Part 4: When Beautiful Artwork Makes the Words Hard to Read

By this stage I had a set of transcript versions made from the master artwork, cropped left, right or center depending on where the words needed to sit. The closed book size was planned at 11 by 8.5 inches, with the cover at the beginning and a back cover at the end.

Then a very practical problem showed up: text that looked fine in isolation could disappear against detailed water, leaves, rocks and changing light. The artwork was doing its job as illustration and fighting the words at the same time.

Readability is part of the art

We looked at typography, typeface, placement and contrast rather than assuming one font color would work on every page. The MASTER artwork also became important because moving or cropping the image could create a calmer area for text without repainting the whole scene.

This is a useful reminder that AI image generation is only one layer of a finished product. A children's book still needs graphic design. The words and pictures have to cooperate.

The lesson

Don't judge AI artwork only as an image. Judge it in the job it has to perform. If words must sit on top of it, readability is a design requirement from the beginning.

Try it yourself

Put your real text on an image before calling the image finished. Test it at the size people will actually read. If the words need a heavy outline, giant shadow or awkward box to survive, reconsider the composition first.

Next time: a page-count question changes the structure of the book.