Thursday, August 2, 2007

What makes a good faceplate design?

Since faceplates are our bread and butter around here at Amplates.com, I figured a primer on what makes a good plate design might be in order. Bullet points are always fun, so try these tips on for size:

• Legibility. There are two basic types of fonts: text and display. You want to use text fonts for your control labels. If you use crazy, squiggly or super stylized fonts in positions above controls where they need to be small to fit, they won't be readable. Save the squiggles for your amp name and logo.

• Simplicity. Don't throw the kitchen sink on your faceplate. This isn't the launch control for ICBMs, it's a guitar amp built to be used on a cramped, dark stage. You need to be able to quickly and easily change settings, and having 1 billion small knobs and switches will seriously muck up the works.

• Style. The world doesn't need another Fender or Marshall clone. Think outside the box a little when choosing fonts, colors, and design elements. Simply adding a rule or box on your plate can make it stand out from the hordes and make people go "wow!"

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