Newspaper Design: Layout Approaches

Timeline of Systematic Design

>1917: Typographer Ben Sherbow conducted systematic research on the readability of
headlines; based on his findings, he redesigned the The New York Tribune:
- restricting type to only one family
- Introduced the down style layout
>1936: John Allen, designer of Linotype News and emloyee of Mergenthaler Linotype
Company, published a book, The Modern Newspaper, introduced the concept of
“streamlining” -> the minual use of design techniques which worked against attractivesness
and legibility of newspaper
>1940: Douglas McMurrie, at the Society of Newspaper Editor’s Convention, renamed
streamlining into “Structural Design” ->spaciousness and simplicity or clean and simplified
look that uses space as a tool for creating emphasis; horizontal layout
>1970s: The Minneapolis Tribune introduced “Modular Layout” and more effective use of
legible types stripped off embellishments which led to the development of san serif fonts, i.e.
Helvetica
>1982: USA Today refined modular layout but did away with spaciousness and simplicty and
abused the use of color (color splashed)
- Edmund Arnold spoke out against the “disturbing” design and opined that USA today
had become “too superficial”
>1990: Mario Garcia, at the American Society of Newspaper Editors convention, suggesting
limiting the use of color.

Arnold’s Newspaper Design Approach

1. Edmund Arnold, author of several books on newspaper design, suggest a reader’s eye
follows a diagonal line from upper left to lower right

Garcia’s Newspaper Design Approach

2. Mario Gracia, a designer suggests that the POA and TA ona page need not be located on
the same corners of a page

This is the
center of
visual impact
(CVI)
What indicates the importance of a news story on a page?
1. Its position on the page
2. The size and design of its headline
3. Its spread or width
4. The length of its body text

Grids as powerful layout tools

- A grid, composed of rows and columns, is the underlying pattern that divides the page
into columns
- A tabloid page is roughly half the size of a broadsheet
a.) it provides the structure for the publication
b.) grid has to be clear because it provides eyelines
c.) allows clean breaks
d.) provides pegs for even alignments

Newspaper Design: Modular Layout

- A design system that views a page as a stack of rectangles (Tim Harrower, 2008)
- Each rectangle, sometimes a square, is a story module.
- Vertical layout: Starts from 6 inches; industry accepted measurement is 10 inches. More
than 10, it’s too deep already; affects readability; too text heavy
- Two or more short legs or column
- Horizontal Layout: 2 inches deep is the least
Each story module has:
1. Headline
2. Body Text
3. Cut
4. Cut Line

What makes a good modular layout?

1. The modules are shaped like squares and rectangles
2. All the modules have at lest a headline and a body text
3. The shapes, sizes and orientation (horizontal and vertical) of the modules are varied
4. The modules are arranged in such a way that big blocks of grey are avoided
5. The photos from different modules are not colliding or butting on the page
6. The length of the modules conform to industry acceptable measurements

Why use modular layout?

Modular layout is a flexible system that allows more room for exploration and creativity

I wonder why? Modular system is today the de facto standard in newspaper layout. Why do you
think this is so? Why do many newspaper still use non-modular layout?

Advantages
 1. Modular layout is an effective way of organizing and presenting stories on apage
2. It is an easy way for layout artists to create designs that help readers easily navigate the
page; set their reading priorities
3. It allows for an easy way for artists to make room for late breaking news when necessary
Remember
- Modular layout is a flexible system that allows more room for exploration and creativity,
allowing each layout artists to get the best possible design of his/her choice
_____________________

Newspaper Design: The Story Modules Up Close

Layout elements
a.) Headlines
- No bad splits and no dangling articles
- Headline Coding Formula
>2-37-1 Pristina (font) (2 columns-37 font size- 1 line)
>1-37-2 Pristina
How many linwa DOES A HEADLINE NEED?

IF 1 2 3 4 5 6
HEADLINE
IS THIS
WIDE (in
column)

Then make 3-4 2-3 1-2 1 1 1

it this deep
(in lines)

What are they called?

