|
Designing Basics
What
should your newspaper pages look like? How large should I make
headings and headlines? What about the gutter (vertical spacing)
between columns? Do photos and illustrations on a page need to be a
certain size? Should I put the name of my newspaper on every page?
Should I include page numbers, and if so, where do I place them, at
the top or bottom? And how much white space should I leave between
headings and blocks of copy?
These
are some of the questions I wrestled with when I began to prepare
the first layout for my first newspaper issue. Since I had no formal
education or training in publishing or even in design or desktop
publishing, I was especially nervous. I wanted my paper to look
professional and clean, and right.
Other
weekly and daily papers in the region provided me with very little
inspiration. I did look at them, to get some basic ideas. But only
the big daily paper (in Missoula) was very professional looking.
The weeklies from other towns were often just thrown together, and
looked like it. The regional underground paper looked as though it
had been produced underground and in the dark (part of the visual
appeal, I suppose). The shoppers looked like, well, like shoppers.
And in those days, I did not use the Internet, and it had very
little on it, anyway.
The
printer who operated the big web press (where my newspaper would
actually be printed) told me that I needed to leave 1/2" around the
outside edges of each page. And I held to that (see
example of basic layout), since I did
not want them having to reduce my pages when they made the printing
plates. Not that such reductions are a big deal. But they can
change the look of your publication.
The
rest of the newspaper's look was up to me. I used Aldus PageMaker
in those days, so I was able to set up my pages and get at least
some idea of how they would look. I could zoom in and out, for a
better sense of the page's overall appearance.
I
noticed how important, for example, the white space is at the tops
of pages, especially the front page which carries the newspaper's
flag (nameplate). And the size of the paper's own name, along with
other information (issue and/or volume number, any slogan, areas
covered, address, etc.) is very important.
Every
paper is different, and yet some constants seem to remain. The Wall
Street Journal is different than, say, the New York Times or USA
TODAY. The Dallas Morning News will be different than the Houston
Chronicle, and the Billings Gazette different than the Abilene
Reporter-News. Start by noting the things newspapers (especially
the ones you think look good) have in common. Then make a list of
elements you really like from this or that particular newspaper. Do
you like, for example, giving a small index of what's inside this
issue? Or do you like a particular typeface for the newspaper's
name? And what about that name: should you call it a gazette, a
journal, a chronicle, a times? (Be sure you don't grab a
specific name still
in use or owned by another newspaper, such as the New York Times.)
Photos
Really
important photos (such as photo coverage of the end of the world)
can spread across the entire page or they can fit inside 2 columns.
Other can be made to fit inside one column or less. No photo should
be used that is not important to the story. Out of hundreds of
photos, usually only one or two is really worth using. Make sure
you have paid for them (bartering is ok, such as occasional photos
in trade for subscriptions or ads) or that you took them yourself.
Headline Subtitle Type
Think
about all the kinds of stories you will ever print in your
newspaper. What is the very biggest story you might publish? The
end of the world, as mentioned above? The election of a US
President from your hometown? Now decide what size of type you want
to use for that story's headline. No story of lesser importance
should have the same size type. Other huge stories should also
merit bigger type than the usual news.
My
point is this: don't start out using the biggest type size you can.
Use a nice, clean bold type for all headlines, (such as a Swiss or
Helvetica Black Condensed, maybe) but reserve the biggest sizes for
really huge stories. Then use a contrasting type for subheadings.
See
how all-caps are used to help set off main headline, then caps and
lowers in a contrasting typeface are used for subheading. All
titles are bolder and larger than regular copy. (By the way, take
extra care to avoid spelling errors in headlines, since they will be
read even if nothing else is.)
Experiment with different sizes of headlines and subheads. Play
with the spacing, adding more white space between heading and copy,
and then less. Develop a look that you carry through your paper.
But also remember that different sections (and themes) in the paper
should be set off some by a different look. Type styles are an
important part of the overall look.
Gutters
Adding
space between columns is not an option. But how much space is up to
you. Think not only of setting words apart, as when the page is
filled with copy, but also ads and other images, where solid lines
are up against the gutter. Build dummy pages, if you need to, where
you have a mix of words and images. See how much space looks the
best, making the page easy to get into and easy to grasp at a
glance. Avoid so much clutter on a page that the average reader
will avoid the page. As mentioned before on this site, use ads and
photos and white space to help arrange pages so that readers can
easily navigate and get the most from your paper.
Headers and Footers
I
believe the newspaper's name should be included on every page. I
prefer to see it at the top, along with the date of the issue and a
page number. But great looking publications place some or all of
the info at the bottom. Page numbers are most helpful at the
outside corners of the page (top or bottom). And section names or
numbers, if you use them, should be with the page numbers. Make it
easy for everyone to find their way.
Little
things are not always so little. Make sure to always use a
contrasting type when continuing an article or story to another
page. I prefer to use an italic version of the same typeface being
used for the main copy. I also like to set it off some, dropping an
extra half a line or moving it over (or both). Use the same basic
size and font for captions to photos and illustrations. Use
visually interesting insets of type for repeating important quotes
or other comments to help break up large gray blocks of copy.
Research and Development
At
your public library and at larger bookstores you can often find
newspapers from around the nation and even from major cities around
the world. Sometimes you can also find newspapers at
newsstands, if you have one in town. If not, use the Internet
to search newspapers and their front pages (one site is
http://www.newseum.org/todaysfrontpages/ ).
Study the looks of both front pages and inside page layout. List
the design elements that make the pages appealing and useful. Then
practice adapting the same or similar elements into your own
newspaper pages.
No
matter how busy you become when producing your own newspaper, never
stop working to make it better. Avoid constantly changing some
things, like the flag or nameplate's overall appearance (even though
minor elements can be changed), but never hesitate to improve page
payouts. The best plan, of course, is to work out the basics
before you publish your first issue. But sometimes we don't see or
realize certain things until later.
| 