Comments on: Looking for a super-stylized periodic table

Question: Looking for a super-stylized periodic table

neilkod — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 13:02:41 -0800

Calling designers: I'm looking for a really stylized periodic table of the elements!

Or at least the symbol for Iron. I need something really cool-looking. Like super-cool. I'm talking super-clean fonts, everything well-designed, creative, etc. Now stop reading the green and get to work!

By: bonehead

bonehead — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 13:22:41 -0800

The chemical galaxy is pretty cool. They sell posters.

By: methylsalicylate

methylsalicylate — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 13:36:59 -0800

Stowe's

Benfey's

Zmaczynski's

Giguere's

Rasmol and Chime

More here and here

By: neilkod

neilkod — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 13:49:07 -0800

Ok, let me clarify-I'm looking for a more 'traditional' view of the periodic table but with some attention to typography-does that make sense?

Ideally, I'd like a really uber-cool looking version of this.

By: chimaera

chimaera — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 13:54:12 -0800

If you want just the symbol for Iron, why not make one yourself? There are some fantastic fonts out there, and the basic design (info in a box) wouldn't be complicated to make.

By: MegoSteve

MegoSteve — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 13:57:17 -0800

I'm not sure that begging graphic designers to work for you for free is the purpose of Ask Metafilter, neilkod.

By: Optimus Chyme

Optimus Chyme — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 14:01:16 -0800

http://www.inkscape.org/

By: neilkod

neilkod — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 14:02:15 -0800

Surely someone has already done some sort of periodic table with a focus on clean typography. And surely someone on the green has seen such example, right?

By: neilkod

neilkod — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 14:06:29 -0800

Here's one that I thought was pretty cool-looking. Any others?

By: Optimus Chyme

Optimus Chyme — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 14:25:46 -0800

Do you want the whole table or just the entry for Iron? I mean, what do you want? Just clean typefaces? Why can't you do the layout if all you really need is the one for Fe?

By: Optimus Chyme

Optimus Chyme — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 14:26:29 -0800

Also, what does "stylized" mean in the context of your question?

By: neilkod

neilkod — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 14:29:48 -0800

Well, something that looks 'cool' and clean. I'm a database guy-perhaps I'm using the wrong words. I'm looking for an example or two of a periodic table that has had some thought put in to the typography and layout.

By: Optimus Chyme

Optimus Chyme — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 14:36:16 -0800

How about this?

http://www.dayah.com/periodic/Other/Periodic%20Table.pdf

By: AmbroseChapel

AmbroseChapel — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 14:37:16 -0800

By the time you'd asked your question, you could have created 25 different versions of the thing yourself!

By "clean" fonts you probably mean sans-serif fonts, like Verdana or Arial or that new Calibri that Microsoft is touting.

As for layout ... there are only four things to lay out, five if you do that little nucleus diagram in the touchspin flash version you linked to. There are only so many ways to lay out one main and four supplementary bits of information.

Do you want this for a tattoo or something?

By: hatsix

hatsix — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 14:37:30 -0800

I think he's looking for a "fluffy" version of the periodic table, sorta like the politically incorrect alphabet. Not "cool" like a chemist would think it was cool, but that a 15 year old girl taking chemistry for the first time would think it was cool.

By: neilkod

neilkod — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 14:41:54 -0800

Optimus Chyme, hastix-you're on to something! Is 'sty

Ambrose, I dont have access/know-how of any of these design tools. If I could do it in Sql*Plus, I would have done it already :)

By: hatsix

hatsix — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 14:42:56 -0800

What about this plus this

By: neilkod

neilkod — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 14:43:15 -0800

Maybe stylized wasn't the best word?

By: Megafly

Megafly — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 14:59:13 -0800

I know this is noise in the green, but methylsalicylate, those are awsome!!!!!

By: MadamM

MadamM — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 15:02:21 -0800

You want the 15 year old girl version, eh? Well, I made this for you in like 5 minutes, using nice clean fonts. Is this more like what you want, sort of? You seem to be having trouble describing what you're looking for.

By: scrump

scrump — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 15:02:35 -0800

You've read this, I presume?

By: washburn

washburn — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 15:24:23 -0800

Well there's this one.

By: fandango_matt

fandango_matt — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 15:28:30 -0800

From what I've seen, the elements and the Periodic Table are just simple squares with lettering. What are we missing?

Can you tell us for what purpose(s) you need it, and perhaps provide an example of things you think are similar? You might help us understand exactly what it is you're looking for.

By: neilkod

neilkod — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 15:52:45 -0800

fandango_matt - AmbroseChapel got it first-I'd like to find a clean-looking periodic table and get the Fe symbol (box, numbers, and all) tattoo'd on my right calf. Its a cycling thing.

By: fandango_matt

fandango_matt — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 17:58:17 -0800

Aha--so you've decided on a tattoo?

By: AmbroseChapel

AmbroseChapel — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 18:24:34 -0800

Hah! I knew it.

Well if it's a tat, and it stands alone, not as part of a table, then it doesn't need to be square/rectangular, does it?

How about a circle, with the info around the outside?

By: fandango_matt

fandango_matt — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 18:27:18 -0800

Like this?

By: AmbroseChapel

AmbroseChapel — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 18:46:57 -0800

Going crazy with the circle idea, what about something like this:

only a rough idea because I only have Elements on this computer and can't put text on paths.

By: neilkod

neilkod — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 19:41:26 -0800

fandango_matt - I've decided to get a SECOND tattoo. Here's what I decided on for the first one (thanks the green!)

On preview, it looks a LOT better now that its had some time to heal :)

By: neilkod

neilkod — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 19:43:02 -0800

Ambrose, I'd like to keep it square - I dont think i've ever seen a tattoo of a single element before. Then again, I'm in Utah :/

I think it would be badass to have a single-element tattoo, square and all. It wouldn't be too big so I think I could keep it a square.

Fandango_matt-just like that. I like the little isotope-y thing in the top-right corner on the one that i linked to earlier though.

By: bonehead

bonehead — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 20:25:39 -0800

If you've got the symbol for Scorpio, Separation & change on one leg, why not get the symbol for iron (Mars & male) on the other?

By: fandango_matt

fandango_matt — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 01:43:47 -0800

Here's a rendering of the existing and proposed tattoo(s):

By: Lucent

Lucent — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 04:14:57 -0800

A link to the PDF was already given, but www.dayah.com/periodic/ is the cleanest, simplest out there that still has a modern look. The layout is featured in a graphic design book called The Anatomy of Design.

By: neilkod

neilkod — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 05:56:01 -0800

fandango_matt, man I haven't laughed this hard before having my coffee in a long time! Imagine my shock when I woke up to check the thread and saw my own skin!