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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

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Boat name font size examples

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JimGo
Admiral

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USA
962 Posts

Initially Posted - 03/14/2012 : 21:23:44

I'm getting ready to rename our boat, and I'm trying to pick an appropriate font size. I read through many of the threads that talk about font sizes anywhere from 4"-9". Our new name is fairly long and I have a graphic that I want to put with it, so I'm concerned about overpowering the boat. As a result, I'm leaning toward a font in the 5-6" range. At 6", that puts just the text at a touch over 5' long, or approximately 1/5 the length of the boat, which seems like it might be a bit much.

So, what I'd really appreciate is a shot of your boat's name, and some info on the size and font you used (or, even better, the overall length), this way I can get a better feel for rough proportions. I've gone through the gallery, but the pictures there are a bit small, and they don't have font size info. I also saw OLarryR's posts in this thread (http://www.catalina-capri-25s.org/forum/pop_printer_friendly.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=17379) which helps a lot, but I'd still like to get some other pictures. I'm sure it would be helpful for future owners, too.

- Jim
Formerly of 1984 C25 named Dragon Wing

NOTE: In my case, PLEASE don't confuse stars/number of posts with actual knowledge. On any topic.

Edited by - JimGo on 03/14/2012 21:25:58

OJ
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4382 Posts

Response Posted - 03/15/2012 : 07:27:00

Hi Jim,

Believe the tallest font below is 9".

As we were doing the initial positioning we felt the lettering should fall between the third stanchion and stern pulpit. A fella a couple of hundred feet away (who also had a good eye for summetry) said to ignore the stanchions and simply place it towards the aft end. We think he was right.

You may also want to avoid areas where the fenders would hang, i.e., below the second and third stanchions.

As mentioned in a recent name thread, this font was selected after viewing it in 27 different styles.

This is a previously owned 1981 model.

Edited by - OJ on 03/15/2012 07:29:07

dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4593 Posts

Response Posted - 03/15/2012 : 07:49:29

I think that I went 8" and 6" letters with Recess because it was short. With our C-22, Shadowfax, we used 6" and 4" letters. In both cases, we used a local sign making shop like Fast Sign. They offer a multitude of fonts and colors from which to choose and application is easy. We used a dark blue for Shadowfax and black for Recess:

Edited by - dmpilc on 03/15/2012 08:06:38

JimGo
Admiral

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USA
962 Posts

Response Posted - 03/15/2012 : 07:59:01

For completeness, here's the info from Larry that I mentioned above:

The lettering was believe in 8" font. But because of the font I chose, they called me before they actually made up the order to inform me that the font I chose had tails on the capitals that extended the lettring size quite a bit. They then worked with me to get the right sizing - length and width. For me it was perfect sizing.

The key to doing this right is not to pick too small a font size. Many order it undersized. Then when out sailing, the font may not be large enough to read from a distance. I already had one expereince where I know the lettering is right-sized. I sailed down toward an area where a co-worker also sails and he was out crewing on another boat. he was never all that close to me and I did not know he was sailing that day but he told me the next day he saw me because he could read my name from a good distance away.

Originally posted by dlucier "...Along with smallish fonts, one must be careful with the style as well. For example in your boat's name "Robin's Nest", the "N" in Nest has very thin uprights ..."

"I have a similar thing with my boat's name."

The other thing about thin letters is that sometimes getting the letter to stick on may take some tender loving care to get it right. I had some trouble with the thin part of "S" in my boat name. But these are minor nuisances. For the most part, looking at the many other boats with photos on this Forum and in a Marina will generally provide good hints as to what works.

As far as names on the stern, this really was not an option for me with a '89 Cat. The ladder is on one side and the motor on the other. The name would be very hard to read blocked by those interferences. (Also, my boat name on the hull sides is somewhere between 48" to 54" in length. Can't remember exact dimension.)

I found my old receipt but it only has an item Number and not the descriptors to determine exactly what I ordered. I hope to call or stop by the Boat US Graphics tomorrow afternoon and will let you know later by EMail or here what I find out.

Looking at the Boat US Graphics on-line tool, I am 95% sure I ordered it as follows:
Font: "Black Chancery"
Size based on capital letter: 8" (but for the font I chose - It has tails on the capitals and it is more like 10" on the capitals)
Color: Believe it was a Metallic Blue.

If you were to have a name with 8" capitals with the above font (that font has tails so 8" capital is more like 10"), then the length of a two word name with same number of characters as my boat name, the length would be approximately 54" !! That is shown on their on-line form in the bottom left side of the screen. Rcmd discuss with the graphics personnel about your font and actual height of capitals and small letters and how it effects total length so you have no surprises after ordering. If you do talk to them, ask if they can provide you with a small extra scrap piece of same color matl so that you can use that to patch any smudges that may occur after a year or two. Maybe they will give you that scrap piece for free.

