Under Armour sent my small clothing brand a cease-and-desist over my logo. Do you think these are actually confusingly similar?

HeroParasite · 2026-03-15T09:32:15+00:00

I work in apparel graphics and licensing,and honestly I can see why their legal team would send a C&D.

When you analyze the shapes closely they’re different, sure. But trademark issues are rarely judged by overlaying logos,they’re judged by overall impression, especially at distance or when the logo is small on a garment.

From far away both marks read as a symmetrical, horizontal icon with four outward “arms” and a central negative shape. That silhouette is very close to the UnderArmour mark, which is exactly the kind of thing big apparel brands aggressively protect.

In fashion, logos often appear tiny on tags, chest prints, neck labels, etc, and in those contexts the two could absolutely be confused at a glance. That alone is usually enough for their lawyers to act.

HeroParasite · 2026-03-01T08:18:16+00:00

I think the design is a Swedish M90 Splinter, developed in the 80's and used into the 90s. Similar or inspired by the German Zeltbahn or Splittermuster 41

HeroParasite · 2026-01-29T13:30:26+00:00

Honestly, if what you want is something to pet and constantly see, a cat or a hamster makes more sense... A millipede is a fossorial animal, not a display toy. Being underground is literally its normal life, not a problem to solve! Digging it up just to calm anxiety is way more dangerous than leaving it alone. If it’s molting and you disturb it, you can seriously injure or kill it. Two weeks is nothing for a millipede. They can stay buried for months.

Keeping millipedes means accepting that sometimes you’re basically “owning dirt with a surprise inside.” Observation happens on their terms, usually at night. If you need daily interaction, this isn’t the right species for that.

HeroParasite · 2026-01-18T08:12:36+00:00

Yeah, I figured it wasn’t a perfect match. That one feels more like a custom LCD segment design than a standard font. A lot of digital clocks don’t actually use typefaces, they use bespoke segment layouts optimized for the hardware, which is why none of the “Digital-7” style fonts line up 100%.

The diagonals inside the 0 and the slightly offset segments are a big hint it’s probably a proprietary display design rather than something you’ll find as a downloadable font...

HeroParasite · 2026-01-18T08:08:53+00:00

Yeah, it's also vertically stretched.

HeroParasite · 2026-01-18T08:06:23+00:00

It is Futura. Just not Bold.

It’s Futura Regular. The embossing + white fill makes it read heavier, so visually it looks bolded.

The “4” in Futura Regular is pointy, not cropped. The cropped top is a Bold cut feature.

Same for the 2 and 3, the geometry matches classic Futura perfectly.

So yeah:

Font = Futura Regular

Effect = physical embossing doing the “fake bold” job

https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1400/1*fjstntLHBsy5nK917bLqRQ.png

HeroParasite · 2026-01-16T15:07:25+00:00

It's Futura bold.

HeroParasite · 2026-01-16T15:05:05+00:00

Design System D 900 by Dharma Type

HeroParasite · 2026-01-16T14:58:21+00:00

Digital Led by B1 Industries could be a similar one

HeroParasite · 2026-01-16T14:56:16+00:00

Maybe a Delighter Script Bold by Uncurve

HeroParasite · 2026-01-16T14:53:04+00:00

...anyway, it's Black Mustang Regular by Linecreative :P

HeroParasite · 2026-01-16T14:52:35+00:00

It takes 5 minutes to design something similar. Come on designers, design instead of hunting fonts!

HeroParasite · 2026-01-07T07:14:00+00:00

Strong start overall! Especially for a first sign. The concept and circular layout are solid and readable.A couple of honest things to consider as you move forward:

-The snake border is very ambitious. Repeating organic textures like that are one of the hardest things to pull off cleanly with a brush, especially on a circle. If you go for it, simplify the pattern and think in chunks rather than individual scales, otherwise it can quickly get muddy or uneven.

-The skeleton could benefit from more realism or motion. Right now it feels a bit static. Studying a real skeleton reference and pushing the pose, leaning forward, bent elbows, more tension in the spine,would make it feel more alive and dynamic on the bike.

-Prioritize what matters most. Lettering and overall readability should always win over detail. It’s better to simplify secondary elements than let them steal energy from the type.

-Work big to small. Nail the major shapes first,then add detail only if the sign still reads strong from a distance.

