how to make a banner for your choicescript game
okay so this isn't a callout post but i do want to talk about the AI banner thing on cogdemos for a second. a lot of us in this community are artists and writers and when someone uses AI generated images, it genuinely stings a little. it's a shortcut that comes at someone else's (and the environment's) expense. and on top of that, rightly or wrongly, it creates this immediate impression that the writing itself might also be AI. first impressions are everything and your banner is the first one people get
the good news is making a real banner is actually not hard at all! here is how:
go to canva.com and search "youtube thumbnail" in the templates. it's already the right size for cogdemos, you don't even have to think about it
these are all free and legal to use:
unsplash.com: massive library of high quality photography, no credit required
pixabay.com: also same deal
pinterest is great for finding a vibe but if that same banner is something you plan to use for commercial use, DON'T!
step three: making the text readable
it comes down to one thing—contrast. your title needs to fight the background... and win
dark background: white, cream, gold, pale yellow, soft lavender, and icy blue text work well. if you want something with more personality, try a warm coral or dusty rose
light background: dark navy, deep burgundy, forest green, or black. avoid grey on white, it just looks washed out
busy or mid-tone background: put a semi-transparent dark or light box behind your text, or use a thick bold font that can hold its own against texture. thin elegant fonts get eaten alive
warm image: you need cool text like blue or white that pops without clashing. a deep teal or dusty blue looks especially good. avoid red or orange text on a warm background or it disappears into it
cool image: what's best is a warm text like cream, gold, or warm white. a soft peach or muted terracotta against a cool blue image is a really nice contrast.
your game is worth five extra minutes. give it a banner that looks as good as what's inside :)
