  Design Tips for Editors JUST A FEW NUTS AND BOLTS ABOUT NEWSPAPER DESIGN | |||
 Home page: www.ronreason.com (more tips on newspaper design, graphics and editing). |
By Ron Reason Commissioned for, and reprinted from, the April 2000 issue of "The American Editor," the journal of the American Society of Newspaper Editors. Not to be republished without permission or recirculated without attribution.
Following are just a few design basics that most newspaper editors should be aware of. TYPOGRAPHY
1. The content of a headline (word choice) is far more important than the
typeface selected or special effects applied to its display. Write the
great headline first, tackle the type and design last.
2. Don't squeeze or stretch fonts. They were designed to their proportion
and scale for a reason. If you have a legitimate need for a skinny
typeface, find one that was originally designed that way.
3. Avoid small type (captions, etc.) within photos. Use display type
within photos only sparingly.
4. News pages usually need no more than two or three font families. Any
more than that and visual chaos may result, as confusion with the
adjacent advertising is increased.
5. Feature pages, too, can succeed with just a few font families. Note
the award-winning designs of the Boston Globe, New York Times or Chicago
Tribune. None relies on frilly design gimmicks. It's usually the
strength of the main photos, illustrations, or graphics, along with the
strong content of good news stories and headlines, that stands out. COLOR
1. Color is not a toy. It can elevate or distract from the content of
text and visuals on the page.
2. Color has meaning, which can change depending on the context in which
it is used. (Red can convey death or love, depending on the story.)
Decisions about its use should not be arbitrary.
3. A limited color palette should be as much a part of your design style
as font choices and the grid. DESIGN
1. No design element should appear in a layout without good reason:
excess photos, needless words, rules, dingbats, even white space should
all be judged with a cruel, critical eye. If the message is conveyed
just as well without it, eliminate it.
2. Restraint in the use of type, color and dingbats or doo-dads will
result in an emphasis on the more important elements in a page layout:
the photos, illustrations, and graphic design that truly create visual
power. Plan and execute the great visual first, and the need for
gimmicks goes by the wayside.
3. While there is value in using a little surprise and variation in a
newspaper's design, it needs to be controlled, and must be balanced
against the need for consistency and a solid corporate visual identity.
Every page can't offer a visual "wow" for the reader.
© 2000, Ron Reason, design@ronreason.com. Not to be republished without attribution. Back to top of page |
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Posted: April 20, 2000. design@ronreason.com
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