- Umbrella: headline that goes on top of the flag
- Flag: name of newspaper
- Banner headline: headline of # 1 story on front page
- Binder
- Streamer
- Deck
- Subheads
Headline Layout Rules
- Every story must have a headline
- Headlines should get smaller as a you move down the page. Smaller stories get smaller
headlines.
- 5 to 10 words is optimum for most headlines
- Never allow an art element to come between the headline and the start of a news story
 - Avoid buttling headlines if you must, run the left head several counts short, vary their
sizes and vary their number of lines

Headline Styles
1. Kicker
2. Hammer
3. Slammer
4. Tripod
5. Raw Wrap- recommended for features not news
6. Side Saddles - recommended for features not news
7. Display- when you do some embellishments on headline

Bodytexts
A. Different shapes
>Recommended
1. Square
2. Rectangle
> Cautiously
1. Dogleg
2. L-shape
3. U-shape
>Never
1. Snake shape
2. Backward L
3. Deep U

B. Layout Rules
1. Avoid changing typefaces, text sizes or column widths within a layout (stick to 10 pts;
12pts recommended for body text)
2. Type 8 pt or smaller is difficult to read. Use it sparingly and never print it behind a a
screen.
3. Avoid dummying legs of text more than 20 picas wide or narrower than 10 picas (note:
there are 6 picas in 1 inch)
4. The optimum depth for legs of text is from 2 to 10 inches
5. Use italics, boldface, reverses, all caps or any other special effects in small doses
C. Bodytext Jump Rules
- Run at least 4 inches of a story before you jump it
- Jump at least 6 inches of a story, to make it worth the reader’s while to follow the jump
- Jump stories once and once only. Whenever possible, jump to the same place in every
edition
*Watch out
- Widow (single word on the last line)
- Orphan (single word on the first line)
 - Bastard column measurement

Cuts
What are cuts for?
1. For impact bec readers’ comprehension and retention are greatly increased
2. Brings relief from gray drabness of text
Basic Shapes
1. Horizontal
2. Vertical
3. Square

Layout rules
1. Space adapts to the picture and not vice versa
2. Photos must show interesting action or story
3. Even mugshots must express mood
4. Directional photos should face the text they accompany
5. When in doubt, run one big photo instead of 2 small ones
6. When using two or more photos, make one dominant--subsantially bigger than any
competing photo (communicate hierarchy)
7. Vary shapes and sizes of all photos on page
Some Terms related to cuts
- Cropping
- Mug shots: identification photos
- blow-up/blow-down: process of increasing/decreasing size
- Inset, cutout
- Bleed

Cutlines:
- text that accompanies a photo
- must be contiguous to the photo: below, beside, above, between, or amid
- best result: run one cutline per photo; each cutline should touch the photo it describes
- if cutlines are beside the photo: at least 6 picas (1in)
- if cutlines are below the photo: should square of as evenly as possible on both sides of
the photos, never extend beyond the edge of the photo
- cutlines wider than 30 picas (5in) should be divided into two legs if they are more than
one-line deep
- avoid widows in any cutline more than one-line deep

Design Principles
1. Balance
- balance is the idea that elements with corresponding weights are evenly distributed on a page.
It also refers to the skillful use of white spaces against dark spaces
2. Contrast
- shows the differences between elements on the page. big and small, black and white…
3. EMphasis
- is often called dominance. With emphasis, designers showcase what is of the highest priority
in the design. Emphasis provides a visual hierarchy for the design
4. Unity/Harmony
-refelcts the elements that are part of the design and how they relate to one another
- reconnus elements into a unified whole by emphasizing shared features (uniform spacing, use
of rules, design and size of typeface used) rather than unique features
-use of grouping
5. Flow
-flow conveys motion. Visual flow carries the viewer’s eye through the documents: arrows,
numbers, bullets and even visual hierarchy also direct flow
6. Rhythm/Symmetry
- rhythm or repetition is the expression of visual harmony within a design. Repetition and rhythm
attraction attention in a design and allow the viewer to relax as they recognize the patterns
7. Direction
- the way elements in your design are facing, lined up or positioned
> all lines have direction: horizontal, vertical or oblique
>Direction also helps designers convey flow and rhythm
8. Simplicty
- having no clutters. Design elements (e.g. lines, shapes and colors) that serve no purpose are
removed because simple designs are easier to read
9. Proportion
- the proper relationship between one part of a design and another part or to the whole design. It
is a comparison of sizes, shapes and quantities.
10. Perspective
- the art of showing distance in a flat surface

Space Sectioning

For Non-Modular Designs

1. The Golden Section Rule
2. Golden Grid Rule

The Golden Section Rule

-is an aesthetically pleasing division of space that is often used by artists as the basis for
measurements within their composition
-a ration which is evident throughout the universe as the number Phi and is also related to
Fibonacci Series or Fibonacci Sequence bu Leonoardo Fibonacci in the 12th century
- You can use this ratio to good effect in design by making sure that elements of your grid
conform to this ration. Using the Golden Section can ensure a natural sense of correct
composition, even though it is based in mathematics, it can feel “right”
- one of the most effective principles in grid design. Also known as the Rule of Thirds.
Design Composition
Rule of Thirds
Directional Lines
Framing
Figure to ground
Fill the frame
Centering of the dominant eye
Patterns and repetition
Interrupted patterns
Symmetry

10 Basic Layout Formats for Non-Modular Layout

1. Mondrian Layout
2. Big Type Layout
3. Silhouette Layout
4. Frame Layout
5. Copy Heavy
6. Rebus Layout
7. Alphabet-inspired layout
8. Big picture/Picture window layout
9. Multi-panel layout
10. Circus Layout

What is Typography?
- The design of the characters that make up texts and display types such as body text,
headlines, subheads and cutlines.

