• Home
  • Contact
  • FAQs
    • What is Webcomics.com?
    • Member Benefits
    • How To Post an Article or News Item
    • How to Post a Webcomic on the List
    • How to Post a Comic
    • Terms of Service
  • Forums
  • WebComics List
  • Benefits
    • Print Vendors: Get multiple quotes
    • Banner stand: Discount
    • Consultation discount
    • “How To Make Webcomics” book: discount
    • “Webcomics Handbook”: discount
    • ALL benefits
  • My Account
    • Welcome
    • What is Webcomics.com?
    • My Subscription
    • Join us!
  • Account
  • Membership List
Twitter Email RSS

Webcomics.com

How To Make WebComics

WebComic Handbook

‹ Advent Calendar Last-minute holiday orders ›

My Word Balloon journey

Earlier this year, during the course of one of the Hot Seat critiques, I went into a discussion on the importance of word balloons. It’s one of the simplest fixes to make in your comic that delivers the biggest return-on-investment.

Well-done word balloons increase the professionalism of your comic, they help convey the proper tone for your comic, and — most importantly — they make your comic easier to read. And smooth readability is of paramount importance when you’re working in a format that bases most of its merit in being able to be consumed quickly.

And as I wrote the critique, I began to look at my own work a little more closely. And I wasn’t crazy about what I was seeing.

My confession

Since the very first days of my first comic, “Greystone Inn,” I did word balloons backwards. I completely went against the elementary advice I gave to every novice I ever met. Instead of lettering first and drawing the balloon around the words, I drew a balloon and then later filled it with digital type.
The content you are trying to access is only available to members.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
by Brad Guigar on December 8, 2011
Posted In: Lettering
└ Tags: hand lettering
Comments available to logged in users only.


Recent comments

  • Joe Kandra on Exclusive Member Benefit: Webcomics Handbook
  • Brad Guigar on Exclusive Member Benefit: Webcomics Handbook
  • Joe Kandra on Exclusive Member Benefit: Webcomics Handbook
  • Shadowmark Productions on Twitter announced paid-content feature “Super Follows”
  • Shadowmark Productions on How to launch a new comic

Search




Webcomics.com Poll

I design my comic specifically for smartphones and digital tablets.

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...
  • Polls Archive

Categories

  • Archive Dive
  • Articles
    • Advertising
    • Art
    • Business
    • Community
    • Conventions
    • Creativity
    • Crowdfunding
    • Digital publishing
    • Image prep
    • Lettering
    • Marketing / Social Media
    • Merchandise
    • Print publishing
    • Tech
    • Web site
      • Web Site Design
    • Writing
  • ComicLab
  • Edited and Ready
  • Events
  • Guest
  • Hot Seat critiques
  • Information
  • Interviews
  • Livestream Chat
  • Mail Bag
  • Member Benefits
  • Promos
  • Site News
  • Studios
  • Surviving Creativity
  • To-Do List
  • Uncategorized
  • Video
  • Webcomics Confidential
  • Webcomics Weekly
  • Webcomics.com Poll

Tags

AdSense advertising Comic Easel comments composition contract copyright creativity exercise credit cards Crowdfunding digital lettering digital publishing Facebook Google Analytics holiday Humor IP KDP Kickstarter Kindle legal lettering line weight Longform comics Manga Studio merchandise NCS panels Patreon Promotion PulsePoint readers revenue SEO shipping social media Square taxes trademark Twitter typography Web design word balloons WordPress writing

Special Features

Just now, in the forum…

  • Patreon: upfront charging or not?
  • Longform webcomics
  • Quantity time vs quality time on social media
  • Writing a Slice of life
  • Can’t Set Up WordPress Site

Recent Posts

  • ComicLab Ep 156 — Beginner’s Guide: How to Start Your Own Webcomic
  • ComicLab Ep 155 — And That’s Why I Self-Publish
  • ComicLab Ep 154 — Blessings in Disguise
  • Are you posting your comics on Patreon right?
  • March To Do List

Recent Replies

  • Jaycee Knight on Patreon: upfront charging or not?
  • Brad Guigar on Longform webcomics
  • Brad Guigar on Patreon: upfront charging or not?
  • Shadowmark Productions on Can’t Set Up WordPress Site
  • Brad Guigar on Can’t Set Up WordPress Site

Recent Topics

  • Patreon: upfront charging or not? by Jaycee Knight
  • Longform webcomics by MynameizJR
  • Quantity time vs quality time on social media by MrMcCloud
  • Writing a Slice of life by MrMcCloud
  • Can’t Set Up WordPress Site by edustin78

Recent Comments

  • Joe Kandra on Exclusive Member Benefit: Webcomics Handbook
  • Brad Guigar on Exclusive Member Benefit: Webcomics Handbook
  • Joe Kandra on Exclusive Member Benefit: Webcomics Handbook
  • Shadowmark Productions on Twitter announced paid-content feature “Super Follows”
  • Shadowmark Productions on How to launch a new comic
  • My Subscription
  • Contact
  • Store
  • Terms of Service
  • Account
  • Membership List

©2007-2021 Webcomics.com | Powered by WordPress with ComicPress | Subscribe: RSS | Back to Top ↑