Up With the Birds

[+wolfslady]

I'm wondering what software you found helpful. Silly me is trying to get some of my ideas into a coherent form using my greeting card program. I’m actually pretty pleased with what I’ve come up with so far, but it’s time consuming. I’m really bummed because tonight I spent about 2 hours working on an idea for a coin that thought would be really cute. I was putting the finishing touches on it when the program crashed. Stupidly I hadn’t saved my work. The good news I can probably recreate it in less than half the time, because now I know exactly what I want to do and I don’t have to play with colors and shapes as much. I’m just too exhausted to redo it tonight, because I should have gone to bed about the time the idea popped into my head.

 

Thank you.

[+Jackalgirl]

I'm wondering what software you found helpful. Silly me is trying to get some of my ideas into a coherent form using my greeting card program. I’m actually pretty pleased with what I’ve come up with so far, but it’s time consuming. I’m really bummed because tonight I spent about 2 hours working on an idea for a coin that thought would be really cute. I was putting the finishing touches on it when the program crashed. Stupidly I hadn’t saved my work. The good news I can probably recreate it in less than half the time, because now I know exactly what I want to do and I don’t have to play with colors and shapes as much. I’m just too exhausted to redo it tonight, because I should have gone to bed about the time the idea popped into my head.

 

Thank you.

 

I've seen some pretty wild sketches for challenge coins -- things like an odd blob labelled "alligator" that's then rendered by the vendor artists as an actual alligator in the same pose. The mints are pretty good at interpreting art, though of course if you want something very unique, it's best to show them the clearest vision of what you want that you can (in other words, not rough hastily-sketched scratches then scanned in on a scanner).

 

I think that the most important piece of software is a decent photo or drawing program that lets you use layers, and that has a good eraser function. That way, you can layer an element on top of, say, the background and erase everything you don't need without affecting what's underneath it. Practically every decent paint program does it -- Photoshop/Photoshop Elements, GIMP, Paint Shop Pro, etc.

 

Look for something that lets you map text onto paths. That is, you draw a shape (like an arc or a circle) and then the software "maps" the text onto the shape of the path. This lets you put, say, text around in a circle (as in around the outside of the coin). This is not /critical/, but is very useful (you can always write the text with an arrow to the outer edge of the coin and a note that says something like "write this text around the edge" and most vendors should get it).

 

Having something like this lets you find reference images and then alter & layer them so that you have a mockup of what you want, at a level of clarity so that the ultimate artist on the other end can see it clearly.

[+Tha Saint]

Im no artist, but I do use Gimp for a lot of things, and it works great, and its free...

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

To the OP: sure, hire someone to do it for you!

 

(Not me, as I can't draw a stick person!)

[+Droo]

I'm wondering what software you found helpful. Silly me is trying to get some of my ideas into a coherent form using my greeting card program. I’m actually pretty pleased with what I’ve come up with so far, but it’s time consuming. I’m really bummed because tonight I spent about 2 hours working on an idea for a coin that thought would be really cute. I was putting the finishing touches on it when the program crashed. Stupidly I hadn’t saved my work. The good news I can probably recreate it in less than half the time, because now I know exactly what I want to do and I don’t have to play with colors and shapes as much. I’m just too exhausted to redo it tonight, because I should have gone to bed about the time the idea popped into my head.

 

Thank you.

I'd say that if you want a high quality geocoin to sell and trade hire a designer or go with a manufacturer's designer... your drawing will be the basis for a professional design. However if you want to keep costs down and high quality isn't your concern use your drawing for a pathtag and go from there.

[Odyssey Voyager]

i like to use "paint.net". its a free program with quite a few nice features. not as nice "photoshop" or the other high end paint programs, but hey...its FREE! so i'm not complaining...lol...i've also seen some other artists here "scan" their rough drawings, then use a paint program to "clean up" and "tweak" their sketch. many collectors and buyers just have no idea how much time goes into the design process of these original works! if you charged by the hours spent "tweaking" and "touching it up", the costs would skyrocket! its a good thing i like spending so much time "painting".

[+ECplus3]

Amen! Part of the reason I have put out so few coins to date (apart from the cost) is that I am never really finished my designs.

 

I have five finished coins and one on the way. But I have over two dozen designs currently in the works. Some go back to around the same time as my first design.

 

I too cannot draw a stick person to save my life, but I can manipulate pretty much anything with Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop to get the exact look I want (eventually). I prefer Illustrator because it is vector-based. I can resize layers without losing any detail.