Martin,

I called up Boat US Graphics and got the confirming info regarding my Item Number:

Font: Black Chancery
Color: Navy Blue
Size & length: 6 1/2" and 48" long

However, what they told me was at the time I ordered my boat name, that font they had a sizing issue with the "tails" on the capital letters. So my 6 1/2" captila is really closer to 8" or maybe even a bit larger. They now are sizing it with the tail closer to what the customer specifies as the size of the capital letter. If I had ordered it today, then the size would probably be around 8". You can still check with them and they can tell you exactly what the size and length will be and will adjust according to your preferences.

Edited by - on

JimGo
Admiral

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USA
962 Posts

Response Posted - 03/15/2012 : 08:02:28

I also thought I'd grab this info from that same thread from user MartinJW:
For whatever it's worth, here's what we're going to order from our local sign guy:

Bluebell
FONT: Lucida Calligraphy (this is a standard Microsoft Office font)
8" high letters
TWO stickers (one for each side of the boat)

NV 8237 KX
FONT: Century Gothic bold
3" high letters
TWO stickers (one for each side of the boat)

JUNE 13, 2008; Here's the installed lettering:

Edited by - on

DaveR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2015 Posts

Response Posted - 03/15/2012 : 08:23:19

I did a little photo editing and superimposed several fonts before I chose. I did not however choose the bamboo font, ended up going with the gilliesgotdlig font.

Bamboo font

Brotherman font

Carolingia font

gilliesgotdlig font

Edited by - on

Prospector
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
3159 Posts

Response Posted - 03/15/2012 : 08:28:32

Jim, you might want to call your dude back and get more letters for your transom and add your hailing port.

We put ours on the transom under the ladder. Gotta go see if the blog killed that photo.

Edited by - on

OLarryR
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USA
3466 Posts

Response Posted - 03/15/2012 : 09:11:42

Couple of things to mention:

Try and get some scrap material when they make up the name. This is to save in case you ever scuff up one of the letters and need to fix one of the letters. This way you will have the exact material on hand to make the small patch if ever necessary. In my case, I had scuffed up one or two letters but since the Boat US Hqtrs and Graphics office is in my area, I went down there and they were able to pull up my original order and cut me some matl for free. I still have excess matl in case I need to repair a letter.

Below is a more recent photo showing how the lettering looks after 6+ years of service. It's one of the photos from my website as they completed the waterproofing of the hull. No noticeable effect from UV rays, etc !! (Details of the font/history is in the posting you inserted in this thread up above from a discussion that took place a long time ago on this forum.)

Edited by - on

Prospector
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Canada
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Response Posted - 03/15/2012 : 10:02:17

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by JimGo
 Dave, I did something similar, but it's tough to get the proportions right without a known reference. Plus, I don't have any good, unobstructed shots of the side of the boat. <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

You don't need a pic of your boat - anyone's boat will do. Just whiteout their name and start playing with yours. You already know the font sizes in the pics in this thread, so you know how tall 8" or 6" is in these. Stretch yours appropriately.

Edited by - on

JimGo
Admiral

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USA
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Response Posted - 03/15/2012 : 10:17:26

Good point! Actually, OJ's boat looks a lot like mine, and has the full profile too. Now to resist the temptation while at work...

Edited by - JimGo on 03/15/2012 10:23:08

JimGo
Admiral

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Response Posted - 03/15/2012 : 18:45:00

OK, here's my mock-up:

Edited by - JimGo on 03/15/2012 18:45:29

OJ
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Response Posted - 03/15/2012 : 18:51:11

Where's that royalty agreement I wrote up this morning?

Edited by - on

JimGo
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Response Posted - 03/15/2012 : 18:53:13

Thanks OJ!!! And if you're offended, I'll gladly pull it down.

Where in PA do you sail?

Edited by - JimGo on 03/15/2012 18:54:08

Sam001
Vice Commodore

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USA
441 Posts

Response Posted - 03/15/2012 : 19:07:25

I inherited the grapic on the side of Bobbin
I will try to get a pic up
but it is nice having the name like robins nest on the side

Edited by - on

OJ
Master Marine Consultant

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Response Posted - 03/15/2012 : 19:13:33

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by JimGo
 Thanks OJ!!! And if you're offended, I'll gladly pull it down.

Where in PA do you sail?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">No offense taken Jim! Glad you can make use of it!

North of Pittsburgh, Moraine State Park, Lake Arthur, Davis Hollow Marina

http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/ucmprd1/groups/public/documents/document/dcnr_003616.pdf

Edited by - on

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9080 Posts

Response Posted - 03/15/2012 : 19:14:45

Larry--one more thing to mention... Posting a picture that large screws up the whole thread for those of us without 54" monitors.

