ok how about this keep everything the same except add an extension on both ends of inline that squares off and fades away. this makes the entire word part of a line!
then i had another thought for your red mark we emphasize the "in" when saying INline so maybe the mark could go above the area between the n and l (without creating space between the letters that might give the impression of 2 words)
any variation or new creative thoughts would be welcome
Thanks, Scott. It's great that you passed along those ideas, since it led me to try some variations that hadn't occurred to me. I hope you see something in them you like. My best designs typically come from exchanging ideas with clients, so any comments (good or bad) are more than welcome.