Main Groups of Types

1. Serif- has tiny strokes at the tip of each letter
2. Sans serif- has no serif
3. Cursive- look like handwritten scripts
4. Novelty- quirky, decorative and unusual

Typography Rule of Thumb

- The typeface you use could hinder or help your readers’ ability to read and understand your
messages

Printing Technologies

Newspaper Organization
— Business -> newsroom -> pressroom —> back to business
The Production process
1. Layout and design
- photographers, art directors, layout artists, cartoonists, graphic designers, visualization
journalists, typesetters and proofreaders
2. Offset Pre-press
- camera men, strippers, platemakers
3. Offset Image Transfer (printing)
- machine operators
4. Finishing
- cutters, die cutters, gatherers, collators and binders

Steps
1. layout and design
Layout artist does DTP; prior to DTO, it was “cut and paste” and there was a need for
typesetters; the layout artist makes sure design style (STYLE SHEET) of publication is followed
for consistency of look; the final output is a camera-ready
2. Pre-press: Camera Process
- the process of converting hard copies (in their positive forms) into negative forms
- using a process camera, the camera man does:
a.) Line shots (for tests, solid graphics)
b.) halfton shorts (for photos, dot-formation principle, dpi)
c.) color separation shots (CMYK) converting a color photograph into four separate
images in either positive or negative forms
-Strippers mount negatives on masking paper and their outputs are called flats
a.) the masking paper- an orange paper where the negative fils are mounted
b.) Pagination- page numbering process decided before stripping for correct positioning of
pages in a signature
c.) Signature-a paper which is the same sizes as the print size (capacity) of a printer and is
made up of a set of pages, which after being printed on both sides and folded, will be in proper
page order
2. Pre-press: platemaking
- Platemakers prepare the image carrier also known as plate (a sheet of thin aluminum):
1. He treats one surface of the plate with chemicals that will make it sensitive to light
(photosensitive plate)
2. He puts the flats (stripped materials) on top of the plate.
3. He transfers the image

Why are plates important in offset? In offset printing, plates are the image carriers
Exposed area: repels water, attracts ink. nonexposed: repels ink,attracts watter

Imagesetting Machines
Functions: Computer to Flats; Computer to Plates
Offset- volume; letterpress- small amount

3. Image transfer/Printing
- The actual printing process or mass production using printing machines such as
letterpress machines or offset machines
Paper attributes
> The quality of paper used affects print quality
1. Brightness
2. Acid content
3. Moisture
4. Smoothness
4. Finishing
- Can either be manual or automated
1. Folding
2. Gathering
3. Collating
4. Inserting
5. Binding- ex. Saddle or side-stitching, perfect (glue) binding vs hard binding

Printing Techniques
Traditional Techiniques
1. Relief printing (raisied)
>letterpress printing
-linotype
2. Planography
3. Intaglio (engraved)
> gravure printing

Computerized
1. Dot matrix
2. Inkjet
3. Laser
4. Digital press

Lithography
- Invented by Johannes Aloys Senefelder, a German actor and playwrite
- The image carrier, a limestone, is flat and transfer of image to the paper is direct
- It is based on the idea that oil and water do not mix
- The flat surface is treated so that the “positive” parts of the image hold ink…
Offset
- image carrier is also flat but image transfer is indirect (use of rubber blanket)
- Also applies the principle that oil and water do not mix
 Letterpress Offset

-image is raised on the surface of the carrier -image carrier is flat and transfer is indirect
- it is a direct printing process (direct contact (use of rubber blanket)
between paper and image carrier) - an indirect process because it makes use of
- special functions include imprinting and a rubber blanket
numbering, creasing, perforating and -applies the principle that oil and water do not
embossed mix
-best for high volume printing

Gravure printing
- Invented in eurpe in 15th century
- Perfect for projects that involve either very high quality images, a long lifespan, large
production runs or some combination of those factors
-
Computerized Printing
Dot Matrix
Laser printing
- Invented by Xerox Corp
- Commericialized by IBM
Inkjet
- Also known as phase change; changes state of liquid to gaseous state
- Ink is sprayed on paper
Nanographic printing
-