Varying Font Size Makes Engraved Plates Better
Equal sized font on multiple lines is recommended when each line is part of a whole. Typically, the same font should be used if this is the case. Keep in mind that when different fonts are placed on the same plate – using the same font “size” rarely makes the rendered text appear equal-sized.
When each line stands on its own such as when there is a Title, Artist, and Year - differentiating lines helps with readability and context. For this reason you can adjust the Font and its size at each line. You can also adjust the line spacing between lines 1 and 2 and lines 2 and 3.
EXAMPLE OF 3 LINE WITH DIFFERENT FONT & SIZES ON EACHLINE
Decorative and scripted fonts are attention grabbing and excellent if the emphasis needs to be on a Title or the Artist’s name. It is often a good idea to juxtapose them with Serifed or Sans-Serifed fonts.
Another technique for making an attractive plate is to vary the font height per line. A common example is when the first line holds the Title of the Artwork and is sized larger than the second and even third lines of text such as the Artist. When three lines of text are used this way, it often looks clean with the 2nd and 3rd lines of text use the same font and size as each other.
It is easy to forget how small some of these plates are in real-life. For this reason we do try to approximate the plate size as you are placing the order. The great thing about lasering, is that really small fonts can be cleanly engraved. The tough thing however, is that you still need to consider the audience and how legible it should be for the average person. Consider our smallest titleplates at 2½ inches wide by 3/8 inch high. Can we engrave 3 lines of text on it? Yes we can. Should you really do that? Probably not. Another thing to consider when using scripted and decorative fonts is the smaller they get, the more legibility suffers. If you really need multiple lines on smaller plates, use serifed or better yet, sans serifed fonts for the smaller sized lines of text.
Examples of small plates with lots of lines of text on smallest plates vs same on larger plate