Album Cover-Type & Image

Album Cover-Type

Open Ended

What do you think typography is?

What is Typography?

Just like colors, the fonts you choose for your album cover can help communicate your band’s personality. It’s also important to think about all of the different places you’ll want typography—the album title and band name, track list on the back, and even the inner jacket, which is album cover adjacent.

Type terms

• Serif - older feeling fonts with little "feet" at the end of letters

• Sans Serif - more modern feeling that lack any flourish at the end of letters

• Script - cursive and more fancy looking fonts

Serif Fonts

• Serif fonts are thought to be more serious and traditional, Times New Roman and Cambria are common examples

• Serif fonts pair well with classical, acoustic or operatic music

Sans Serif Fonts

• Helvetica and Arial are commonly used sans serif fonts

• These fonts are often considered more modern and streamlined than their serif predecessors

• Sans serif fonts can be used with a variety of music, including electronic and indie rock—it’s a versatile choice for modern music

Script Fonts

• Script fonts are cursive fonts that emulate handwriting

• These can range from very traditional and ornate to playful and even messy. The different styles of script fonts mean they can be used to invoke a variety of feelings.

• Script fonts are used for a broad range of music types—scratchy, messy fonts might be used with alternative rock, where a precise signature style might be used for a contemporary solo artist.

Types of Font Cheat sheet

• Serif - Has the little added "feet" on the ends of letters

• Sans Serif - Does not AKA consider SANS to stand for WITHOUT those "feet"

• Script - Flowy and handwritten looking, decorative

Multiple Choice

Which style of font is this?

• Serif

• Sans Serif

• Script

Multiple Choice

Which style of font is this?

• Serif

• Sans Serif

• Script

Multiple Choice

Which style of font is this?

• Serif

• Sans Serif

• Script

Album Cover-Images

Open Ended

How do you think images effect the message or feel of an album?

Importance

After colors and typography, imagery is an important aspect to any album cover design. Musicians commonly utilize photography, especially of the band or primary artist, but almost anything is possible, from abstract graphics to drawings and collages.

Purpose

Any graphics that are used on an album should communicate with the album itself, so it’s important to use them thoughtfully. A painted watercolor landscape might connect well with a mellow, instrumental album, but it would probably send a mixed signal if the album was EDM. Similarly, the choice to not include graphics should feel purposeful, and not like you just couldn’t think of something to put on the cover.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QmQVkMbp68&ab_channel=131Dregon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzB1VGEGcSU&list=RDEMGD9oKerL3eEheT_RFk6X0w&start_radio=1&ab_channel=LyricalLemonade