[+wolfslady]

 

I've seen some pretty wild sketches for challenge coins -- things like an odd blob labelled "alligator" that's then rendered by the vendor artists as an actual alligator in the same pose. The mints are pretty good at interpreting art, though of course if you want something very unique, it's best to show them the clearest vision of what you want that you can (in other words, not rough hastily-sketched scratches then scanned in on a scanner).

 

I think that the most important piece of software is a decent photo or drawing program that lets you use layers, and that has a good eraser function. That way, you can layer an element on top of, say, the background and erase everything you don't need without affecting what's underneath it. Practically every decent paint program does it -- Photoshop/Photoshop Elements, GIMP, Paint Shop Pro, etc.

 

Look for something that lets you map text onto paths. That is, you draw a shape (like an arc or a circle) and then the software "maps" the text onto the shape of the path. This lets you put, say, text around in a circle (as in around the outside of the coin). This is not /critical/, but is very useful (you can always write the text with an arrow to the outer edge of the coin and a note that says something like "write this text around the edge" and most vendors should get it).

 

Having something like this lets you find reference images and then alter & layer them so that you have a mockup of what you want, at a level of clarity so that the ultimate artist on the other end can see it clearly.

 

Thank you, My card creater actually lets me do quite a bit. I'm not expecting to get something perfect, just good enough that when I send it to the artist they are tweaking my design, not creating their own. I found several peices of clip art that have elements that I want to use in my coin, but they are not exactly what I want, Maybe close enough that I could send the pictures and explain the changes I want made. But I'm never sure of the legality of that. There is on peice that I really like at istock but I'd only use it as is for a pathtag I'd have to make quite a few changes for a coin. The problem is that if you plan to sell your item they want $275. Way more than I can afford. Although I haven't ruled out using it for a pathtag that I wouldn't sell. I'm guessing there wouldn't be a problem if someone else sold them after I traded or left them in cashes, but I'd have to check that out too. The design I worked on so long last night was my attempt to do something in the style of that picture. I can use create a card to shape the text top some degree, but I'm not sure how perfectly. My bf has some programs that she sells but I know she doesn't have any of the high dollar ones. She's been keeping her eye out for one at the sales she goes to. (over stock or store closings...) But I asked her about one when my son was born and I've given up at this point.

[+wolfslady]

Im no artist, but I do use Gimp for a lot of things, and it works great, and its free...

I've never heard of it. But if it's free I'll have to search for it. Thank you.

[+wolfslady]

To the OP: sure, hire someone to do it for you!

 

(Not me, as I can't draw a stick person!)

 

LOL Yes I figure I'll have to have someone tweak my design. But I want it to be my design. Not one where I put a blob and say I want it to be an alligator. Although I have an idea for a personal coin for my DH (who doesn't even have an account yet.) that I might have to do that on unless I can find someone who can draw a cartoon type one for me. But right now I don't have the money to do this and I'm hoping to get around that on this one. Thank you.

[+2LittleCache]

Actually I produced a coin just recently, and boy oh boy, you should have seen my sketch. Luckily the artist I went through was great and communicated well with me as for my intentions. Its all about the artist you use, if your like me with absolutely no talent besides dreams.

[+wolfslady]

I'd say that if you want a high quality geocoin to sell and trade hire a designer or go with a manufacturer's designer... your drawing will be the basis for a professional design. However if you want to keep costs down and high quality isn't your concern use your drawing for a pathtag and go from there.

 

Quality is important, but so is it being my design. And I may start with a pathtag, I'll have to decide that in the future. But even if I do quality is still important to me. Thank you for the suggestions, I'll keep them in mind as I decide where I'm going with this.

[+wolfslady]

i like to use "paint.net". its a free program with quite a few nice features. not as nice "photoshop" or the other high end paint programs, but hey...its FREE! so i'm not complaining...lol...i've also seen some other artists here "scan" their rough drawings, then use a paint program to "clean up" and "tweak" their sketch. many collectors and buyers just have no idea how much time goes into the design process of these original works! if you charged by the hours spent "tweaking" and "touching it up", the costs would skyrocket! its a good thing i like spending so much time "painting".

 

I'll have to look at that once I get some sleep. My son woke up a few hours ago and I can't get him back down. I'm going to try again. Thank you.

