Good Nameplate Design: The Rules

New businesses need a logo that speaks, that is easily recognizable,
that has style. Good nameplates are an extension of a good logo.



Manufacturers often try to emulate the nameplate design of the most
recognizable brands in their respective industry, often at a great
expense: quality design. While a brand might have a strong identity and
a legacy of quality, a closer look at its branding techniques may
reveal conceptual flaws that new businesses must avoid. Take Marshall
Amplification, the gold standard of the rock n roll sound: its
nameplate is one of the worst—a white, cheap plastic nameplate
with the company name in cursive. In imitating a nameplate with poor
design and construction such as Marshall’s, competitors look
cheap and lack the cutting edge; it is more difficult for these
fledging products and companies to stand out.




So what are the rules of good nameplate design?



Use a medium that compliments the packaging of your product. Labels
and even domed labels are run-of-the-mill—they do not speak with
any authority. Three-dimensional plastic or metallic nameplates,
however, not only present your brand visually but also allows the user
to actually touch your brand, creating a visceral, multi-sensorial
attachment between product and consumer. Customization options for 3-D
plastic and metal nameplates allow for greater design control in the
configuration of your nameplate.



Give your copy/logo room to breathe. On a nameplate, just as on a
printed page, white space is a critical part of design. Make sure there
is enough background so that the background adds depth to the logo. The
right perspective between copy and background is key.



Emphasize color. A nameplate with a spot of color instead of just black
and silver will always have more pop. But monochromatic
nameplates—i.e. black-on-black or contrasting shades of
silver—remain iconic and cool.



Complement your copy with an appropriate background design. Square
corner backgrounds, for example, work best with block style lettering
and script or italic copy look better with radius corners, or ovals and
circles. You should always layout your copy in several different
background shapes to get a feel for the best aesthetics for your
nameplate/logo.



Mix materials and manufacturing processes. For a look that will make
your nameplate/logo stand out from the crowd, mix mediums and materials
in the manufacture of your nameplate. Domed nameplates—especially
those with four-color intricate design—look great in bezels or as
a part of the nameplate. When you combine the color of doming into a
molded or metal nameplate, the branding takes on a totally different
look. Molded logos in etched metal nameplates can also add splash or
vice versa.




For additional information about nameplates and examples of customized designs, visit http://www.ID3logos.com.

About The Author

Steve Begor is the founder and president of
ID3 and an expert on identity manufacturing and marketing. This article
may be reprinted and distributed, but proper attribution and linkage to
http://www.id3logos.com is required.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Distributed by Hasan Shrek, independence blogger. Also run online business , matrix, internet marketing solution , online store script .
Beside he is writing some others blogs for notebook computer , computer training , computer software and personal computer
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Technorati Tags: web, business, sales, marketing, internet marketing, internet business, online business, work at home