Desktop Publishing

1
Desktop Publishing

• Recommendations for professional looking
  documents

L Drumm Staffordshire University
2
Introduction

• This presentation guides you through rules which
  will help you to design professional documents.

It will run as a slide show timed presentation
but where you are asked to redesign, switch to
slide view and do the exercise.
When finished continue the slide show.
3
The 4 basic rules

• contrast
• repetition
• alignment
• proximity

Each will be explained in detail on the following
slides
4
Rule 1
Contrast

• Avoid similar elements (lines, font, colour),
  make them very different

5
Contrast

• Large graphics with small graphics

6
Contrast

• Warm colours with cool colours

7
Contrast

• Large font
• with
• small font

8
Contrast

• Old style font
• with
• Modern style font

9
Contrast

• Thin lines with thick lines

10
Example

• British Gas Sale
• Best for bargains
• Starts Sunday, 21st May

• British Gas Sale
• Best for bargains
• Starts Sunday, 21st May

Your eye is drawn more to
because of the contrast.
11
What is wrong with this?

• Student Rules
• Turn up to lectures on time
• Hand in assignments on time
• Dont drink too much

Switch to slide view and have a go at amending it.
12

• Student Rules
• Turn up to lectures on time
• Hand in assignments on time
• Dont drink too much

Or make the lines contrast each other to group
the related elements together.
You could use the proximity rules to move related
items towards each other.
13
Contrast

• Creates visual interest
• Makes your document more likely to be read

Contrast should make your document easy to
understand
14
Rule 2
Repetition

• Repeating visual elements strengthens unity and
  develops organisation

15
Repetition

• Repeat elements throughout the design

Consistent Headings
Consistent graphics
Consistent lines, bullets, colours throughout
16
Repetition

• Learn how to set up heading styles and use them

17
Repetition

• Decide what will be repeated on each page

This is the design
Main Heading
Page No
18
Look for the consistent elements
- the things that will be repeated on the next
page
Heading goes here
Body text
Body text
Body text
Body text
Company Logo
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Heading goes here
Body text
Body text
Body text
Body text
Company Logo

• position and size of graphics

font types and size of heading and body text
position and size of company logo
width and position and of body text
position of white space
20
Repetition

• Dont forget to emphasize the unifying elements
• Dont overdo the unifying element - you also need
  contrast

Unifies and strengthens a document - ties it
together
21
Rule 3
Alignment

• Give visual connection for a clean sophisticated
  look

22
Alignment

• Switch to slide view and align the text on this
  business card

Travellers cheques
Commission free foreign currency
One phone call
Convenient home delivery
01625 345678
23
Alignment

• Did yours look something like this?

Travellers cheques
Commission free foreign currency
One phone call
Convenient home delivery
01625 345678
24
The improvements continue .
25
Use contrast to highlight important information
Travellers cheques
Commission free foreign currency
One phone call
Convenient home delivery
01625 345678
26
Use proximity to group like information
Travellers cheques
Commission free foreign currency
Convenient home delivery
One phone call
01625 345678
27
Be aware of the shape the text makes .

• Compare this with the layout on the previous slide

28
Switch to slide view and have a go at redesigning
this business card for several lecturers
Staffordshire University
School of Computing
Trent Building
Leek Road
Mrs Lesley Drumm 01782 294281
Stoke-on-Trent
email L.E.Drumm_at_soc.staffs.ac.uk
29
Alignment - right, left, centre
Transport Report for Dept. of Transport

• Centred alignment can be quite unimaginative -
  safe but formal

By L. Drumm 23rd February 1999
30
Alignment - right, left, centre
Transport Report for Dept. of Transport

• Contrast and proximity have improved the design

By L. Drumm 23rd February 1999
31
Alignment - right, left, centre
Transport Report for Department of Transport

