Graphic Design help for company label

[thedeathcake]

Hi there, great to finally join the Xara forums, been a long time lover of Xara.

I was wondering if anyone could help me out. I work for a paint manufacture company, and have been asked to redesign the company paint tin labels. I have been going fine, but I've hit a real stumbling block. The paint is a security paint, specifically anti intruder paint. A non drying paint you would coat tops of drain pipes and fences basically.

The current label design features a 24 hour digital clock, a house at night with lights on, a policeman, and a police cars blue lights, all sperate elements faded slighty into each other. Tbh, I think it looks like a bit of a hack job

These are my designs, none of which i'm even close to being happy about. but I have been staring at them for the past week so, heh.

http://www.rosscrooks.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/pc99a.jpg
http://www.rosscrooks.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/pc99b.jpg
http://www.rosscrooks.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/pc99c.jpg
http://www.rosscrooks.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/pc99d.jpg

This is the current printed design we use, made by the IT guy:
http://www.rosscrooks.pwp.blueyonder...c99current.jpg

Can anyone lend an eye and tell what what I'm doing wrong?

Thanks in advance,

Ross

[gwpriester]

Welcome to TalkGraphics Ross

I moved your post into the Xara Designer Forum where you should get more responses.

I love the weasel line, Recommended by Some Police Forces.

The important things to consider, in my opinion, are that this is a professional grade product and so must look more serious, and that the paint is non-drying.

[thedeathcake]

Hi gwpriester,

Thanks for the response and moving my thread That's the problem I'm having with it. The previous label doesn't look great and I guess i'm trying to go with the same look. Here is my updated effort. Ditch the old design and started completely from scratch. Still not sure about the colours, but the police line now matches british police colours.

http://www.rosscrooks.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/pc99e.jpg

[Albacore]

Not sure about the bevel on PC 99? Is the bottom box there to write in Tel. No. or something similar as it doesn't look right at the moment.

[thedeathcake]

Yeah, the more I look at it, it doesn't fit the paint type either... It's a chrome live effect, that gives it the bevelled look. The bottom box is for overprinting. Basically they pre-print these, then when a batch of paint is made, overprint the batch number, VOC, date of Manufacture Iinformation etc in there. Thanks for the comments, I think I may change the PC99 to a whitish colour?

[amoore]

Welcome to the forum, Ross

Your new approach is a definite improvement.

Nice job.

[thedeathcake]

Thanks man! Alot of talented people on here, and hopefully I can learn alot from you guys.

I've created a slight variation and I think it might be better still. What do you think?

http://www.rosscrooks.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/pc99f.jpg

Without the bevelled PC99:

www.rosscrooks.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/pc99g.jpg

[aridzone]

Welcome Ross

I think you need the wording:
Round the clock protection against crime!
or maybe
24-7 Crime Protection!
Just a thought for graphics

[thedeathcake]

Hey man, thanks for your input into this. I'll give it a whirl tomorrow. Not sure if the 24-7 phrase is used too often in the UK? Ultimately I think the wording may be dictated by the Managing Director Thanks again.

[James Allen]

Hi there, great to finally join the Xara forums, been a long time lover of Xara.

I was wondering if anyone could help me out. I work for a paint manufacture company, and have been asked to redesign the company paint tin labels. I have been going fine, but I've hit a real stumbling block. The paint is a security paint, specifically anti intruder paint. A non drying paint you would coat tops of drain pipes and fences basically.

The current label design features a 24 hour digital clock, a house at night with lights on, a policeman, and a police cars blue lights, all sperate elements faded slighty into each other. Tbh, I think it looks like a bit of a hack job

These are my designs, none of which i'm even close to being happy about. but I have been staring at them for the past week so, heh.

http://www.rosscrooks.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/pc99a.jpg
http://www.rosscrooks.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/pc99b.jpg
http://www.rosscrooks.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/pc99c.jpg
http://www.rosscrooks.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/pc99d.jpg

This is the current printed design we use, made by the IT guy:
http://www.rosscrooks.pwp.blueyonder...c99current.jpg

Can anyone lend an eye and tell what what I'm doing wrong?

Thanks in advance,

Ross

Hi Ross,

Anti-Intruder Paint marks an intruder’s hands, so an intruder with marked hands is what you should concentrate on. This product stops intruders because they don’t want to get this messy paint on their hands and body. Police have nothing to do with it. In fact, if police did a better job you wouldn’t need this paint, so the paint company shouldn’t be promoting police here – it should be promoting itself. In this case you need to attract customers by repelling burglars, not repel customers by promoting police.

Out of the images you posted in the opening post, the first is a hack job as you said. The bad clip art police image is unnecessary. On the positive side there was an attempt to show what the paint is for, by including illustrations of fences, roofs and walls with the paint on top. It also included the text: “NON-SETTING PAINT FOR ROUND THE CLOCK PROTECTION AGAINST CRIME”, which helps explain the product. This is important because there will always be some customers who have no idea what anti intruder paint is. In fact the text could go further in explaining the product.

The second pic had some good qualities but they were applied incorrectly. The paint should be on the top of a wall, not on the sides. The clipart Stop Sign through the burglar is unnecessary. Any burglar depicted should have paint on his hands, and that should be the main theme. There are no explanations about the paint and what it is for, and there are no illustrations about where you use it.

Pics 3, 4 and 5 are again a promotion for police, which will just repel people since they will be reminded of speeding tickets. Promote the paint, not the police.

Your own label at: http://www.rosscrooks.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/pc99g.jpg is starting to approach the idea of showing a burglar getting paint on his hands, which means you are going in the right direction. I gather you want to save money by limiting the printing to 2 colors.

Here is what is wrong with that image:

1) The back of a policeman behind the burglar. It has nothing to do with the product. Why would a policeman have his back to the crime? The police pattern on the bottom – again unnecessary.

2) The burglar isn’t showing us his hands and doesn’t look concerned about the paint.

3) The “ANTI-INTRUDER PAINT” needs no reflection under it. While it might look nice it serves no purpose.

4) There are no verbal explanations about what anti-intruder paint is

5) There are no illustrations showing where it is used.

6) The photo of the burglar is not cut out very well on the left – you need to disguise such cuts. In this case the wall should continue, not be sliced away.

7) The photo is poor quality and out of focus.

If I were doing this I would start from scratch and take good quality photos. Grab a camera, two ladders, and a model (you can use a worker or friend from the company) and find an industrial brick wall with the paint being used (possible an existing customer’s premises) to set up a photo shoot. Model needs to dress like a burglar (with balaclava etc.). Pick a guy who looks tough. He stands up on the ladder on one side, and you do the same on the other side, only higher up. You look down at him as he poses. Take many photos with many different poses and expressions. The photo shows him looking shocked, with his hands both up beside his face, palms towards you, covered in the black paint. The idea conveyed is that he’s obviously gone to put his hands on the top of the wall, felt the paint, pulled his hands back in horror and displayed them in the air beside his head, fingers splayed, with a look of surprise and alarm on his face, eyes wide open staring at the camera. It will tell the story instantly. This photo will be the entire background to your label. Onto that you add simple text that explains the product, using simple fonts (forget jazzing it up with reflections or gilded edges etc – the focus here is on the paint and the burglar – not the fonts, not the police).

You might then add two or three illustrations showing roofs and tops of fences with the paint on top of them. You might include more text with more explanation. Arrows pointing to where paint is applied.

“Stop burglars with this very effective anti-intruder paint” etc.


Good luck!