I get what you mean thanks to RZ's explanation, but I generally don't think a sig image needs text aside from the user's nick.Originally Posted by Archangel
To pick on a convenient example, most of RZs sigs are half a wall of text, and half a render. It depends on the philosophical path you ascribe to. While you and RZ clearly don't see a problem with that, I think that a block of text will always detract from the render itself.
You can put whatever text you want outside of the image. That's just a caption. Captions (or titles) never detract from an image, they serve to enhance the image, or drive the viewer down a path the creators wants to convey. That's also not to say you can't have any text. I think a line or two in a small font can really enhance an image and send the message you want it to.
When text dominates the image, at least in my case, my eyes are drawn away from the image, and that becomes the background, rather than the focus.
http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/6...ksakurasig.png
[F/SN game spoilerific.]
Take this one I made some time ago for another forum (hence the large dimension). I liked it when I made it, but upon reflection the typeface kind of sucks and because of the complete lack of visual balance, your eyes go all over the place. It's only saving grace is the focal point right in the middle, where the light/dark contrast forces you to look. Unfortunately, neither of the renders are there, so it doesn't accomplish a great deal.
But the text is still a small percentage of the space in the image, and itself doesn't distract the eye. I think text should serve to enhance the meaning behind the image, but the renders themselves are the far more fascinating part of the total presentation. The text only need be read once, and if it is there at all, the viewer will read it.
It's the same reason you don't want too much going on in the background, because it kills the focus on the rest of it. (My example has that problem.)