How to make selected piano keys stand out

[Top Spin]

I have created a collection of graphics of the piano keyboard or
segments of it -- long keys are white, short ones are black.

I need to create some graphics in which selected keys "stand out" for
illustration purposes. For example, on a 3-octave keyboard segment, I
want to highlight the D major scale in the middle: D E F# G A B C# D.

That's 6 white keys and 2 black keys. I also want to put fingering
numbers on each key: 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5.

I have all that working and the finger numbers themselves provide some
highlighting, but I would really like those 8 keys to stand out.

The solution is to use a color, but I don't have access to a good
color printer. In the meantime, I'd appreciate any suggestions on ways
to highlight. I'd like to other keys the same (white and black).

I've tried making the selected white keys light grey. That works well.

The black keys are already black, so I can't darken them. I tried
lightening them, but that didn't do it. I also tried lightening the
unselected black keysm, leaving the selected ones black. That worked
fairly well.

Thje best scheme I have found so far is:

white: unselected white keys
light grey: selected white keys (with black finger numbers)
dark grey: unselected black keys
black: selected black keys (with white finger numbers)

Thanks

 

[John Marshall, MVP]

What about the stylized shape of a finger? (A rectangle half the width of
the key with a rounded top). It can be semi transparent so that it does not
totally obscure the key it is over.

John... Visio MVP

Need stencils or ideas? http://www.mvps.org/visio/3rdparty.htm
Need VBA examples? http://www.mvps.org/visio/VBA.htm
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[Top Spin]

What about the stylized shape of a finger? (A rectangle half the width of
the key with a rounded top). It can be semi transparent so that it does not
totally obscure the key it is over.

John... Visio MVP

That's an interesting idea. I'll play with it some and see if I can
come up with anything. I was hoping to do it with highlighting so as
to leave the keyboard fully visible, but maybe this can work.

I may just have to resort to color and either buy a better printer or
take it to Kinko's

Thanks

 

[John Marshall, MVP]

I've tried playing around and a better suggestion would be to use an oval as
a fingerprint. The rectangle with the rounded end is a bit unnatural. A semi
transparent grey oval looks like fingerprints. The underlying keys show
through and the result is not in colour.

--
John... Visio MVP

Need stencils or ideas? http://www.mvps.org/visio/3rdparty.htm
Need VBA examples? http://www.mvps.org/visio/VBA.htm
Common Visio Questions http://www.mvps.org/visio/common_questions.htm

 

[Top Spin]

I've tried playing around and a better suggestion would be to use an oval as
a fingerprint. The rectangle with the rounded end is a bit unnatural. A semi
transparent grey oval looks like fingerprints. The underlying keys show
through and the result is not in colour.

Oval fingerprints work pretty dang well. Very nice idea.

A light grey color with the finger number in the middle makes a very
easy graphic to visualize.

And if I ever do go to color, I can make then some light skin-like
color.

Thanks a bunch. Where do I send the check? ;-)