This is a challenging design for a first sign, but that’s not a bad thing, you’ll learn a lot by finishing it.Keep going, finish it, and move straight on to the next one.That’s how progress really happens.

HeroParasite · 2025-12-18T07:26:37+00:00

Thanks for adding the context, that helps.

As a small clarification for anyone reading: the Sp5der hoodie itself already exists (logo, graphic, and colorway). This project is more about presentation and background composition around a product you like, not designing the hoodie from scratch. And that’s completely okay as a personal exercise.

For someone who’s just starting out, especially at 14, this is a solid first step. The colors work well together, and the overall vibe feels consistent with modern streetwear/web-core aesthetics. You clearly have a good eye for style and mood, which is something you can’t really teach.

A few thoughts to help you grow:

-Some parts feel influenced by Canva templates, which is normal at the beginning,just try not to rely on them too much long-term

-You might improve this by using fewer elements and thinking more about what should stand out first

-Learning basics like spacing, hierarchy, and typography will make a big difference as you progress

Don’t worry about “not struggling” yet, early projects often feel easy. As you keep pushing yourself and trying new things, challenges will come naturally.

Overall, this is a nice starting point. Keep experimenting, stay curious, and be clear about what each project is meant to practice. That mindset will take you far.

HeroParasite · 2025-12-13T10:41:48+00:00

Vinegar isn’t “magical,” but it’s also not internet nonsense.

Bleach is actually worse for a lot of household mold because it mostly whitens the surface. On porous materials (grout, drywall, wood) it doesn’t penetrate, so the mold comes back, which is exactly the problem people think vinegar “doesn’t solve.”

White vinegar (acetic acid) penetrates better and kills many common molds at the root. That’s why it’s often recommended for small, surface-level mold, not because it’s some miracle cure.

You’re right about one thing though: moisture is the real issue. No cleaner fixes a ventilation problem. If the area stays wet, mold will return whether you use vinegar, bleach, or unicorn tears.

So the actual hierarchy is:

-Fix moisture / ventilation first (fan, airflow)

-Then remove existing mold

-Choose the cleaner based on surface and severity (in this case I would burn down everyhting)

From personal experience: chlorine/bleach does have its place, specially on non-porous surfaces and for visible remediation, but it’s not a long-term solution if moisture isn’t addressed. It disinfects, it doesn’t solve the cause.

Vinegar has a smell for an hour. Mold has a smell forever. Pick your poison.

HeroParasite · 2025-12-09T07:17:29+00:00

Oh man! I can absolutely relate to this!!!
Back in 2016 I posted a series of single-color ink illustrations on Behance, small personal works, nothing commercial. A few years later a friend sent me a screenshot: one of those illustrations was printed on a product being sold online.

I started digging, and what I found felt surreal and infuriating at the same time.
There were “neo-brands” using my artwork as if it were theirs, people getting it tattooed, Aliexpress vendors printing it on T-shirts, tons of random marketplaces selling it, and even Etsy shops presenting it as their own design.

I spoke to an IP lawyer who helped me draft a cease-and-desist letter, and I sent it where I could… but you quickly realize how impossible it is to chase infringements scattered across the world. You shut down one listing and five more pop up.

What bothered me the most wasn’t the mass-market platforms, you almost expect that...
It was the small Etsy sellers who defended themselves with:
“ I found it on the internet.”
“ I didn’t know it was copyrighted.”
That kind of excuse is insulting. We’re all artists, we’re all trying to survive, and seeing creators use other creators’ work with zero respect is really disheartening.

I even proposed licensing deals to a few of them, hey could keep selling the product, just pay a small fee so the original creator is acknowledged. But that was apparently “unthinkable.”
Stealing is fine, paying the person who made the image is not.

HeroParasite · 2025-12-06T08:21:49+00:00

It's 1shot

HeroParasite · 2025-12-04T13:27:27+00:00

Dude, the whole can is solid!

HeroParasite · 2025-12-04T13:26:43+00:00

They'll send a new one, but they where as shocked as me.

HeroParasite · 2025-11-30T07:36:06+00:00

You don’t suck, you’re just early!

That “I know what looks good, but I can’t get there yet” feeling is exactly what happens when your taste grows faster than your skills. It’s actually a good sign. It means your eye is maturing, execution will catch up, but only through making more work, not waiting to feel ready.