• But this is much more imaginative

By L. Drumm 23rd February 1999
32
Alignment

• The alignment of text is no accident

3,000 students will leave University with a
degree this summer
How will you ensure you stand out from the crowd?
33
Whats wrong with this?
This is just an example to show how text can
look when it is formed into columns
Test This is just an example to show how text
can look when it is formed into columns. This
is just an example to show how text can look when
it is formed into columns
This is just an example to show how text
34
This is just an example to show how text can
look when it is formed into columns
Test This is just an example to show how text
can look when it is formed into columns. This
is just an example to show how text can look when
it is formed into columns
Strange white space shapes have formed.
Lets improve it ...
This is just an example to show how text
35
Sort out HEADINGS
This is just an example to show how text can
look when it is formed into columns
Test This is just an example to show how text
can look when it is formed into columns. This
is just an example to show how text can look when
it is formed into columns
Heading has been moved to the left
This is just an example to show how text
36
Sort out INDENTS
This is just an example to show how text can look
when it is formed into columns
Test This is just an example to show how text can
look when it is formed into columns. This is just
an example to show how text can look when it is
formed into columns
Paragraph indents have been removed
This is just an example to show how text
37
Sort out JUSTIFICATION
This is just an example to show how text can look
when it is formed into columns
Columns have been justified (blocked left and
right)
Test This is just an example to show how text can
look when it is formed into columns. This is just
an example to show how text can look when it is
formed into columns
The problem is that this has created some holes
and rivers of white space - well sort this in
later slides
This is just an example to show how text
38
Sort out SPACING
Test This is just an example to show how text
can look when it is formed into columns.
This is just an example to show how text can look
when it is formed into columns
Spacing between paragraphs has been enlarged
This is just an example to show how text can look
when it is formed into columns
This is just an example to show how text
39
Sort out GRAPHICS
Test This is just an example to show how text
can look when it is formed into columns.
This is just an example to show how text can look
when it is formed into columns
Graphic now aligns with columns - you could even
frame the picture to make it the correct size
This is just an example to show how text can look
when it is formed into columns
This is just an example to show how text
40
Sort out COLUMNS
Test This is just an example to show how text
can look when it is formed into columns This is
just an example to show how text can look when it
is formed into columns This is just an example to
show how text can look when it is formed into
columns This is just an example to show how text
can look when it is formed into columns This is
just an example to show how text can look when it
is formed into columns
This is just an example to show how text can look
when it is formed into columns This is just an
example to show how text can look when it is
formed into columns This is just an example to
show how text can look when it is formed into
columns This is
Columns should have approximately 7 words per
line - change the font type/size or change the
column width, or both Incidentally, weve got
rid of those holes and rivers of white space
This is just an example to show how text can look
when it is formed into columns This is just an
example to show how text can look when it is
formed into columns This is just an example to
show how text can look when it is formed in
This is just an example to show how text can look
when it is formed into columns This is just an
example to show how text can look when it is
formed into columns This is just an example to
show how text can look when it is.
41
Size of fonts

• Fonts have different heights and widths.

This is Times New Roman 24 point
This is Rimsky 24 point
This is Vivaldi 24 point
This is Ariel 24 point
This is Zanders 24 point
This is Book Antiqua 24 point
Changing the font may solve your problem if space
is limited - BUT dont use too many different
fonts.
42
BEWARE

• of holes and rivers of white space within the
  columns of text
• - caused by 2 spaces after a full stop and
  justification!

