Word Art Vs Alpha

[angleigh]

So a follow up to the Always Use vs Never Use thread.  Word art Vs Alpha

I see many of you say you don't use Alpha, but do you use word art or quotes?  If we didn't put Alpha in our kits what would you like that to be replaced with?

[CRS]

I love quotes and word art, but I find it takes too long for me to find one that fits with my LOs. I'm not very patient, lol. I don't know what you could replace Alphas with in kits, but I'm curious to see what other say!

[AmandaFace]

1 hour ago, angleigh said:

So a follow up to the Always Use vs Never Use thread.  Word art Vs Alpha

I see many of you say you don't use Alpha, but do you use word art or quotes?  If we didn't put Alpha in our kits what would you like that to be replaced with?

Ah hahaha! I'm laughing b/c I just literally posted this question in that thread. Great minds!

[DixieLee]

I do use the word art.

[bitzee]

I prefer word art to alphas.  Word art can be a fantastic way to add the finishing touches to a layout. I often see a word art design that I really like, but it doesn’t say what I need it to say.  I love Syndee’s Retro Solid Text http://store.scrapgirls.com/ScrapSimple-Embellishment-Templates-Retro-Solid-Text.html.  I would like to see something like this in the kits that would go along with the theme of the individual kit, but allows you to personalize with editable text. If not, maybe Syndee can come up with some less-fancy text templates for layouts that feature everyday activities. 

[lorac]

2 hours ago, angleigh said:

So a follow up to the Always Use vs Never Use thread.  Word art Vs Alpha

I see many of you say you don't use Alpha, but do you use word art or quotes?  If we didn't put Alpha in our kits what would you like that to be replaced with?

Please keep Alphas in the kits. I love them and use them a lot. I especially love the upper and lower case Alphas. I also like Word Art and hope you don't take them out of the kits.

[April Showers]

I rarely use Alphas, though I did in the last layout it did.

[Dady]

I love using words art, it's a finishing touch to the page!

[Mikelle]

I think I use Alphas more than Word Art, but I like both, so don't get rid of either one!  I find using alphas takes a little more time because of the way I have to pull them onto my LO, although I've found some work-arounds lately. But, I think alphas are versatile, you can use them as is (and there are some really beautiful ones!), or you can clip papers to them, photos to them, or use styles on them.  You can arrange the letters in straight lines, or jumble them in crazy orientations.

As for Word Art, lately I've taken a liking to quotes I can blend into the background repeatedly, so that bits of the quote/words show.  I've definitely gotten more blendy with my LO's over the years; DH commented on it last night, as we were looking through some of my older LO's.

[MariJ]

6 hours ago, bitzee said:

I prefer word art to alphas.  Word art can be a fantastic way to add the finishing touches to a layout. I often see a word art design that I really like, but it doesn’t say what I need it to say.  I love Syndee’s Retro Solid Text http://store.scrapgirls.com/ScrapSimple-Embellishment-Templates-Retro-Solid-Text.html.  I would like to see something like this in the kits that would go along with the theme of the individual kit, but allows you to personalize with editable text. If not, maybe Syndee can come up with some less-fancy text templates for layouts that feature everyday activities. 

That's a great idea and for all I browse through the boutique, WHY did I never notice that product?  I think it just jumped onto my wishlist.  

[MariJ]

I actually do use all three so I wouldn't want to see any of them replaced.   I was surprised at first when some of the collection biggies only had one alpha instead of the two I was used to, but now I think I'd rather have more word art than the second alpha.

Editable word art is a GREAT idea because there's always that time that it just doesn't quite say what you want!  And, with our League of Nations at SG we sometimes come up against the difference in spellings, saying, etc

I said this on the other thread where Amanda asked ---

I actually love different alphas and do like them in my collections!  Only problem is, as Carla said -- they are SUCH hard work to line up, get even and just the size I want, etc, etc....  It takes forever!   I normally use them when I have a (short) title so it's not as much to do.   Otherwise I used Fonts and color them but alphas are SOOooooo much prettier and I like when they match the collection I'm using.  But, they are just too much work!  

