New Banner

[Former_Member]

Will anyone please let me know if my new banner looks good.

Side note: I plan to only have portrait art in this shop, I'm in the process of moving my abstracts in their own shop.

[FfigysDesigns]

I find the text in your banner is hard to read, it doesn't show up too well against the pictures. May be you could try a paler font colour? And without the font shadow effect - it looks too "busy" and doesn't help readability.

[Former_Member]

Thanks, I'll try that

[MerlinMN]

Banner? Did somebody say banner?
I have to agree, it is a little hard to read. By any chance, are you using Picasa?
I have been struggling with it to create a banner for a new store. I wanted to show a few bags, but even with the same background and lighting, in a collage mix every pic looked entirely wrong, so I went back to trusty old Paint and came up with what you can see at ecouturehandmades. (The store is 'open' with nothing in it yet)
As it turns out, my 'puter is too old for GIMP. I would have liked a swath of colors from yellow to medium dark green, but the free programs don't do it.

[Femailler]

I would say for banners, either to expect people to look at the photos, or to read the words, not do both. So either have great photos with just your shop name or something short that's easy to read, or have great copy on an artfully plain background. I went with great copy myself, and used a scanned image of some of my packaging as a base for it, to help build the brand a bit.

In your case, I would do your shop name on the left with no photo behind it, and then do photos like you have them on the right. You can move the "Pet and People Portraits by Rebecca Blaser" to the shop announcement just below. Those words would be much better in plain text anyway, for SEO reasons.

[PICFiberArts]

I also have to agree. Little hard to read. You could put your shop name in middle two squares and surround them with pet portraits. Or ass Deborah said!

[Former_Member]

Ok, I made some changes before reading all these other suggestions.

Let me know what you think of this one and I will come up with another with my store name to the left and pics to the right and see which looks better.

Merlin: I'm using photoshop, but thanks :)

[Femailler]

Much better. :)

[Former_Member]

Ok, I think I like the Shop name in the center. Check it out and let me know what you think please.

Thank you for all of your help :)

[dalystudios]

Simplify, simplify, simplify. The eye needs a resting place.

[FfigysDesigns]

Much better, but I think it would be easier on the eye if the text was at the left.