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View Poll Results: What is your preferred background colour?
Black 11 18.33%
Green 10 16.67%
Grey 8 13.33%
White 31 51.67%
Another colour (please advise!) 0 0%
Voters: 60. You may not vote on this poll

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  #1  
Old 27-12-17, 06:41 AM
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Default Feedback please - background colour for badge images in a book

Folks, can I get your feedback please as you're workng your way through turkey and other assorted Christmas goodies?

I'm pulling together the material for a book I am writing, the text is at a late stage and now I'm turning to the illustrations... to that end, I've mocked up a quick layout of badges with different colour backings - in this case black and white as the two ends of the spectrum, also a light grey and a green (being the primary regimental colour) and am interested as to what you the reader would prefer to see....? I realise this could be quite a subjective question but interested to see if there is a general preference towards (or indeed away from) one of them...

I'm not there yet in terms of either the detail of the photos themselves or my photoshop skills and I know I need to improve both of those, but I'm interested if there is a strong preference towards a particular background colour. I've included examples in gilt, GM, bronze, A/A and cloth to show the different materials that will be included.

If it helps in the consideration, I'm aiming for a 'side by side' approach i.e. left page is the text and the right hand page the associated illustrations to reduce the amount of flicking between pages (won't be a perfect match but that's the general idea)

Many thanks in advance for your thoughts! Expat..
Attached Images
File Type: jpg Trial black.jpg (57.9 KB, 75 views)
File Type: jpg Trial green.jpg (57.0 KB, 73 views)
File Type: jpg Trial grey.jpg (55.2 KB, 57 views)
File Type: jpg Trial white.jpg (57.2 KB, 77 views)
File Type: jpg Side by side.jpg (75.6 KB, 78 views)
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  #2  
Old 27-12-17, 07:19 AM
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In a book it should be plain white, anything else would distract the eye.
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  #3  
Old 27-12-17, 07:24 AM
Lancer 17 Lancer 17 is offline
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G'day Michael

I have voted for green as the best over all colour, however with the black badge you will loose the details unless its against white or yellow, maybe a small swatch of lighter colour could be used to give this definition.

Merry Christmas

Phil.
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  #4  
Old 27-12-17, 07:44 AM
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Good morning EY,

I agree with KLR, on white being preferable for the printed page.

Is your publication to be an e-book or a print/paper book? Either way, all the very best with your endeavour.

Regards,

JT.
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  #5  
Old 27-12-17, 08:09 AM
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Default colour

Hi there I'm with lancer and go for the green, but as he says black badges might cause a problem good luck with your book.
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  #6  
Old 27-12-17, 08:19 AM
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Folks thanks very much for the comments and votes so far! And for the encouragement, this book writing game is a tough one but I will persevere - I think getting closer to the finish line now.

I'm planning a print edition for sure and can do as a pdf, but not sure my skills are up to an e-book yet (experience level there somewhere around the same as my photography skills so far...)

Lancer, just to add to my complexity the EY has cloth badges on both black and on green felt, so I have a potential problem there either way Fortunately only one of each, but there are a number of bronze badges too so I need a solution.

All please keep your votes and comments coming, keen to get as wide an audience and perspective as possible.

Michael
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  #7  
Old 27-12-17, 11:20 AM
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White is the only way to not lose detail, I reckon.
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  #8  
Old 27-12-17, 11:26 AM
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As in post 2 I would rather it was a white background, you may also consider asking the printer which is better from the printing side of things.

Marc
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Last edited by 54Bty; 27-12-17 at 02:57 PM.
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  #9  
Old 27-12-17, 01:33 PM
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If your purpose is to illustrate a badge in fine detail then I believe black to be the best background, there are ways of dealing with blackened badges. See:

1. https://www.badgesandmedals.co.uk

2. http://www.uniformology.com/INSIGNIA-05.html
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  #10  
Old 27-12-17, 02:41 PM
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Michael,

Apologies if this is a bit of a dumb question, but would any colour page other than white entail greater production costs?

JT
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  #11  
Old 27-12-17, 06:09 PM
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Go with white.

Rgds, Thomas
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  #12  
Old 27-12-17, 07:13 PM
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The Light Grey looked good for them all, can you set up a vote like has been done in the past?
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  #13  
Old 28-12-17, 11:46 AM
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My preference for displaying badges is black - but white in a book is appropriate, so long as the photography is sharp!
Sean
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  #14  
Old 28-12-17, 04:04 PM
Anodisedbob Anodisedbob is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Expat Yeoman View Post
Folks, can I get your feedback please as you're workng your way through turkey and other assorted Christmas goodies?

I'm pulling together the material for a book I am writing, the text is at a late stage and now I'm turning to the illustrations... to that end, I've mocked up a quick layout of badges with different colour backings - in this case black and white as the two ends of the spectrum, also a light grey and a green (being the primary regimental colour) and am interested as to what you the reader would prefer to see....? I realise this could be quite a subjective question but interested to see if there is a general preference towards (or indeed away from) one of them...

I'm not there yet in terms of either the detail of the photos themselves or my photoshop skills and I know I need to improve both of those, but I'm interested if there is a strong preference towards a particular background colour. I've included examples in gilt, GM, bronze, A/A and cloth to show the different materials that will be included.

If it helps in the consideration, I'm aiming for a 'side by side' approach i.e. left page is the text and the right hand page the associated illustrations to reduce the amount of flicking between pages (won't be a perfect match but that's the general idea)

Many thanks in advance for your thoughts! Expat..

I put my TA on a red backing which does not show them off very well
Bob
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  #15  
Old 28-12-17, 04:45 PM
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I also use the red backing on which my badges are permanently displayed as the backing for the illustrations in my book and I dont think the colour detracts from the badges but all these things are, in my opinion, personal preferences.

P.B.
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