[scrapgran]

I use word art & alphas.

[A-M]

I use some word art at times  and do not use Alphas much but when I do I really appreciate them being in the kit I am working with. Otherwise I would need to create my own with the papers in the kit.

I hope Alphas will not be left out of collections as I know beginner scrappers really need to have them there. 

[mimes1]

I probably use Alpha's more than word art - but I LOVE both.  I like Marilyn's suggestion of a word art and an Alpha instead of multiple alphas in a collection for diversity. Angie I also LOVE how you got everyone talking on the boards! So fun to hear everyone's thoughts on a number of different topics!

[angleigh]

Oh I don't think we'd ever replace or leave out alpha's, especially not in the larger kits.  I think there's enough people that do use them.  I'm one that finds it really hard to use them.  I love them in other people's layouts, but in mine I feel they just look "odd" 

It was just more of a "what if" question.

Thanks Amy..I love hearing everyone's opinion on different things, especially from a designers point.  I always wonder as I create things if anyone ever uses some of the pieces, and mainly because they are items I don't use.

[Smiles]

I usually only use the capital letter from an alpha and finish the words  with a font because it's so tricky to line them up.  I love it when a designer has a set of coordinating styles so I can customize text.  I do use word art occasionally.

 

[Mikelle]

My alphas usually pop into line... a feature of Photoshop maybe?  I do have a harder making sure they're spaced equally apart.  Sometimes they don't cooperate, so I'll use a guideline, but if I don't feel like working that hard, I'll just arrange my letters wonky.  A lot of my LOs that have alphas, the letters are deliberately not lined up.  They're messy... like my house!!!

[englishrose]

Being a lazy scrapper I find alphas too time-consuming - especially if I have a multi-word title. With so many wonderful fonts available for free I prefer to go down that route and clip papers/ add strokes/shadows etc to help it blend into my LO. I enjoy adding word art when it's appropriate..

Agree also with Anne-Marie and Bitzee.

[Bride]

I love using word art and if I can't find the right one in one kit, will try to create my own. I do like the idea of editable word art. 

[MariJ]

6 hours ago, Mikelle said:

My alphas usually pop into line... a feature of Photoshop maybe?  I do have a harder making sure they're spaced equally apart.  Sometimes they don't cooperate, so I'll use a guideline, but if I don't feel like working that hard, I'll just arrange my letters wonky.  A lot of my LOs that have alphas, the letters are deliberately not lined up.  They're messy... like my house!!!

Good point, Mikelle - I do like and occasionally make my titles wonky and quite like them.  In PSE I can get the letters to line up by bottom, top etc - but yes, it's the spacing that does me in.   Especially since I'm one of those scrappers that will sit here and move a leter a tiny bit left... Then right... Then oh that's too right...  Wait now this one is too close....  Sigh....   You get my drift.   It's true, if I could magically get the letters to space evenly I'd be a lot happier using alphas because I DO like them... Especially now that someone said take them out of collections I find myself saying, "Please no!"      

[AmandaFace]

I actually really like Alphas!

I equally like word art though b/c if it's in a kit, it may be a quote or a line that I would have never maybe personally come up with and it's nice to add a something little different at times.

[Marie-Christine]

I love both, I use alphas and wordart. PlEaSe DoNt'Go AlPhA's wE lOve YoU

Love to use alphas as part of my embellishments giving them a pride of place, I tend to use word art more on my art journals, I find that they help me to create what it is I want to say on my art journals and whilst creating I add alphas and see what works and vice versa, it all depends what it is I'm trying to achieve, or the mood I'm in but there usually is always a secret(hidden just to see what it looks like with or without) layer with wordart or alphas or I might use one alpha followed by a font to blend it all in. Reading everybody's comment I also tend to move my alphas around and then change again if I spend too much time searching for the right one I know that it isn't going to work.  I have made  layouts starting with alphas and or wordart, it feels a bit like an upside pineapple cake.