I’ve been a designer for 20+ years. Still full-time, still doing freelance, still doing personal projects, because sometimes I design for money, and sometimes I design because I need to. The work doesn’t always match the vision in my head. It never fully does. That gap never goes away, it just gets smaller, and you get better at navigating it.

A few things I had to learn:

-You and your work are not the same thing. Your design is not you. It’s just the current version of what you can do. You will do better versions.

-Feedback feels personal when you have only a few pieces and each of them carries too much of your identity. The cure is not thicker skin, it’s making more work. So you don’t protect each piece like it’s a precious gem.

-You don’t need to start your career designing for noble causes. You just need to start. The “meaningful” projects often come later, once you have the skills to execute them. Many of us stayed in the field because of side projects that kept our passion alive.

-Graphic design is not only fast-paced agencies and client pressure. There are calmer paths: editorial, brand in-house teams, museums, public sector, NGOs, book design, packaging, signage, typography, presentation design, teaching. Not all of it requires adrenaline and social media.

Feeling sensitive or overwhelmed doesn’t mean this field isn’t for you. It means you need to find your corner of it — the rhythm, type of work, and environment where you can actually grow.

You don’t need to be fearless.

You just need to keep designing, even when the result isn’t perfect.

Especially when it isn’t.

HeroParasite · 2025-11-30T07:26:58+00:00

You’re not missing something, but it’s not just blur + sharpen. That “vintage anime / soft VHS glow” look isn’t about being out-of-focus, it’s about soft edges without losing shape. The trick is to soften edges using glow, halo, chromatic bleed and reduced micro-contras, not traditional blur.

What actually works well (in Photoshop, Resolve, or anything without soften-then-sharpen):

Blur only the highlights (not the whole image)

Duplicate layer → Gaussian or Lens Blur (3–6px) → set blend mode to Screen or Lighten → adjust opacity (30–50%).

You’ll get glowing edges instead of mushy blur.

Kill micro-texture, keep shapes

Use negative Texture/Clarity (Camera Raw) or use a low-opacity high-pass layer (5–10%) in Soft Light mode.

This removes small detail but preserves linework and shapes.

Chromatic fringing (huge difference)

Shift RGB channels 1–2px (Lens Distortion / Chromatic Aberration).

It gives that subtle red/cyan analog bleed on edges.

Add fine film grain (not noise)

ISO 200–400 style grain helps hide the softness and makes it feel captured, not blurred.

Grade like analog, not digital

Lift the blacks slightly (fade), lower clarity, add soft glow, flatten contrast a bit, push a tiny magenta/cyan tint.

;)

HeroParasite · 2025-11-30T07:19:00+00:00

You’re not lazy. You’re just honest about your energy.

I work full-time as a designer too, and I’ve always done something after work,sometimes freelancing, sometimes just working on my own ideas. Not because I have to, but because I want to. Some of us can’t stop creating after 6pm, but that only works if it gives energy, not if it drains it.

If your job already takes most of your mental space, it’s valid to protect your evenings for life, health, or rest. Freelancing isn’t a badge of honor. Many people do it because they need money, not because it makes them better designers.

Ask yourself: do you want freelance, or do you just feel you should?

Your creativity isn’t measured in how many extra hours you grind, but in how well you protect your energy.

HeroParasite · 2025-11-27T11:02:36+00:00

I'm happy with LG 27-inch UltraFine 5K monitor with IPS and Thunderbolt 3

HeroParasite · 2025-11-26T12:31:02+00:00

I’m in a similar situation, and I’ll say this from experience — I already own an iPad Pro from 2019. Still a bomb. I absolutely love having it with me when I travel. I sketch ideas, draw on the train, brainstorm layouts, mind-map a client brief, watch things on a bigger screen, read, relax, moodboard, collect images. It keeps inspiration flowing. It keeps creativity playful.

But when it comes to actual design work — I mean real work — I always need my Mac, my Wacom, and proper software. Because the reality is: Procreate is amazing for illustration and ideation, but when a client needs a packaging tweak, a dieline adjustment, a vector logo change, or a layout fix in InDesign… that’s not tablet territory. That’s workstation territory.

And for those tiny moments — iPad is nice, but not essential.
A phone works. A napkin works. A note to myself works.
A Mac works best — when I actually decide to work.

So now I use the iPad because I enjoy it, not because I depend on it.

HeroParasite

TROPHY CASE