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Building the Pages
You can build pages for your newspaper
in Adobe InDesign, PageMaker (also owned now by Adobe) in
QuarkXPress, in MS Publisher, in
CorelDraw, and in a handful of other software packages. When
deciding what to use, the important thing to keep in mind is that
your files must be compatible with the job shop that will actually
print your paper.
PDF Files are Better Than the The Old Ways
Option #1 You can create hardcopy
mechanicals of your newspaper pages, producing actual pages (11x17
or whatever size you go with) that will then be photographed by the
print shop and transformed into film. You will need a
tabloid-sized laser printer, or else you'll have to rotate, tile,
and then splice your pages together to create each full-sized page.
Option #2 You can set the pages
up in the software of your choice, and then save or export them out
to PDF files — a format commonly accepted by magazine and newspaper
printers all over the world. PDF files can be transported by
email or by FTP upload, or even by CD, if your prefer. You may
still want to output a hard copy for your printer's reference, but
it will not need to be full scale or in color.
My recommendation is that you try to
use the PDF file option. You can easily proof your own pages
in PDF format by downloading the free Adobe Reader from
www.adobe.com. In fact, you
probably already have this reader, if not the full blown Adobe
Acrobat, on your computer.
Page Size is Negotiable
As I mentioned before, the actual page
size for your newspaper will be determined, in part by the job shop
that prints your paper. Some will offer several options, based
on the presses they have and the rolls of paper they're willing to
stock and run. Regular tabloid size (11x17 page size, run on
17" stock and cut down to 17x34 inch sheets, folded in half to
create 11x17 inch pages) is pretty common, but lots of papers are
slightly smaller, or at least have different dimensions.
Save a Dime, Lose a Buck
Yes, the smaller page sizes are often
less expensive to print. But the rest of the story is that you
have less space to work with and sell. I'm biased toward the
full 11x17 for tabloid papers because I like to have all I can get,
and I like to sell all I can sell. The minor difference in
printing cost is nothing compared to the added income you can
generate with the larger pages.
Your printer will tell you what kind of
margin works for him. Usually, they will want about half an
inch all around. That means you'll have a full inch gutter
between pages (at the fold) and half an inch at the outside edge and
the top and bottom. With a full 11x17, this will give you a
16x10 working space on each page. (See
the example image.)
Set up your document in InDesign,
PageMaker, MS Publisher, or whatever, according to the actual page
size you plan to print. If your newspaper pages will be 11x17,
then create a new document with pages that are 11x17, and set the
margins at 1/2 inch, if that is what you plan to work with. Be
sure to create the document with 8, 16, or 24 pages, etc., according
to the number of pages for this issue.
Columns, Gutters, & Footers
You can also set the number of columns
you want to use. I often set a default of 3 or 4 columns for
the whole document, even though the number of columns will vary from
page to page, and even on the same page.
Don't forget to create the headers
and/or footers, that will carry the name of the newspaper and page
number for each page. You can do this manually or use
automatic default settings. Of, course you'll want to turn
these off for the front page and possibly certain other pages.
Leave a healthy gutter between columns,
but not too much. You may have a default setting of about .163
or whatever. I usually set mine at about .23 or .25 unless
that gives me trouble. You want even the narrow columns to be
wide enough to hold 3 to 6 words or more. But you don't want
columns so wide that people lose their place from line to line.
Type Size
As mentioned elsewhere, a good rule for
type size is 10 or 11 point for the bulk of the copy (wording) in
your newspaper. Go smaller for very special reasons, and only
in a very few places. Lots of people have trouble reading
anything below 10 point type (and some of us have difficulty with
anything smaller than 12 point). As for the size of your
headlines, that's really up to you. Experiment. Build
your page and then look at the whole thing. If it looks off,
here or there, modify things and go on.
Don't Build Gray Pages
Keep a healthy space between stories.
You can use pictures, such as photos or important illustrations top
help separate things, and to break up the page. But use some
white space, too. Make all your stories easy to find.
Use the same size headings and subheadings for most of the smaller
stories.
Use the bigger type for more important stories.
Try to break things up, with one or two "big" stories on a page, and
some smaller ones around them or between them. Use big photos
here or there that go along with stories and that help to balance
the page, visually.
For more ideas on page layout and
design, look at the newspapers and magazines you like. Pay
special attention to the use of space, images, and type. The
local newspaper is a formal publication. But it need not be
boring. I lean toward a conservative look, because it make the
paper easy to understand, easy to navigate and easy to digest for
most people. But play around with the elements you have to
work with. Have some fun while you produce a professional and
functional publication. The more interesting the paper, the
better it will be received.
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