 

[SodScrap]

I don't use alphas as often, but I love them on others' layouts.  I think I sort of forget about them.  I love word art but I often find I like "this" word art but it needs to be in "that" style to match my layout?   Word art that is more just text based (no graphics) seem to be more versatile.  I really love the quotes/verses that are mixed-font type.  I struggle make something similar on my own.  

[Ngaire]

I like alphas and I really like word art. I was thinking Angie, on another thread you or someone asked about what tutorials people might like to see, maybe a fun way to use alphas and line up alphas could be one. I'm sure there are quick ways to line up and do all the things that people don't like struggling with. Just a thought!

[alsoarty]

I like alpha's and word art. I use both. I use a new document to do my alpha title. I remember talking about this in a chat room on one of the ind chats. Tips etc that I hosted. I make a new document, then go to FILE, SCRIPTS, LOAD FILES INTO STACK. Sorry do not mean to shout. Then I find the alpha files, and choose the letters I need in my title, and it automatically loads them all up. Then I move then and space them. They are lined up already. So the new document size I use is 12" x 2" so that they fit better than on a 12x12 page. Hope I explained it correctly. That helps me and it's faster.

[diannecp]

On 6/19/2017 at 5:28 PM, MariJ said:

I actually love different alphas and do like them in my collections!  Only problem is, as Carla said -- they are SUCH hard work to line up, get even and just the size I want, etc, etc....  It takes forever!   I normally use them when I have a (short) title so it's not as much to do.   Otherwise I used Fonts and color them but alphas are SOOooooo much prettier and I like when they match the collection I'm using.  But, they are just too much work!  

What works for me w/Alphas is the "place" command. Then I don't have to drag them all onto my layout, just have to resize and space them out. The latest version of PS has neat guidelines that make it easier to line items up. 

[MariJ]

3 hours ago, diannecp said:

What works for me w/Alphas is the "place" command. Then I don't have to drag them all onto my layout, just have to resize and space them out. The latest version of PS has neat guidelines that make it easier to line items up. 

I will have to check this out and see that PSE does the same?   The spacing out does stress me, though....   I keep moving teeny tiny back and forth...   Thanks Dianne!  

[BrendaT]

I love having the alphas, too. I don't always use them but for some layouts they are the perfect coordinating touch.

True confession time: Words and fonts and letters are kind of my thing, and IMHO they make or break a layout. I'm currently scrapping on a laptop while I'm staying as a caregiver with my older sister. My computer at home has a ton of fonts (and all my awesome stash of supplies  ), but I'm slowly adding to my laptop (and gradually choking it to death, poor thing). 

There are so many pretty fonts out there, but someone with a simple PSE program like me can't use the ones with ligatures. It might be nice to have some capital alphas with some of those neat flourishes along with lower case ones so we could put them together. For those who have trouble lining them up, maybe another tutorial on the blog . . . 

I do love using word art when it works for my layouts - love, love using quotes from literature or songs and that sort of thing. Right now I'm thinking of using this song from "Beauty and the Beast" at the beginning of a book of old family photos - lines from this song would make some great word art, although there are probably copyrights to it:

How does a moment last forever?
How can a story never die?
It is love we must hold onto
Never easy, but we try
Sometimes our happiness is captured
Somehow, our time and place stand still
Love lives on inside our hearts and always will

[Boatlady]

I use it all...I love what our designers make for us. Thank you so much SG Designers.

[ValerieT]

I love word art especially for titles, but only if the spelling is right for me. I won't use American English on my layouts. I only use alphas when I have lots of time, because they are very fiddly. Thankfully PS CC has a neat little feature that helps you get the spacing exact, but it doesn't cut down on the time by much.