A mid fade haircut is a versatile and stylish option that has gained popularity in recent years. Whether you’re aiming for a clean, professional look or something more edgy and modern, a mid fade can be tailored to suit your personal style. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about achieving the perfect mid fade, from understanding what it is to the steps involved in getting one.
Understanding the Mid Fade Haircut
Before diving into the details, it’s essential to understand what a mid fade haircut entails. A mid fade is a type of fade haircut where the hair gradually transitions from a longer length at the top to a shorter length around the middle of the head. The fade typically starts above the ears and below the temples, striking a balance between a high fade and a low fade.
The beauty of a mid fade lies in its versatility. It works well with various hair types and lengths, making it a popular choice among men. Whether you have straight, wavy, curly, or coiled hair, a mid fade can complement your natural texture and enhance your overall appearance.
Choosing the Right Style
One of the first steps in achieving the perfect mid fade is selecting a style that suits your face shape and personal preferences. Here are some popular variations of the mid fade:
Classic Mid Fade
The classic mid fade is a timeless option that offers a clean and polished look. The hair on top is left longer, while the sides and back gradually fade down to the skin. This style is ideal for those who prefer a neat and professional appearance.
Mid Fade with a Quiff
For a more modern and trendy look, consider pairing your mid fade with a quiff. The hair on top is styled upwards and back, creating volume and height. This style works well for those with thicker hair and adds a touch of sophistication to your overall look.
Mid Fade with a Pompadour
The pompadour is another stylish option that can be paired with a mid fade. The hair is swept upwards and back, creating a voluminous and dramatic effect. This style is perfect for those who want to make a bold statement and exude confidence.
Mid Fade with a Textured Crop
If you prefer a more relaxed and effortless look, a textured crop with a mid fade might be the way to go. The hair on top is cut shorter and styled with a messy, textured finish. This style is great for those who want a low-maintenance yet fashionable haircut.
Communicating with Your Barber
Once you’ve decided on the style you want, it’s crucial to communicate effectively with your barber to ensure you get the desired result. Here are some tips for a successful visit to the barber:
Bring Reference Photos
Bringing reference photos can be incredibly helpful. Visual examples of the style you want will give your barber a clear idea of what you’re aiming for and help avoid any misunderstandings.
Be Specific About the Fade
Specify where you want the fade to start and how gradual you want the transition to be. For example, you can ask for a mid fade that starts just above the ears and gradually blends into the hair on top.
Discuss the Length on Top
Talk to your barber about how long you want the hair on top to be. Whether you prefer a longer length for a quiff or a shorter length for a textured crop, being clear about your preferences will help your barber achieve the desired look.
Consider Maintenance
Ask your barber about the maintenance required for your chosen style. Some styles, like the pompadour, may require more upkeep and styling, while others, like the textured crop, are more low-maintenance.
The process begins by introducing all the desired elements to a single article layout, and addressing each individually. Header fonts, paragraph fonts, caption fonts, pull quotes, columns, colours, images, illustrations, page numbers, borders, and dinkus usage are all open for discussion as you try to refine the layout, to use as a foundation for the master pages and overall design direction.
At the heart of this process lies Adobe InDesign, the industry-standard software for all manners of print design, especially those requiring advanced character formatting. InDesign’s features, like master pages, paragraph and object styles, grid systems, and powerful export capabilities allow designers to create consistent layouts, manage content efficiently, and export high-quality and compatible files for commercial printing.
One of the most powerful tools in Adobe InDesign‘s arsenal is the concept of Master Pages. Master Pages allows users to create templates for recurring elements such as headers, footers, backgrounds, page numbers, and in our case category headers, ensuring uniformity throughout the magazine’s 162 pages. They can also play a valuable role in the initial design (or redesign, which we did three weeks before printing) stage as you can make quick changes to those elements, and then see how it looks across a variety of layouts, with different headers and imagery to gauge look and feel.
Arguably the most fastidious part of the design process, consistent text formatting is essential for a slick end product both for design and readability. Once you’ve settled on your fonts, their sizing and their spacing, they can be set as predetermined styles and applied with a single click. For B.H. Magazine we utilised two header stylers in the same font – one in all caps – then a paragraph style for general in article copy, pull quote style, a handwritten style ‘markup’ style, a caption style and also a gutter credits style.
The Eyedropper Tool is also a very handy feature for formatting consistent text on the fly. It works by highlighting the text you are editing, then hovering over the paragraph style you want to copy, and clicking one to apply it to the text you are working on.
The most anxiety inducing part of creating a print publication is knowing that errors are permanent – unlike our website where issues can be rectified in seconds. As the Editor-in-Chief, the idiom “the devil’s in the details” has never weighed so heavily on my shoulders. However, it also positively influences the final product, striving for perfection in every header, image and line of text that ends up on the pages.
When it comes to the sub editing, and final proofing, InDesign’s advanced character formatting tools are what really sets it apart from the competition. You wouldn’t know it unless you were a designer, or had worked in magazines previously but every header (bar one which I can’t un-see) was kerned, and every single line of text in our debut issue was tracked and spaced to fit text, improve the overall design, and ensure there were no orphans (single words on a line).
