exclamation "dot" is now a cup shape.
• The weight of all the letters were "standardized" to match the visual weight of the new "U's".
• The "C" and "P" in Cup were adjusted to be a closer mirror image of each other.
  

Here's a common mistake made in typesetting -

I've set the name "The Flash" four times.

Check out the first example in the upper left.

TIP: Never set a script or hand written font in all capitals!
Even though I wouldn't pick this type style for a rocket, the second example in the upper right is at least readable! Well, maybe not - the "F" in Flash looks a little like an "S".

TIP: When picking your font, remember that setting words in italic implies movement.
Check out the difference between the two lower type settings. Which one would you choose?