[+wolfslady]

OK so I have a design I like and I think it's as good as I'm going to get it, without help. I'm just not sure what to do next. I was actually thinking of this for a pathtag and but I thought it would make a cute coin so I went ahead and worked on it with that in mind. It's a 2D design while most of my other ideas that I've laid out are 3D so I figured this would be a good test and I had a clearer vision of what I wanted on it. Easier all around. The question is where do I go from here?

 

 

Should I look at the chart and choose actual colors to send with it bacause the program I used doesn't have a very wide range or should I let whoever works on it next use their judgment?

 

 

Should I post it here and get some feedback or should I take the plung and submit it for a quote and ask about the free mint for tags to see if they are interested?

 

 

Should I submit for a price to one mint at a time or several at once? (Is the later frowned upon?)

 

 

So many questions. I'm 100% sure it will make a great pathtag with some tweeking, but I'm not sure how it would be received as a coin.

 

 

Thank you everyone for your wonderful answers to all my questions.

[+Eartha]

Merging your two threads together to follow the process, and to help future coiners who need the same kind of help.

[+Jackalgirl]

OK so I have a design I like and I think it's as good as I'm going to get it, without help. I'm just not sure what to do next. I was actually thinking of this for a pathtag and but I thought it would make a cute coin so I went ahead and worked on it with that in mind. It's a 2D design while most of my other ideas that I've laid out are 3D so I figured this would be a good test and I had a clearer vision of what I wanted on it. Easier all around. The question is where do I go from here?

 

 

Should I look at the chart and choose actual colors to send with it bacause the program I used doesn't have a very wide range or should I let whoever works on it next use their judgment?

 

Usually, the mints are pretty good at picking colors. It's helpful if you have an EXACT idea of what you want that you provide the color callouts. But you don't have to. If you're interested, Google the phrase:

 

"PMS color chart"

 

and see if you can find a PMS color chart. That way, you can request specific colors. Note: watch out for charts that have stuff like "PMS 123 x2". The "x2" means that they'll print the color twice, which makes for a deeper color. You can't do that with enamels.

 

If you're interested in translucents, glitter and glow, I haven't taken down the color chart I put up for the 9-9-9 coin (I'm lazy). Note that it would be a really good idea to ask the vendor/mint or whomever you're working with whether they support these colors (especially the glow colors), and if there are any others they support (for example, some vendors have pearlescent colors).

 

A note on translucent enamel: since you're doing a 2D coin, you should be able to request IHE (imitation hard enamel) translucent enamels and colors. It's more expensive than soft enamel, but the IHE enamels actually fill up the areas of the coin completely (whereas soft enamel "slumps" within the color areas in which it's applied). Many people who use soft enamel will then use an epoxy coating to fill in the coin and make the colors seem more solid (that is, not "slumpy"). Ask very carefully about this, because it's usually less expensive to use IHE than to use soft enamel + epoxy.

 

 

Should I post it here and get some feedback or should I take the plung and submit it for a quote and ask about the free mint for tags to see if they are interested?

 

It's totally up to you. : ) If a vendor provides the option to pay you for a design in coins, they'll let you know if they don't think that the design is saleable. If you'd like to get people's reactions here, fire away. : )

 

Should I submit for a price to one mint at a time or several at once? (Is the later frowned upon?)

I would highly recommend it. There's nothing wrong with shopping your design around and seeing you'll give you the best deal.

[Odyssey Voyager]

Should I post it here and get some feedback or should I take the plung and submit it for a quote and ask about the free mint for tags to see if they are interested?

you might be surprised at the great suggestions you will receive if you post your design here first. others that have been through the process have invaluable insight that will help you see things you might have overlooked. this may help you avoid the dreaded "hindsight" moments that many 1st time geocoiners have. for example, i produced my 1st geocoin in 2006, when it arrived i suddenly realized that i should have added a cutout to attach a lanyard or key chain! i was able to have the factory add a cutout to some of the remint editions, but it wasn't in the exact shape or location i wanted, and the "after thought" cutout caused some issues when i wanted to add colors to the final remint. geeez...all those headaches could have been avoided had i just thought about it or received a suggestion in the design phase before production!

[ELTADA]

Should I look at the chart and choose actual colors to send with it bacause the program I used doesn't have a very wide range or should I let whoever works on it next use their judgment?

 

This is a tricky one. It really depends on the design and what you hope will be the final product. When I produced my first personal coin -- I had two very specific colour schemes in mind. One especially was a "sepia" version which meant that the colours had to relate to a sepia photograph. I was having trouble with the online pms chart because every computer monitor shows a slightly different colour. In the end, I actually bought a pms colour chart off ebay so I could see the colours in person. Keep in mind, the colours will also look different depending on the colour of the metal underneath - especially the translucent colours.

