Which font works best in title?

[Gregg Bell]

It's a romance novel. Thanks!

#1

#2

#3

#4

[Penforhire]

I like #4 best. I think it has to do with legibility (less ornate or stylized) and larger size. The kerning between T and e in Test needs adjustment.

[ATDrake]

#1 and #4 seem to be the best of the lot. #2 seems too cartoony, and #3 still looks like it could be read as Jest.

#4 seems to be the clearest, but I agree with the comment upthread that the space between the T and e needs to be fixed, and I'm not sure the way the The overlaps the T is working.

Also, I like the style of the T from #1 more than that of #4, where it seems a little plain to go with the rest of the cursive style, but the "est" of #4 more than that of #1, which is not as clearly legible. Maybe try combining the two?

[arjaybe]

#4. 2nd - #1.

[GERGE]

First one is the best but I think Bodoni in your name is more of a problem. High contrast of Bodoni, when paired with low contrast between the color of the glyphs and color of the pier, loses legibility. Legibility is very important in a cover.

You should use something like ITC Garamond (which is a display typeface anyway). It would go better with title too.

[Gregg Bell]

Thanks everyone for the feedback!

[burnafterreading]

the original #3 was best (i actually prefer the longer T which doesn't look like a J at all to me)

from these and only these, i'd begrudgingly say #1 and then kind of #3. the T of #2 and #4 is too tall and skinny.

years ago i had a gf whose name started with T and for some reason i developed a T when writing her name that i really liked. i tried using it on your title, but it doesn't work since the second letter doesn't jive with it (her name was Thuy, so the shape of the h helped it work)

try just grabbing a marker and paper, and hand-writing the title in whatever script flows from your hand. doesn't have to be a pre-defined one, just has to work for this one title this one time.

[dwig]

I have a slight preference for #1. The other three can all be improved by kerning the "Te" pair to reduce the space between the glyphs. Any decent app will have a control that will allow you to adjust the spacing when you place the cursor between a pair of characters. It's on the Character panel in Photoshop and on similar panels or toolbars in Illustrator, Corel DRAW, and the like.

I also agree somewhat with GERGE that the serifs on the font used for the white text are too thin for this use. I have a general dislike for razor thin serifs in general, though. I like a good Garamond, but rather dislike the ITC Garamond, and Garamonds are a bit different in appearance compared to the font you've used in these samples. You might look for a slab serif font that is more similar to the font you've used but that has thicker serifs.

[Ghitulescu]

#1 then #4 to me.
Reason - because #1 is the most disorganized (chaotic) script, and probably will fit the content (I mean it's not driving licence test, right?). Then comes #4.

[Lin2412]

Hello, my vote goes for #4; it looks pretty neat especially for a Romance Genre. I personally find it appealing, although I do agree with other users in their opinion that #1's style is also good.

[Gregg Bell]

Thanks all. Really appreciate the feedback!

[captpete]

Having been a calligrapher, I'd pick 3, it's definitely a "romance" fomt.

[Nabeel]

I like 1 & 4. Number 3 still runs the risk of being read 'the Jest'.

This is really taking me back. Back in the 1970s I was considering training as a graphic designer, and I did a 'taster' course. Part of it was 'hot lead': actually setting a page with the old moveable type-characters, the sort that Caxton and Gutenberg used. I really enjoyed it: I loved seeing how you could change the implication of a word by shifting the font you used. Now this must seem a genuinely medieval skill!

But it's good to see that something of that care to detail is still relevant today.

[SofiaBlack]

I agree with a lot of other posters- 1 and 4 are the ones I prefer.

[Gregg Bell]

Personally I liked #1 but I think captpete is right and #3 says romance. Going with that--and a slight variation so the capital T looks like a T and not a J. Thanks all very much for all your help.