The Realities of Name Placement

Names aren’t placed in a flat list — they need to fit inside curved shapes like “2” or “6”. For example:

Amy Lee (short), Joshua Patel (medium), Christopher Alexander-Rodriguez (long)

Each needs a different space, so we can’t treat all names equally when designing the layout.

Avoid Over-Customising the Name Order

Many schools want names in alphabetical order, but that creates layout issues. To follow the curve of numbers, names must be rearranged visually — not alphabetically.

The Problem with Alphabetical Arrangements in Curved Shapes

Alphabetical layouts often lead to uneven spacing, squashed text, and misaligned blocks — especially in narrow parts of numbers. We prioritise design flow over order.

Why We May Stack Names Over Two Lines

Long names may need to break into two lines to fit. For example: “Peter Marie Tom Smith” might appear as:

Peter Marie
Tom Smith

How We Handle Long Names and Preserve Name Integrity

Long names are placed in wider areas (like the base of a “5”), while short names fit in narrow stems. We do this to balance the look without breaking names apart.

Adapting to Fewer Names — Duplicates vs. Spaced Layouts

If your class has fewer names than a reference image, we might:

• Duplicate the list to fill the shape
• Increase spacing between names to avoid empty areas

Rearranging One Name Often Means Rebuilding the Whole Design

Moving one name might break the visual flow. In many cases, it requires shifting several others — like Tetris. That’s why we ask for final approval before making edits.

Trust the Layout, Trust the Process

We treat every name with care — but our goal is to make the full design look good, not just individual names. Trust our layout to deliver the best result overall.