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Graphic Novel Craft · Lesson 3
Lettering as Design
Balloons, captions, and SFX — type that belongs on the page.
12 min · Read → Apply
Step 1 · Read
Words are shapes
Lettering is not an afterthought pasted on art. It guides the eye in reading order.
- Keep balloons off faces and off the focal action when you can.
- Captions carry narration; balloons carry speech — do not make them look identical.
- SFX can be image or type — pick one strong choice, not both competing.
Step 2 · Apply
Put it into practice
A short exercise to turn what you learned into skill.
Write a four-line exchange, then note where each balloon would sit relative to the speaker (above, beside, overlapping).