Oval Science

Base Oval
The Base Oval is exactly what the name sounds like: It is the base oval that gives the color and outside form to the oval. The Base Oval is black in all of the diagrams on this page.

Superimposed Oval
Also known as the Inner Oval. The Superimposed Oval defines the shape of the inside of the Oval. The Superimposed Oval is white or punched out in all of the diagrams on this page.

Inner Oval Differential
The Inner Oval Differential is the difference in size between the Base and Inner Ovals.

Aspect Differential
Occasionally a design will call for the Base Oval to have a different aspect ratio from the Inner oval. This results in a 'side-heavy' appearance. We don't recomend an Aspect Differential and think that you will find that the results would usually have been better with no Aspect Differential.

Angle of Offset
The Angle of Offset is the angle at which the superimposed oval is displaced from the base oval. It is by definition an acute angle much less than 45°. The direction of the Angle of Offset gives the fade its name. If the angle increases too much, the fade becomes an offcenter Long Axis Fade. At 90° it becomes a standard Long Axis Fade, and a Cant would usually be applied at this point.

Offset Distance
The Offset Distance is how much the superimposed oval is displaced from the Base Oval along the Angle of Offset. This affects how visually heavy the oval feels. A short Offset Distance keeps the oval svelte, whereas a longer Offset Distance will make the Oval look fat.

Cant
Cant is the angle at which the resultant fade is rotated from a horizontal datum. Cants are usually applied to Long Axis Fades, but rarely to others.

Offcenter Long Axis Fade
Most Long Axis Fades have an Angle of Offset of exactly 90° in the direction of the long side. Very rarely some other designers will choose an angle less than 90°. OVALOGO does not recommend and refuses to do Offcenter Long Axis Fades. If you continue decreasing the angle, the fade will begin to resemble an Angle Fade, especially if there is little or no cant.

Lipped Angle Fade
Somewhat less angle than an Offcenter Long Axis Fade, but not quite a classic Angle Fade is the Lipped Angle Fade. A Lipped Angle Fade is when the superimposed oval is more than typically smaller than the base oval, the Angle of Offset is greater than typical for a classic, or a more moderate combination of the two. In the example to the right, notice that the Inner Oval Differential and the Aspect Differential are identical, the only difference is that the Angle of Offset is slightly steeper in the top diagram. An Angle Fade becomes Lipped when the fade crosses the long axis. Familiar Lipped Angle Fades include the ESPN logo as well as OVALOGOs own logo.

Long Axis
The Long Axis is the horizontal axis when the oval has no cant. The dashed lines in the diagram under Lipped Angle Fade are the Long Axes