 

If you are just looking for colours that go nicely together and aren't concerned with specific tone etc., you could probably get away with having the company that mints them for you, help you pick the colours.

 

Should I post it here and get some feedback or should I take the plung and submit it for a quote and ask about the free mint for tags to see if they are interested?

That depends on if you want feedback or not? My personal coin, I had an idea and since it was a coin that highly represents me, I didn't need others advice (aside from those helping me with it's creation) and was not too concerned if it sold 1000's (I sold quite a few to help cover costs and was happy that others liked it - don't get me wrong). If you like - mint it! However, if you have questions about your design or would like to sell a lot in the forums, getting feedback can be helpful. Keep in mind though, the company you use to mint it will give great advice and should know what will be well received in the collecting community.

 

Should I submit for a price to one mint at a time or several at once? (Is the later frowned upon?)

I don't see anything wrong with getting multiple quotes. Personally, I would let them know that's what you are doing though. For example, "I am currently getting quotes for the creation of my first geocoin - could you provide me with the following information in order to assist me in making my decision..." or something to that effect.

 

Hopefully that helps...

[+GeocoinGuy]

... if you look at the pantone chart on my website: http://www.geocoindesign.com/pantone.htm, I can make any of those colors translucent as well as IHE -

 

Of course - who you choose to make your coin is entirely up to you.

 

~J

[+wolfslady]

OK I'm taking the plunge and sharing, before I loose my nerve.

 

 

I planned to post this 2 days ago but kept having computer problems. I kept thinking of more things I wanted to ask so it got long. This idea came to me last week when someone was talking about me being a night owl. I was already working on a very rough outline for an owl coin, because I like them almost as much as wolves and I wanted to wait until I figured out if I had any talent, before I tackled my favorite animal. They stated that they were "always up with the birds." After thinking about it for a moment I replied "so am I, it's just not the same kind of birds." By the time I hung up I already had a pretty clear picture in my head. So here is my first attempt at designing a coin. "Up With The Birds."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now that you've seen it please leave your impressions. I have a lot of questions for those of you who have experience designing a coin, but don't feel obligated to answer them. I know the eyes will need some work. I had the clearest vision of what I wanted for them and this is close. But I want the "feathers" around them to be a bit more rectangular and maybe a bit more of a gap between them and the iris. They are also not set quite right. I think they need a few fewer feathers. But I could spend a week tweaking them only to discover that it wasn't coin friendly. This is not a coin that I have a clear vision of colors. Just close to what they are here. Besides I can see this with the owl being, Grey, white -with gold feathers, Golden brown… depending upon the metal.

 

 

1. Is it too cutesy for a coin? Should I just stick with my original idea and make it a pathtag?

 

2. To cut out or not to cut out, that is the question.

 

3. Leave "geocaching" on the front or remove it?

 

4. Do you like the words on both sides or not?

 

5. Sky should I choose to have one: Suggestions on color and anything else that might make it nicer. I considered making it like a sun catcher, but I assume that precludes stars unless I wanted to

 

6. Moon and stars. Plain, glow, glitter?

 

7. Angle of the moon? I know if it was a cut out and I wanted to add a hole so someone could wear it, there is no question the angel needs to be fixed for balance.

 

8. Should I add a hole?

 

9. Wings Most of the coin I did with shapes in my program. (Before I asked about them here.) Didn't have a moon shape, wing shape or feet shape. The moon wasn't too hard, but I made it harder than it had to be. The wings I did by hand. Mirror image and done. Not thrilled with the shape. Went back and forth on the angle and I liked 3 this one is in the middle. Do I need to adjust it or do you like it? Wider made the owl seem more alert and narrower made it seem more sedate. LOL I went with this thinking that wider would not work as well with a cut out, which was my first thought to do if I made it a coin. But I can't even decide which I like best. The feet have to be fixed!

 

10. Can't decide if there should be a star between the owl and moon or not.

 

11. Does the width of tail on the front need to be adjusted? Scratch that they can just go by the back right? Note to self. Next time you want to do a coin like this, start with the back and reverse it when you are happy with that. Or at least don't forget to put the tail on until the front until your 15-20th revision.

