Invites!!! (ver. 2)

[Virgo Nightingale]

So I've FINALLY managed to get around to another version of my invite (well, save the date card here, since that kinda needs to be done first). The paisley thing has been quite a bitch, I was never really able to find the right one, nor was I really able to draw one that I liked. So this paisley design is sort of a bastard child of a paisley concept I liked from a book I bought and some Illy symbols I found.

What I'd like to do (and please give me whatever advice you might have on this) is spot varnish the paisleys themselves and perhaps the flourishes around them. I thought of spot varnishing the text too, but I think that might make it harder to read. I was also thinking of adding more, lighter flourishes extending from what's already there, and perhaps including that in the varnished area -- would overlapping unvarnished text over a varnished area be a bad idea?

http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/2187/flourishpaisleycopyyg6.jpg

I honestly can't see myself doing many more changes to this, as I'm running out of time to send out save-the-dates and I've already been tearing my hair out trying to create something I actually like (designing for yourself + being the bride = your own worst client times two). Regardless, please feel free to let me know what you think. I am open to a few suggestions.

PS: The paper colors may not be exact, but they're pretty much set in stone as I've already ordered it! :o The purple ink will likely end up darker, fyi. Links to the papers: brown (http://www.mrfrench.com/results.asp?image=7024) green (http://www.mrfrench.com/results.asp?image=7009&wwwflag=3&imagepos=9)



Alrighty then! Let 'er RIP!!! :D


Edit: I realize that the paper links don't work. Go to www.mrfrench.com, click on Pop-Tone... the colors are Gumdrop Green and Hot Fudge.

[budafist]

I love it! This adapted paisley/interconnected rings thing is very elegant and unique. I think you are onto a winner :)

Spot vanish the paisley thing and the flourishes, but don't print the flourishes. I'm a fan of Spot UV things that aren't printed underneath.

The only thing that bugs me is how you've made all the serif text lower case. I think it would work better in normal caps and lower. Especially the date. Seeing saturday and august in lower case is weird.

Love invitations that are printed onto colour paper. Does it have any kind of texture to it? I like feeling paper too :D

Will you get this printed offset? Might also look lovely letterpressed.

[frankster]

I really like the interlinked paisley idea! It's very personal to you and it's a great image of marriage too.

I'm so glad I didn't have to do this because I'd be awful at deciding what to design for myself too (we invited one person to our wedding, 45 minutes before we got married and via text message :D )

[budafist]

(we invited one person to our wedding, 45 minutes before we got married and via text message :D )

Was it a beautifully texted message?

[frankster]

Probably not. My husband sent it because I didn't have a mobile that worked in the US. Probably read something like "Dude, meet us at Oakland county court house. We need your signiture" :)

[Virgo Nightingale]

Thanks you guys... very encouraging!!

Buda, I kinda like your suggestion of the spot varnish without the tint beneath, but I think I still want at least some of the flourishes to print. So perhaps the additional flourishes I was thinking of might just be varnished. I think you're right about the capitalization. All lowercase works better with sans-serifs.

The paper has a smooth finish. I didn't want texture to interfere with the graphics or spot varnish.

Anyone else have suggestions regarding the varnish? Namely whether it will still work well as a flourish pattern overlapping the text?

[urstwile]

I think it looks really nice, Virgo, and I also love Buda's idea on the spot varnish but not printed flourishes.

[Virgo Nightingale]

Probably not. My husband sent it because I didn't have a mobile that worked in the US. Probably read something like "Dude, meet us at Oakland county court house. We need your signiture" :)
This is sounding like a much easier (and cheaper) idea! :D

[budafist]

Probably not. My husband sent it because I didn't have a mobile that worked in the US. Probably read something like "Dude, meet us at Oakland county court house. We need your signiture" :)

At least it wasn't "We gettin' hitched. Come quick! Bring moonshine!"

The paper has a smooth finish. I didn't want texture to interfere with the graphics or spot varnish.?

No, you're right, I wasn't thinking. Textured paper is lovely, but it doesn't work well with varnish at all.

[urstwile]

But if it's smooth finish, that's not textured, right?

Virgo, do you have a printer lined up that you can ask for advice?

[Virgo Nightingale]

It will likely be one of two print vendors we send our higher-end pieces to at work. I'm not sure which yet. I have to talk to my boss and ask who he think will get me a better price for such a short run (I have confidence either will do a quality job).

[Virgo Nightingale]

At least it wasn't "We gettin' hitched. Come quick! Bring moonshine!"
Or "Come quick, before her Daddy fires his shotgun at me!" :D

[Virgo Nightingale]

BUMP!!

(Now that all the US GDF-ers are arriving at work and looking to procrastinate... :D)

[Two-Toe Tom]

looks great! looks like the serif font's got a really dinky x-height. I'd capitalise Saturday and August and use text figures for the numbers. (i'd also add "woot!" at the end but i don't think you would :p)

[morea]

I like it, Virgo! The joined paisley is really nice!

[Virgo Nightingale]

(i'd also add "woot!" at the end but i don't think you would :p)
Maybe, just MAYBE, I'll discreetly put it on the back of every piece. Just for you, Tom. :D

[Two-Toe Tom]

haha, don't do it discreetly, put it like this:

WOOOT!!!11


(except bigger)

[Virgo Nightingale]

And in Comic Sans, I presume? :p

I do like your idea Tom of the text figures, I've always liked them. This font doesn't include them though (Bernhard Modern) and I'm not sure if my keen eye would accept it if I 'faked' it. I looked around a little while for similar fonts that do include them, and I haven't found anything (I also haven't looked all that long, I am at work and I am supposed to be working... :D)

Anyone know of similar fonts (serif, tall ascender) that do include old-style numerals?

[Ben Kessler]

Your invites are pure class, Virgo. "It's not cream, it's vanilla." :)

[Virgo Nightingale]

After a little more research, turns out there is an open-type version of Bernhard Modern that does include the old-style numerals. I just have to decide if $24.75 is worth it... :D

And thanks for the compliments guys. Really makes me feel like all the frustration I went through just might have been worth it. :)

[balou]

It's gorgeous! I love the illustration. What is the script font?

[Virgo Nightingale]

Scriptina (http://www.fontfinder.ws/23419/Scriptina.html). A surprisingly nice font for being free. :D

[Virgo Nightingale]

UPDATE:

After giving it some thought, I believe I'm going to skip the spot varnish. I know, I know, it would have been SOOOO sexy with it... I'm sad too, but I think it will all look quite nice even without the varnish.

Being that it will be such a small run, I don't think I'll be getting such a good price. I spent 2x as much money as I'd budgeted for my dress and it looks like photo and video will be about 50% more than I'd imagined. I gotta cut costs here and there as I can. I figure a simple 1-color job will be relatively cheap and monetarily handleable. If that's even a word.

Since this last example, I have added additional flourishes at a lighter tint which will overlap the text a little. I will try to make final versions tonight and hopefully post them later.