Edited by - Stinkpotter on 03/15/2012 19:17:28

Prospector
Master Marine Consultant

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Response Posted - 03/15/2012 : 20:03:07

Looks good - but I would move the dragon to the front or rear.

Edited by - on

OLarryR
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USA
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Response Posted - 03/15/2012 : 20:28:37

Dave,

Yeah....I have to downsize the photos. I became a bit lazy when loading photos onto my website. I need to lower the size and resolution and then they will be better suited for these posting threads.

You mean you do not have a 54" monitor ? you got to get with the flow.

Edited by - on

Prospector
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Canada
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Response Posted - 03/15/2012 : 20:44:11

Larry - leave it, it really bites the arse off the guys trying to read the thread on a smartphone. Lets both post big pics and giggle.

Edited by - on

OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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3466 Posts

Response Posted - 03/16/2012 : 03:16:06

Chris - Ha !

I still have to do my taxes but I may get a chance to reload the photos this weekend. The large photos was on my mind...still it was "Dave" complaining and therefore one has to take that into consideration.
.
.
.
Kidding aside, Dave and I have gotten together a couple of times. One time, my spouse and I were heading to Plymouth, Mass to visit a friend and on the way, we stopped in Mystic and visited with Dave. Dave was kind enough to take us on his stinkboat for a tour of Mystic Harbor. Another time, I had a business trip to the New London/Groton, Conn area and I stayed in Mystic. We had dinner together.

Sorry...Getting a bit off topic ! So...let me add something to the font/size discussion: If one desires a larger font but is concerned that the spacing, etc will make the name too long. I recommend talk to the graphics place direct. It is likely they can custom alter the spacing slightly that for a long name could result in a somewhat shorter boat name footprint. Altering the spacing between the letters slightly does not necessarily mean it will look too condensed. The graphics place most likely can provide you with a electronic sample of how it will look compared to normal spacing. Just depends on the graphics shop and how accomodating they are. Also, I recall when I was deciding whether to go with Boat US Graphics, I was initially turned off by the cost (and anyway it is somewhat more expensive than some other graphic store options) but my initial thought regarding cost was that it would cost double for two name prints (port and starboard) vs a single name print. However, it worked out less than double the cost. (That was using their software many years ago.)

Edited by - OLarryR on 03/16/2012 03:40:44

dlucier
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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
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Response Posted - 03/16/2012 : 05:35:53

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by JimGo
 Dave, I toyed with having the logo at the end, and it looked funny (even funnier than it does like this)
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Maybe you could somehow incorporate the dragon graphic into the name.

Edited by - on

dmpilc
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4593 Posts

Response Posted - 03/16/2012 : 07:08:31

Sure would be sweet if we had a travel lift set-up at our lake. I'm envious! We have to ramp launch, and there's no dock or pier at the ramp.

Edited by - dmpilc on 03/16/2012 07:09:33

TakeFive
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Response Posted - 03/16/2012 : 07:29:34

Your mockup name looks a little big for my taste, but it's your
choice. I'd definitely suggest keeping the name between your fenders
to avoid abrasion damage, and so you can see the name even if you
forget to take the fenders in while sailing.

My letters are 10" high, but the people I used
(http://greatlettering.com/) measure the height from the
top down to the lowest descender, so it's probably more like 8" by
most others' measuring methods. The font is standard Zapf Chancery,
which I think this company just called "Chancery."

Here's a shot of the boat name. I hang a round fender from the
pulpit seat stanchion (see signature pic below), so you can see that I
positioned the name forward of that stanchion:

Here's my hailing port. I used 3" or 4" lettering (again measured
to the lowest descender, so it's equivalent to about 2" or 3" by
others' methods). Any larger would not have fit in the restricted space:

I use ordinary 2" black lettering for the reg numbers (Lowes has real
nice ones in a bold Helvetica style). I think using a matching font
would have been too cute for my taste:

Edited by - TakeFive on 03/16/2012 07:35:00

Ape-X
Admiral

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USA
662 Posts

Response Posted - 03/16/2012 : 07:45:21

re: Jimgo
LOVE the logo! Dragon's wing as the sail, very nice....post up a clearer image

Edited by - on

Stinkpotter
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Djibouti
9080 Posts

Response Posted - 03/16/2012 : 08:03:13

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by OLarryR
 You mean you do not have a 54" monitor ? you got to get with the flow.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">I'm waiting for the 54" iPad.

Edited by - on

JimGo
Admiral

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USA
962 Posts

Response Posted - 03/16/2012 : 10:15:10

Ape-X, thanks, I actually hired an artist to make the drawing for me. It struck me one day that the sail resembled a wing, and I jumped right to a dragon's wing. I was surpised when I floated that name past my wife, and she liked it better than "A tiller the hun" and "Clewless". Then I was worried that people wouldn't "get" the name, so I had the drawing done.

Edited by - on

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