Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

pcplantdb - Re: [pcplantdb] Website, RDF

pcplantdb@lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: pcplantdb

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Bear K <bear@ursine-design.com>
  • To: Permaculture Plant Database <pcplantdb@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [pcplantdb] Website, RDF
  • Date: Thu, 16 Dec 2004 17:15:20 -0800

None of what I uploaded has any copyright restrictions, in case you want to use any of it.
OK, good.
I'll change the current image to the new sketch.

I actually like the look of the B&W line art, and I'm thinking of extending it, including a windpath over the trees, fish, etc.

I just looked at http://www.ursine-design.com/piw/; looks better with the roots dropping below the tabs bar.
Yeah, forgot to remind you to look at it again.

The PIW text looks much better flush left.
Yeah, the other design was done near midnight, and I wasn't feeling totally creative with the typographic layout.

It might look better still with somewhat larger type,
maybe stretched out horizontally, longer rather than taller;
and some kind of variegation in the coloration of the characters.
I'll adjust the tracking a bit. Hmmm, smooth gradient from light to dark purple...BTW, does the purplish blue and green irk anyone?

What is the difference between a .png and .jpg or .gif. PHPWiki uses them.
Each uses a rather different algorithm to compress the image. JPGs use an 8x8 pixel grid, with a variety of 8x8 patterns overlay in different amounts to compress the image. It's why you see "JPG" artifacts on images, especially highly compressed images. You'll notice a blocky grid. JPGs are great for images with lots of color, many shades, etc. JPGs don't support transparency.

GIF uses a pallette of color (maximum 256) to represent each pixel. The fewer colors, the fewer bits needed for each pixel.
They work well with line art, and images with a few colors. They also support transparency, though the pixel is either on, or off.

I can't say exactly how PNG works, though I believe the palette is larger, and its similar to GIF in approach. PNG's support 256 levels of transparency. Thus, I could make a PNG of the title, with the background set to transparent. I could have another image layered behind it, and that image could slide under it and still look fine. Some of the older browser set still doesn't support the format, or has trouble with the transparency.

these issues, but some earlier browsers don't support it.
I could include a faint rainbow in the header. Add clouds. Perhaps try to give a feel of the horizon going into the distance.

Yes. Absolutely. This would look really nice.
I'll play with that.

I'm also thinking of adding some more subsurface life, some rocks, worms, etc. Trying to collage them together and have it look good is a difficult task. Try to give it a feel for the ecology. We could possibly add arcs between elements in the graphic, showing the ecological relationships between them, something showing what we're trying to represent.

That could be very interesting - keep in mind possibility of using
faded or faint images (the arcs) without hard lines, more like hand drawn,
and interesting subtle earthtones.
Will do, yes, nothing that clashes with the text. I'm liking the hand-drawn look, I'm going to try to go with it as much as possible.

I'm open to other paths to try for the design.
I'd like to perhaps create some customized images for headings of paragraphs with themes relating to the information presented.
These images would come in handy there.

That's a good idea. I may have even more of these little images to look at.
Cool.

Cheers,
Bear





Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page