 

12. Spell check.

 

13. Track at geocaching.com size and placement

 

14. Poem on the back of the head? Yes? No?

 

 

I think that's more than enough for now. LOL Thank you.. Patti

[Odyssey Voyager]

i like it! let me answer a few of your concerns if i can...

 

1. Is it too cutesy for a coin? Should I just stick with my original idea and make it a pathtag?

 

i think it would make a nice geocoin.

 

2. To cut out or not to cut out, that is the question.

 

i like the round design.

 

3. Leave "geocaching" on the front or remove it?

 

hmmm...this might be personal choice, but what about a GPS or a Cache somewhere instead of the word?

 

4. Do you like the words on both sides or not?

 

well, you can't avoid the writing, its more a matter where to place it. geocoins and pathtags are so small that there really is no perfect place to put them. the bigger question is "are the letters too big or too small"?

 

5. Sky should I choose to have one: Suggestions on color and anything else that might make it nicer. I considered making it like a sun catcher, but I assume that precludes stars unless I wanted to

 

i like your sky and stars on one side. the reverse side needs more. have you perhaps thought about a horizon with a small sunrise? just food for thought.

 

6. Moon and stars. Plain, glow, glitter?

 

this design is almost tailor made for some glow colors!

 

8. Should I add a hole?

 

i'll let others answer here, i have never had a reason to attach anything to a geocoin, but i know some people like the option.

 

9. Wings Most of the coin I did with shapes in my program.

 

i'm gonna let Jackalgirl offer her suggestions or advice here since she is gifted at design.

 

10. Can't decide if there should be a star between the owl and moon or not.

 

i like your spacing of the stars.

 

12. Spell check.

 

double and triple check your spelling. after looking at a design for hours you get used to all the graphics as a design element and forget if its spelled correctly or has grammatical errors. ask your mint company to spell check and grammar check for you too.

 

13. Track at geocaching.com size and placement

 

again, there really is NO GREAT place to put this.

 

14. Poem on the back of the head? Yes? No?

 

this location seems appropiate. try using a really nice font if you can. on my first design i used a cheesy font since i expected the mint to replace it with something nice, and they used the same font! if i could do that over again, i'd pick a nicer font.

 

lastly. let me just say that i admire your original work on this! you are truly creating from the ground up. kudos to you! keep up the great job. don't be in too big a hurry, because ideas will continue to come to you everyday, but your work is cool so far.

Edited March 15, 2010 by Odyssey Voyager

[+Eartha]

Title updated at OP's request. Formal geocoin thread title name upon design completion could be coming. Stay tuned.

[+wolfslady]

i like it! let me answer a few of your concerns if i can...

 

1. Is it too cutesy for a coin? Should I just stick with my original idea and make it a pathtag?

 

i think it would make a nice geocoin.

 

2. To cut out or not to cut out, that is the question.

 

i like the round design.

 

3. Leave "geocaching" on the front or remove it?

 

hmmm...this might be personal choice, but what about a GPS or a Cache somewhere instead of the word?

 

4. Do you like the words on both sides or not?

 

well, you can't avoid the writing, its more a matter where to place it. geocoins and pathtags are so small that there really is no perfect place to put them. the bigger question is "are the letters too big or too small"?

 

5. Sky should I choose to have one: Suggestions on color and anything else that might make it nicer. I considered making it like a sun catcher, but I assume that precludes stars unless I wanted to

 

i like your sky and stars on one side. the reverse side needs more. have you perhaps thought about a horizon with a small sunrise? just food for thought.

 

6. Moon and stars. Plain, glow, glitter?

 

this design is almost tailor made for some glow colors!

 

8. Should I add a hole?

 

i'll let others answer here, i have never had a reason to attach anything to a geocoin, but i know some people like the option.

 

9. Wings Most of the coin I did with shapes in my program.

 

i'm gonna let Jackalgirl offer her suggestions or advice here since she is gifted at design.

 

10. Can't decide if there should be a star between the owl and moon or not.

 

i like your spacing of the stars.

 

12. Spell check.

 

double and triple check your spelling. after looking at a design for hours you get used to all the graphics as a design element and forget if its spelled correctly or has grammatical errors. ask your mint company to spell check and grammar check for you too.

 

13. Track at geocaching.com size and placement

 

again, there really is NO GREAT place to put this.

 

14. Poem on the back of the head? Yes? No?

 

this location seems appropiate. try using a really nice font if you can. on my first design i used a cheesy font since i expected the mint to replace it with something nice, and they used the same font! if i could do that over again, i'd pick a nicer font.

