Appreciating Page Layouts

Mayur Polepalli

24th January, 2004

Agenda

• Overview

• Designing layouts

• Martian terms

• Critique

What is a Page Layout?

• Paper size

• Distribution of content

• Margins

• Headers and footers

• Paragraph formatting

Paper Size

Size does matter

Letter, Legal, A4

• Letter – 8.5x11

• Legal – 8.5x14

• A4 – 8.27x11.69

Content Distribution

1/3 + 1/3 + 1/3 = Z

Rule of Thirds

• Designs are made interesting by visually dividing the page into three

• Place most important elements in these thirds

Z Positions

• Movement of the eye

• Important elements in the path

Z

Margins

A marginal difference

A Marginal Difference

Margin - The blank space that surrounds the text on a page

• Easier to hold

• Easier to read

• White space – Breathing space

Examples of Margins

• Top, bottom, left, right

• Top, bottom, inside, outside (mirror margins)

Uses

• Buffer zone

• Resting place

• Holding

• Notes

• Binding

Rules of Thumb

1. Avoid using the same margins on all sides of a publication. In facing-page documents, the inside margin should be smaller than the outside margins. The bottom margin is usually larger than any other margins.

2. In publications with facing pages, the outside margin of each page should be double the inside margin.

3. For best appearance, margins should be sized progressively from smallest to largest: inside, top, outside, bottom.

Ideal Proportions

• Inside to Outside 1:2

• Top to Bottom 1:2

• Inside to Bottom 1:3

• Outside to Bottom 2:3

Paragraphs

Break it up

To Read or not to Read

Paragraph - One of several distinct subdivisions of a text intended to separate ideas

• Space

• Graphics

• Contrast

Using Space

• Long blocks– Paragraph spacing– Indents

Using Graphics

• Lines

• Dingbats

• Signal transitions

Using Contrast

• Bold

• Fonts

• Initial caps

• Drop caps

Tips

• Don’t use indents and paragraph spacing

• Deep indents – last line

• Careful when using lines

• Consistent dingbats

• Noticeable contrast

• Mix ‘n match prudently

Explore Layouts

Thumbnail sketches - rough drawings, sometimes only comprehensible to the designer, used to explore layout options

• No details• Proportional page size• Many sketches• No software – good ole paper and

pencil

Page Numbers

What’s your number?

What’s Your Number?

Page number - The system of numbering pages

• They are integral

• Navigational assistance

• Placement

What’s Your Number? (contd.)

6

~|_*8*_|~

seven

3

1

4

What’s Your Number? (contd.)

• Consistency

• Lower or upper corners– Facing pages?

• Outside main document

• Skipping numbers

• Interesting

• Single color

Rules

Max Korn for Prez!

Lines Rule!

Rule - another name for a line in graphic design

• Sizes

• Variations

• Vertical and diagonal

Using Rules

• Borders– Tables– Graphics

• Titles

• Headers and footers

• Column separation

• Text blocks, blurbs and so on

Tips

• Too many rules distract

• Appropriate rule sizes

• Go easy with spacing

• Balance text

• Reverse text out of a thick rule

Lorem Ipsum Dolor

Greek n Latin?

Lorem Ipsum Dolor

• Origin– dolorem ipsum quia dolor

• Meaning

• Uses

• How to

Martian Terms

Alignment

• Left, center, right, justified

• Top, middle, bottom

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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Mauris

laoreet. In non metus. Vivamus imperdiet ornare urna. Praesent nibh tortor, lacinia vel, gravida ut, varius

at, nibh. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Mauris

laoreet. In non metus. Vivamus imperdiet ornare urna. Praesent nibh

tortor, lacinia vel, gravida ut, varius at, nibh. Cum sociis natoque

penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Mauris laoreet. In non metus. Vivamus imperdiet ornare urna. Praesent nibh tortor, lacinia vel, gravida ut, varius at, nibh. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus.

Bleed

When any image or element on a page touches the edge of the page, extending beyond the trim edge, leaving no margin it is said to bleed. It may bleed or extend off one or more sides.

Crop Marks

• Crossed lines placed at the corners of an image or a page to indicate where to trim it are known as crop marks. Crop Marks may be drawn on manually or automatically applied with some desktop publishing software programs.

Deck

• Often seen in newsletters and magazines, the deck is one or more lines of text found between the headline and the body of the article. The deck elaborates or expands on the headline and topic

of the accompanying text. Decks are set in a typeface that is sized somewhere between the headline and body text to provide contrast.

The Deck is also known as a Blurb

Guides

• Non-printing lines, often dotted, that aid in flow and alignment of text and positioning of graphics during page layout are known as guides.

Masthead

1. The masthead is that section of a newsletter, usually found on the second page that lists the name of the publisher and other pertinent data. May include staff names, contributors, subscription information, addresses, logo, etc.

2. Masthead is also, an alternate name for the nameplate of a magazine or newsletter.

Nameplate

• The banner on the front of a newsletter or other periodical that identifies the publication is its nameplate. The nameplate usually contains the name of the newsletter, possibly graphics or a logo, and perhaps a subtitle, motto, and publication information.

Rivers

• The white space in any chunk of text

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Thumbnails

Sketch This! Squiggle That!

Software

Nice things come in small packages

Tools You Can Use

• MS Word

• Adobe FrameMaker/PageMaker

• Adobe InDesign

• QuarkXPress

• Harvard Publisher

6-second Layouts

Layouts in a blink of an eye

6-second Layouts

1. Change template fonts

2. Change template colors

3. Play with the template

4. Use reverses in small doses

5. Use smaller type in narrow columns

6. Change headline hierarchy

General Tips

Make it Smaller

Loremipsum sitmet

Adipiscingelit

Make it Bigger

Loremipsum

sitmet adipiscing elit

Use a Spokesperson

Crime doesn’t pay

Critique

Bouquets and Brickbats

Layout 1

Layout 2

Layout 3

Any Questions?

Thank you for your time!

Mayur Polepallidbmayur@yahoo.com

http://www.mayur.cjb.net