Elements of Page Architecture

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Elements of Page Architecture

• By Marcia M. Feisal, MA
• Assistant Professor
• Speech and Mass Communication-
• Journalism

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What is Design?

• It is a process, not an event.
• Includes the appearance as well as the content of
  the message.
• It means asking questions about the audience and
  implementing answers.
• Placement proportion
• Shadow and light
• Contrast and unity
• Subtlety and surprise

• 4 Aspects of Planning
• Audience
• Message
• Environment
• Competition

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Six Steps to Success

• Establish goals and organize material.
• Choose format and layout.
• Choose typeface (font)
• size space
• Add and manipulate visuals.
• Words alone cannot tell the whole story. In many
  places or in current publications, words are
  replaced by visuals.

• Build momentum into pages.
• Chunking-break up large amounts of type into
  bite-sized chunks with the addition of subheads,
  pull quotes, and sidebars.
• Layering-present information to readers on an
  as-needed basis or as wanted
• Refine and fine tune design.

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10 Elements of Print Page Architecture

• 1. Headers and Footers
• HEADERS- title of publication, but is not the
  nameplate.
• Includes name of publication, date of issue,
  location, firm/school name and logo (if
  appropriate)
• Can contain rule lines
• Typeface is compatible with others on pages

• FOOTERS- page number, volume number or date. Also
  called a folio.
• Some design connection to the nameplate
• Usually omitted on page one

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10 Elements of Print Page Architecture

• 2. Logos and Titles
• also called standing heads
• different typeface
• includes the nameplate
• all have a common design element

• Nameplate Essentials
• Size No larger than 1 1/2 to 2 in
  height
• Name of publication
• Volume number, Issue number
• Complete Address
• Date
• Logo or slogan of paper

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10 Elements of Print Page Architecture

• 3. Headlines
• Some standard rules
• Use active voice
• Use only well-known abbreviations, w/o periods
  between letters
• Dont split prep phrases, numbers, names,
  acronyms, infinitives,

• Or gerund or verb phrases between decks
  (lines)
• Use single quote marks
• Use a comma in place
• of and
• Spell out zero to ten. Use numerals over ten.
• Write horizontally, not vertically
• No ALL CAP heads

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10 Elements of Print Page Architecture

• No underlines
• Avoid centered headlines
• Use same typeface for all heads in paper, but
  vary emphasis bold, bold italic, italic
• Never! use outline or shadow option.
• Vary set width of letters

• Vary size of heads according to story length,
  placement or importance
• Above-the-fold stories get a larger headline
• Vary tracking or kerning (space b/w letters)
• Use 18 pt and above
• Avoid tombstone placements

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10 Elements of Print Page Architecture

• 4. Subheads-used to break up long sections of
  type
• Contrast typeface with body text, but use same
  face as headlines
• Use same type emphasis (ex. italic) on all
  subheads
• Add extra space above, below and to sides of
  subhead

• Add graphic accents like lines, box or dot lines
• Set type in bold if the type is small and it is
  reversed out of a dark background.
• Dont always center subheads set them flush left
  for variety.
• Be consistent. Subheads need to look alike.

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10 Elements of Print Page Architecture

• 5. Text
• Size is usually 10 or 12 pt for body text
• Size 8 or 10 pt for captions, bylines and jump
  lines
• Typeface-use same for all capitals, text and
  other
• Typeface contrasts with head and subhead text

• Alignment-flush left or justified.
• Avoid crazy rivers of white space created by gaps
  between words or letters
• Line length is a column, usually 1 1/2 to 2
  wide
• Use bullets and number lists to break up long
  sections of type

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10 Elements of Print Page Architecture

• 6. Endmarks-signal the end of story. Use
  typefaces like
• Wingdings,
• Webdings, Zapf Dingbats, Symbol or Woodcut
  ornaments
• 7. Initial Caps- oversize letters used start a
  story
• Raised caps

• Drop cap
• Adjacent caps
• Can use the default option which is usually a
  larger size of the text typeface and you can
  specify the number of lines you want the cap to
  fill (usually 3 lines)

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10 Elements of Print Page Architecture

• CAPTIONS- set type the same width as a column,
  not the width of the photo
• Placement is above, below, or beside a photo or
  art with 1 pica separation
• Use lead ins-short 3-5 word introduction for
  caption-clichés, song titles, popular phrases.
  Use a different type emphasis for the lead in.

• 8. Visuals and Captions
• VISUALS- infographics
• pie charts - graphs - flow charts -
  illustrations- photos- artwork
• Replace text with visuals when possible
• Dont repeat pulled info in the story

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10 Elements of Print Page Architecture

• CAPTIONS CONT.
• Add to captions
• PHOTO BY
• ARTWORK BY
• Three parts of a caption
• 5 W's and how
• Dont state the obvious.
• Tell the outcome, consequence or reaction.

• Part of the Heart. Students raised money for The
  Childrens Center, a non-profit hospital for
  critical needs children in Bethany, during a
  donkey basketball game between student varsity
  basketball players and members of the faculty and
  staff. Over 400 people attended and 5,400 was
  raised. Photo by J.K. Feisal

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10 Elements of Print Page Architecture

• 9. Sidebars- secondary stories
• Break out certain details from story
• Write an accompanying story on same topic
• Add visual interest by placing a box around
  story, using a screen behind it or using a
  contrasting typeface.

• USA Today Made Quick Reads Popular
• Examples Top 10 lists Comparisons
• Q and A segments
• 10. Footnotes/Endnotes details about the storys
  author provided at the end of a story.
• Use a significantly smaller type size than copy.

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Tools Needed To Assemble Pages

• White Space
• Use one pica between every element and for the
  gutters between columns
• Frames with white space around the elements
• Gutters between columns
• Drop or Sink - between the top of the page and
  the first line of text (usually 1 to 1 1/2)

• Columns
• Parallel columns
• Width equal to 1 1/2 to 2
• Decide in advance the number of columns to use
  and use the same number for every page.
• Page to page consistency
• Align all elements horizontally and vertically

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Tools Needed To Assemble Pages

• Graphic Accents
• Borders- lines at top, bottom /or sides
• Rules - lines above and below subheads and
  sometimes, around the actual page margin
• Reverses and screens

• Type
• 1. Design
• Remember readability legibility
• Four major categories
• Serif/Roman
• Sans serif, also called Gothic
• Script
• Decorative or novelty
• Old English (NEVER!)

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Tools Needed To Assemble Pages

• Type continued
• 2. Style or emphasis
• Bold
• Italic
• Bold italic
• 3. Weight- thickness of letters
• Arial
• Arial Black
• Arial Narrow

• CVI or Dominant Element
• Borders- especially on photos with white edges
• Captions-one for every photo
• Poster design element used on newspaper pages

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Document Setup Tips

• Set page margins at .75 or one inch
• Double space between lines. Dont use three or
  four spaces between lines.
• Use only double space between paragraphs. Its
  not necessary to quad space.
• Set type at 10 or 12 pt. as recommended by prof.

• If you add clip art, make sure that it enhances
  the layout and page content and it is not just to
  fill space.
• When sizing a photo or artwork, keep it in
  proportion. This is easy if you hold the shift
  key down as you click and drag one of the corner
  guide marks.

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Document Setup Tips

• Check your typeface (font) for legibility.
  Remember that a serif font is easier to read than
  sans serif.
• Avoid centered or flush right aligned body text.
  It is easier to read text that begins at the left
  margin.
• Indent each paragraph. The default is 1/2 inch,
  but you can make it smaller.