 

lastly. let me just say that i admire your original work on this! you are truly creating from the ground up. kudos to you! keep up the great job. don't be in too big a hurry, because ideas will continue to come to you everyday, but your work is cool so far.

 

 

 

Thank you so much for your comments.

 

 

A cache on the moon. I like it. LOL My owl is just the person to get one there too.

 

 

I wrote so much that I can’t believe how many things I left out. I didn’t plan on leaving the sky on the back plain. I just wasn’t sure what to do with it and wanted to get some opinions on the rest while I thought about it. At first I just had stars, but I didn’t really like that. I thought of a few ideas last night but didn’t have time to try them out yet. I considered a skyline view. A northern lights type view, which could tie into a sky line. Or one that I’m not sure will work in practice and is my favorite idea so far is to put swirls under and raising above a translucent color to make a “Starry Sky’s” effect. I like the sunrise idea too. Just not sure how it would tie in with “own the night” I’ll post my back ideas later, but I have no idea how to draw the one so I just pasted part of the picture in so I could see if anyone has ideas. Or if they just like something else.

 

 

I should also have said that I have no idea what fonts work best so I just picked one that didn’t seem too bad and could be sized right. The program I used was very limited in that regard. Even more so on the font around the curve. Paint.com helped me fix some of the other problems, but I don’t know how to do enough on it to fix the few things that I figure need to be adjusted by someone who knows how they are going to work on an actual coin. So the placement is approximant and will need to be adjusted. I will try to look at a lot of fonts and see if I can choose one that seems to fix. Any suggestions on one’s that look good?

 

 

I have to go into town but I wanted to post this before anyone else (hopefully) commented. Thank you so much. I will give more attention to your comments when I get home.

[+Jackalgirl]

I like the round version, too. I think that the stars and/or the moon would be handsome with glow. : )

 

My comments are simply from a proofreader's point of view. It should be:

 

"Up With the Birds"

 

"Own the Night"

 

(In title case, the word "the" isn't capitalized)

 

One thing you might want to try is to carry the text along the entire outer curve of the moon (on both sides), rather than having it be bunched up by the owl's head. I wouldn't try to size the text to fit the moon (I think that would look cheesy), but see what it looks like with the text spaced out a bit more.

 

Back to text-specific comments, I'd also recommend:

 

"Who wants to

seize the day

when you can

own the night?"

 

(Without quotes, of course; I'm quoting you, which is why they're there.) Breaking it up into two questions ("Who wants to seize the day?" "When you can own the night?") feels odd to me, especially when "When you can own the night" is a sentence fragment. If your text editor insists on capitalizing "seize" and "own", you should be able to change it back manually or, alternately, hit SHIFT+<enter> when you get to the end of the line instead of <enter> by itself. When you hit <enter> (a hard carriage return), most text editors treat that as the start of a new paragraph and automatically capitalize the first letter of the new paragraph.

 

Watch the line spacing in between the lines, too -- they're uneven.

 

I think you should carry the stars onto the back of the coin, too, for what it's worth. It's a very cute coin!

Edited March 16, 2010 by Jackalgirl

[+Turlutortue]

1. Is it too cutesy for a coin? Should I just stick with my original idea and make it a pathtag?

 

I"ll make it both geocoin and pathtag

 

2. To cut out or not to cut out, that is the question

 

I prefer the cut out but I also like the round geocoin design it completes it with the stars and you can even put yellow glitter for the moon (Or glow)

 

3. Leave "geocaching" on the front or remove it?

 

Remove it and put a GPS or a ammo can in it's claws

 

4. Do you like the words on both sides or not?

 

As long as you can read it. Your choice really

 

5. Sky should I choose to have one: Suggestions on color and anything else that might make it nicer. I considered making it like a sun catcher, but I assume that precludes stars unless I wanted to

 

I'd put stars on back too.

I don't know for the suncatcher on a night design.....contradictory?

 

6. Moon and stars. Plain, glow, glitter?

 

Glitter and glow as a second version

 

8. Should I add a hole?

 

Not necessary, it's a personal choice I think

 

10. Can't decide if there should be a star between the owl and moon or not.

 

Nope like it like that

 

12. Spell check.

 

Important because When the mold is done you'll have to pay for another one to correct the spelling mistakes.

 

13. Track at geocaching.com size and placement

 

I would place it on the bottom of the moon on the back

 

14. Poem on the back of the head? Yes? No?

 

yep

 

Great job on your design. I would have love to be able to make my own changes so I would have had my ideas done and understood more quickly Take your time to be sure all is OK. Can't wait to see it done.

[Odyssey Voyager]

Back to text-specific comments, I'd also recommend:

 

"Who wants to

seize the day

when you can

own the night?"

 

great suggestions from everyone. does adding the word "hoot" seem overly cliche? as in:

 

"Who wants to

seize the day,

when you can

have a hoot and

own the night?"

 

by the way, i am partial to "script type" fonts. i think they seem to add a little touch of class to every geocoin. i like "palace script" or "freestyle script" or "edwardian script" just to name a few. you can also ask your mint company to suggest an appropiate font for your design.

Edited March 16, 2010 by Odyssey Voyager

[+tsunrisebey]

Here's my opinion and just take it for what it's worth

 

I understand that this is all very new to you but I really think you should design the coin the way you would like it to be. The problem is there are so many of us who would design your coin in different ways (enamels, metals, hole/no hole and the list goes on) and there is no way to make everyone happy here

 

Just step back for a moment and ask yourself what you would like to see on your coin. What is the purpose of the coin? What do you like about other coins? Do you prefer holes in coins? Do you like glow enamels? Do you prefer copper versus gold? While we can all give you some suggestions, in the end do what your heart desires or in the end it's not going to be representative of you.

 

You can't go wrong if you follow your heart. Not the traditional answer, I know but that's my opinion.

 

For the record, I'm all about the shaped version

 

Have fun with your coin! Looks cute

 

tsun

Edited March 16, 2010 by tsunrisebey

[Odyssey Voyager]

i agree, these comments are all simply suggestions and opinions. you should always go with your heart and make the geocoin truly YOURS. good luck!

[+wolfslady]

Thank you everyone. I knew I had some things to work on and you have really helped me focus on some of them. I've already started making some changes. I'm still torn between the cutout and a round coin. I love the cutout and like that if I go with it I could add a hole so it could be worn or carried on a keychain. But I also like what the background adds to it. I just can't see adding a hole to the round one, because I imagine it would be too heavy to wear comfortably anyway.

 

I was also experimenting with the position of everything. Plus learning how to effectively use the programs. I finally figured out where to find the group feature today. It is really going to help me fine tune this when I decide on the position of everything and because I want to mirror everything exactly. Even if I choose the round one, I don’t want it feel odd when you hold it because the back of the bird is not centered the same as the front. Some of the things I’m still undecided about are the white around the eyes. I’m leaning toward the way I have them on the round coin because to me they seem nicer fuller. However I’m not sure how the restrictions of making it mint able with effect them. I imagine it will need to be something in between. I’ve also gone back and forth with the owl’s position in relation to the moon.

 

I’m working on 3 ideas for the back assuming I was to go with round. I think I’ll work on them I’m also working on editing the mistakes pointed out. I know better on many of those and can’t believe I missed so many of them. Maybe because the quote I put on the back was a last minute change. But not seeing my own typing and grammar errors is a big reason that I haven’t published my poetry book. I had a poem, but it was twice as long and I either had to put half on the back (which seemed awkward to me) or the font seemed to be to small. I decided to try and come up with something else. Putting something longer would put me right back in that position. Maybe I could change the back to read “Whooo Owns the Night?” (Without the quotation marks of course. I got such a laugh out of that and I really needed it. Thank you Jackalgirl.)

 

I know where to find the list for the places who make the coins, but what about someone to tweak my design. I know there are quite a few things I don’t have the skill to do. Like fix the feet and wings, choose the right font, position and size the writing on the moon, and make sure things like “the spacing between the lines” is right. I know some of you said the mint can work wonders so should I let them have it first and see if I need more or should I hire someone? Can I just put notes, like nice owl feet instead of these funky ones. LOL

 

I actually had whole list of comments on one of my copies, but I can’t find it. My computer crashed and I’m wondering if I forgot to save it.

 

I need to read everyone comments again and finish my edits and then I’ll post new pictures. The only other question I have it should it be named “Up with the birds” which was my first thought or “Own the Night” or would that be like giving away the punch line?

 

Everyone here has been so great. I can’t thank you enough. Patti

[+opalsns]

Put the tracking number and Geocaching .com on the coins edge, Like the Cowws Poker Chip.

Then It doesn't interfer with the design at all!!

Edited March 17, 2010 by opalsns

[+ThePetersTrio]

Put the tracking number and Geocaching .com on the coins edge, Like the Cowws Poker Chip.

