Cover for 4.0

Hi Jean, all,
playing a little bit with the webpage's "new design" [1] for cover and
back of documentation 4.0:
https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/User:K-j/Drafts/Design/Front-Guide#New_design

It is only a first proposal and there are some compromises to do.
I don't know if it feels good.

We should think of it, because the "Get involved" will not be in any
kind the "LibO design".

[1] https://www.libreoffice.org/#0

I like your new proposal. Where can I get the SVGs for front and back?

The covers need a bit more black space at the top (above the logo) for
bleed and trimming of the printed copies. When the barcode goes on the
back cover (printed copy only), it will cover part of the words at the
bottom, so I'll need to change that a bit. I have no control over
where Lulu prints the bar code.

--Jean

Also, I think the "4" (or perhaps the whole "4.0") should be bigger. --Jean

Hi :slight_smile:
I like it! :)  It does match the new look of the home page.
Regards from
Tom :slight_smile:

Hi Jean,

Also, I think the "4" (or perhaps the whole "4.0") should be bigger. --Jean

After not getting the original png I made a screenshot and redraw it.
The 4.0 is that small. And it seems they use another font which I don't
know.

I like your new proposal. Where can I get the SVGs for front and back?

Added to wiki.
But it' s only a proposal for GS. So it needs some more work.

Hi :slight_smile:
If you can't match the font easily then why not just use a different font?  Ubuntu font has a good license but there are plenty of choices i'm sure!  Is the png in layers with the 4 on a separate layer or is it going to be tough?  If it's going to be tough the perhaps leave the 4 as it is and add the sub point in a deliberately different font in a different colour as though scrawled on?

I had to modify a poster to show extended deadline for a competition and display it on 'my' company's website.  Using something like comic sans (or something) in that way made it instantly clear to people and saved a lot of apologies and lengthy descriptions
Regards from
Tom :slight_smile:

I think we can deal with the font issue, Tom. We're not entirely
ignorant on the topic.
--Jean

The new cover has my vote.

Regards

Peter Schofield
psauthor@gmail.com

I have created a variation of the new front cover with a larger "4.0";
I plan to upload it sometime today when I get a chance.

--Jean

Hi :slight_smile:
+1
Actually i suspect most people here are more familiar with handling font problems than i am.  I was quite chuffed with myself for quickly giving up on trying to match their font and going my own route.  Even better when i found that people liked it.

It just looked like you guys were working too hard at being perfect when a cheating way might have been "good enough". 
Regards from
Tom :slight_smile:

I was unable to do this in Inkscape (due to my own ignorance and lack
of experience), so there is no SVG file.

Instead I modified the file using GIMP and have an XCF file for the
front and back covers of Getting Started only. (Covers for other books
coming soon.) Sorry.
https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Documentation/Development/TemplateForV4#Book_covers

If someone can recreate this in SVG, that would be great.

--Jean

XCF is not a permitted file type, says the wiki, so I have been unable
to upload it. I can send to you directly.

--Jean

Hi :slight_smile:
I think Gimp might allow you to save into Png format that allows you to keep all the different layers and alpha channels and stuff but i have a feeling that it needs an add-on.  Otherwise the layers get merged or flattened.  I tried asking about this here a few weeks ago but asked badly and got misinterpreted.

Xcf is better even tho file-sizes are very heavy.  At least everyone can use it without faffing around :slight_smile:
Regards from
Tom :slight_smile:

Tom,
I did save into PNG, and those PNGs are on the wiki page. I don't
think they have preserved the layers etc though.
--Jean

Florian just made XCF an allowed file type, so the files are now on
the wiki. Thanks, Florian!

--Jean

Hi :slight_smile:
Errr, it's Scale today right?  I think focus on that.  Sounds like you are doing a great job there!! :smiley:

I liked the look of the covers but the layers didn't show up on this bad install of Fedora that i did several years ago
https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Documentation/Development/TemplateForV4#Book_covers

I guess K-j can take the ideas from there and modify his own files?  My own thought was that the edges of the lettering inside the back curve look like they get too close to the edge so they miss out on some of the gravitas they would otherwise have.  Perhaps putting the 4.0 under or even putting the 4.0 under the book's title instead of keeping it in that curve?  However i think it really does look good as is and don't know what my changes would do in terms of wrecking something else.

However i am not a designer and don't really know all the ins-and-outs and also don't know the branding guidelines/rules so my thoughts might well not be the same as anyone else's.

Regards from
Tom :slight_smile:

Hi :slight_smile:
Wow!  Florian is a star.  I didn't think that would be possible.

I dunno how to upload to the wiki so i just did rough little Gifs of my thoughts and sent them to Jean and Klaus off-list.  My ideas did create extra problems though so i'm not going to be hurt if they are not used!

Putting the 4.0 under the chapter title looked wrong.  I tried it around 2/3ds the way up between the icon and the title and then halfway and then 1/3rd up and each one looked wrong.  I used the colour-picker to change the green to the dark green of the footer and that kinda seemed to work but with the spacing wrong that doesn't help much.

On the other one i changed the green to the same green that's in the logo / banner which made the page more consistent imo.  However again the spacing was wrong when i put the 4.0 under the banner / logo even after pushing that banner / logo up too close to the top.  The 4.0 still crowded into it's space (man)  If the 4.0 is further away from the greens in the logo/banner then the shade of green doesn't look wrong even if its different and the lighter green is more eye-catching and cheerful.

Regards from
Tom :slight_smile: