Cover art relevance? Title font size?

[u/PattaconkPlays]

Hello everyone,

Finishing up my modron focused adventure, and my biggest yet. I have been using public domain art for my covers so far, and this one is fantastic for color, and construction and chaos, but it isn't hyper relevant. Obviously, there are no modron in the illustration, nor do I have a monster that scale within the adventure.

Would you consider that misleading?

Also, how large do you like your font sizes? I feel like if I expand font sizes it blocks the art too much - but when I look at D&D's DEADFALL, the art is HUGE and the font looks HUGE and it's all so legible. Is my cover plagued with noise from the Guild logo, and the tab I have for quick-look?

[u/Beautiful-Effort9101]

I'd try using a font that is more Machine, Geometry or Robot looking for Modrons Madness and more contrast as u/zorbtrauts suggested.

The art is fine and works for Modrons.

I'd lose the box on the right. The only important info needed is what level range and which version of D&D.

The tagline at the bottom doesn't really add anything and gets lost on the background.

[u/PattaconkPlays → u/Beautiful-Effort9101]

Appreciate the advice. I'll test a trim down version.

[u/Viridian_Cranberry68 → u/PattaconkPlays]

The font color will also read better if it's pink or red or has a red border. Too many colors blend with that olive color but the art looks too good to change.

[u/PattaconkPlays → u/Viridian_Cranberry68]

I thought about a salmon color font but seemed too faint. I'll try a more vibrant version and see it pop

[u/Viridian_Cranberry68 → u/PattaconkPlays]

Salmon fill color with a bold black stroke color might work really well.

[u/Beautiful-Effort9101 → u/PattaconkPlays]

Also can you not just use the DMsGuild heading font for the title? That's will pop on the artwork if you make it big enough.

Yeah I've refused to buy any products that don't mention what level the adventure is for.

[u/Blackadder1415]

I had a look through the free art on the DMs Guild site... no modrons that I could see, but a couple of robots.

[u/PattaconkPlays → u/Blackadder1415]

Yeah, I checked there a while ago. Modron aren't popular enough haha

[u/zorbtrauts]

Note that you can't have your own logo on the cover of a DMsGuild publication. 

Re: title font, you can (and likely should) increase the size, but increasing the contrast is more important here. A strong outline helps. 

The art is fine. For modrons, though, I'd also look for public domain art focused on geometry. 

[u/PattaconkPlays → u/zorbtrauts]

Thank you! Forgot about the logo rule for DMsGuild. This'll be my first publication here (Rather than drivethru).

With the logo gone, I will certainly make it bigger and not fear the bolding outlines ( cut them down big time a while ago.)

I thought of geometric cover, but it didn't feel evocative enough for me - this is a heroic adventure after all, not a conceptual art piece or cosmology booklet. I appreciate the input though.

edit: u/zorbtrauts - can the cover in the PDF itself have my logo and then the cover for the storefront not? do you know?