Then It doesn't interfer with the design at all!!

 

This definitely is an option to consider. But also consider those of us who like to send coins traveling. I have found that many cachers (especially newer cachers) think coins are theirs to keep when they don't readily see the tracking number or "track at geocaching.com" on the coin.

 

It is your coin so obviously it will be your decision. Good luck with your design.

[+wolfslady]

Finally finished my ideas for the back. Here are my favorites. The "northern lights" one needs some extra tweaking. It took me hours to even figure out how to make it look this good. I really wanted to make the lines curve back and forth a bit more, but I don't have a steady enough hand and I could only get the program to let me move the lines in 2 places and I couldn't figure out how to go back and adjust them. Shoot maybe I should have tried several short lines. I always seem to come up with ideas to try when I'm posting. LOL

 

 

I would like the ammo can embossed (not the word I want) do you think that would look better? (Can’t believe I couldn’t think of that word. Speaking of words. A word to the wise: Never post something you typed, when you’ve had very little sleep and a wiggling 2 ½ year old was in your lap.) I never figured out a way to make the ammo can look right in the claw. But I really think this is better. Please let me know what you think. Still deciding about putting the logo on the ammo can and rather I should move the tracking number to the edge. Also trying to figure out if I can make it work as a cutout. The ammo can just seems like an after thought, and I think the new sky idea add so much more than they did. Although I did think of hanging the can from the moon by a short chain, but I haven’t had a chance to work on it and wasn’t sure I shouldn’t abandon that idea after I got these where I wanted them. I was also wondering about glow colors. Does anyone have a link for them? The ones I’ve seen were very dull looking but I’ve played with them and think they would have a great effect on the back, and would be worth doing in a LE. Thank you Patti

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 18, 2010 by wolfslady

[ELTADA]

 

I know where to find the list for the places who make the coins, but what about someone to tweak my design. I know there are quite a few things I don’t have the skill to do. Like fix the feet and wings, choose the right font, position and size the writing on the moon, and make sure things like “the spacing between the lines” is right. I know some of you said the mint can work wonders so should I let them have it first and see if I need more or should I hire someone? Can I just put notes, like nice owl feet instead of these funky ones. LOL

 

 

When you approach a company to produce your coin, most have in-house people that will work with the mint to adjust your artwork. I don't want to turn this into an advertising thread but I know of one company that turned a sketch on a napkin into a coin for a client...and yours is much farther along than that!!! I think some of them charge a small art design fee if there is a lot that needs changing - some include it in the cost of the coin. Those are good questions when you ask for a quote.

 

PS - I like the stars coming out of the ammo can..

[+Eartha]

Title and subtitle updated at OP's request.

[+sweetlife]

We really love the copper the best and the colors, can't wait to see this one looks like when it is all set.

[+gardengorilla]

It's great! I love the design because I really like coins with owls on them and I like the 'cutesy' aspect of it too. Ditto with the copper

[+fairyhoney]

Of course I prefer the cut out version but as Tsun says - Go with your heart !

[+wolfslady]

Thank you again. I think I will save my northern lights idea for another coin I have done a rough layout of. I need to figure out how to tweak them so it's exactly how I want it. Plus I think it will fit better with the other coin. I haven’t quite given up on the cutout, but I still can’t make it work the way I would want it to. By the end of the week I’d like to start submitting this for quotes. If anyone wants to contact me with one that would be great. (can I say that?)

 

I also have an idea to go with this that I'm working on, but I have a lot of details to work out and I need to find out if it's something that can be done through Geocaching.com or if I would have to set up a website. I may have to find someone who is interested in a business venture.

 

Here are my final (I hope) questions for now.

 

Any suggestions on size for this coin?

 

If I understand correctly if I use hard enamels that will make it flat. Is that right? Is there a way to do that and still give it dimension? For instance: Can the sky be recessed, the moon be another level and the owl, cache box and the stars that are coming out of it be on a 3rd? Not exactly 3D, just noticeable when you hold it. Or do you think that flat would preferred in this case be?

 

If I decide I want pathtags to go with these does the coin company make those; or do you have to order those from pathtags.com? Do you order more of those than you do coins?

 

Do any of the coin companies make other items besides pins?

 

If anyone knows. Is there a way I can share my other idea without worrying that someone will use it first? It’s not a design and I envision it as being something that would compete with pathtags and pins.

 

I hope you are having a great day.