43
An example not aligned
A day at Alton Towers
Have a go at aligning the elements on the
page The next pages shows examples of how it
looks aligned
It doesn't matter what is typed here. It is just
to show you problems with alignment It doesn't
matter what is typed here. It is just to show you
problems with alignment It doesn't matter what
It doesn't matter what is typed here. It is just
to show you problems with alignment It doesn't
matter what is typed here. It is just to show you
problems with alignment It doesn't matter what is
typed here. It is just to show you problems with
alignment
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An example aligned
Alignment is down the centre
A day at Alton Towers
It doesn't matter what is typed here. It is just
to show you problems with alignment It doesn't
matter what is typed here. It is just to show you
problems with alignment It doesn't matter what is
typed here. It is just to show you problems with
alignment
It doesn't matter what is typed here. It is just
to show you problems with alignment It doesn't
matter what is typed here. It is just to show you
problems with alignment It doesn't matter what
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Another example aligned
A day at Alton Towers
Which do you prefer?
It doesn't matter what is typed here. It is just
to show you problems with alignment It doesn't
matter what is typed here. It is just to show you
problems with alignment It doesn't matter what is
typed here. It is just to show you problems with
alignment
It doesn't matter what is typed here. It is just
to show you problems with alignment It doesn't
matter what is typed here. It is just to show you
problems with alignment It doesn't matter what
46
Switch to slide view and improve this design
Big Ben
Big Ben is situated in London, it is part of the
Houses of Parliament.
You need to get rid of the white space trapped in
the centre
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Was yours like this?
The white space is now round the outside
Big Ben
is situated in London, it is part of the Houses
of Parliament
The line at the bottoms aligns the left edge of
the text and the bottom of the graphics
48
Alignment

• Unifies and connects elements on the page
• Organizes the page

Remember - avoid using centred text unless you
want a formal look
49
Rule 4
Proximity

• Group together similar elements to organize
  information and ease understanding

50
Try the squint test

• How many elements can you see when you squint at
  this business card?

Lesley Drumm
Trent Building
Staffordshire University
School of Computing
01782 294281
51
Problems

• To make something easy to read, your eyes should
  not have to stop more than 3 or 4 times.
• Did you know which information to read first?

52
Solution

• Dont be frightened to leave white space (or blue
  space in this case)!

Staffordshire University
School of Computing
Trent Building
Lesley Drumm
01782 294281
53
White Space

• is as important a design issue as actual text

You may find the next slides boring but they are
very important
54
Dont put 2 spaces after a full stops
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Dont trap small areas of white space - group it
together for effect
56
Avoid centred headings that trap white space
either side
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Watch out for strange white space shapes on a page
58
White space between columns is important - it
must separate the text so the eyes dont jump
columns
59
Justification can cause holes to appear - it may
be safer and quicker to use ragged right margins
60
The advantages of moving related items closer
together are .

• the reader knows where to start reading
• the eye doesnt need to stop so often
• the reader can see relationships between words

61
Enough reading - have a go at redesigning this
Call Now
Warm to our winter sale
British Gas
Save pounds on your central heating
62
Save pounds on your central heating
Warm to our winter sale
Call Now
British Gas
Which do you prefer or was yours better?
Save pounds on your central heating
Warm to our winter sale
Call Now
British Gas
63
Make this list easier to read using the rules

• Somerfield Bargain Buys
• Chicken Mushroom Pies - 60p each
• Golden Delicious Apples - 56p per lb
• Bananas - 68p per pack
• Spaghetti Bolognese - 99p each

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• Somerfield Bargain Buys
• Frozen meals
• Chicken Mushroom Pies - 60p each
• Spaghetti Bolognese - 99p each
• Fruit specials
• Golden Delicious Apples - 56p per lb
• Bananas - 68p per pack

• group related items
• highlight headings

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• Somerfield Bargain Buys
• Frozen meals
• Chicken Mushroom Pies - 60p each
• Spaghetti Bolognese - 99p each
• Fruit specials
• Golden Delicious Apples - 56p per lb
• Bananas - 68p per pack

• space the sub-lists (not easy to do in
  Powerpoint) but you can see its easier to read

66
Font choice

• Do you feel the font on the previous slides
  reflects the image of food?
• See if you can find a more appropriate font and
  change it

67
Proximity

• Creates organization
• Makes information easier to read
• Avoids confusion

68
Practice

• Move the elements on the next slide to form a
  design which obeys the crap rules.

69
Column Heading
Body text column ...




..
Body text column ...




..
Page Heading
70
Page Heading
Is yours something like this?
Column Heading
Body text column ...




..
Body text column ...




..
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Thats it folks!

• I hope these slides have given you an idea of
  what to watch out for when doing desktop
  publishing.