In the balance concept, the page designer (hereafter referred to as the editor, although it may be any member of the newspaper staff performing this function) tries to balance heads against heads, pictures against pictures, stories against stories and artwork against artwork. This balance, however, is a relative balance, and it is not measurable but is something gauged in the viewer's mind. Therefore, the editor has to sense, rather than measure, the balance for a page.
NEWSPAPER DESIGN CONCEPTS:
LEARNING OBJECTIVE:
Detail the design concepts used in ship or station newspaper makeup.
Successfully designing a newspaper page encompasses more than experimentation. It is actually a calculated art evidenced by the following five newspaper design concepts:
• Balance l Contrast
• Rhythm l unity l Harmony
BALANCE
In the balance concept, the page designer (hereafter referred to as the editor, although it may be any member of the newspaper staff performing this function) tries to balance heads against heads, pictures against pictures, stories against stories and artwork against artwork. This balance, however, is a relative balance, and it is not measurable but is something gauged in the viewer's mind. Therefore, the editor has to sense, rather than measure, the balance for a page. This perception is one
CONTRAST:
In the contrast concept, the editor strives to separate display items on the page so each gets the attention it deserves. The editor uses type, headlines, pictures, white space and color to achieve contrast. For example, the editor can achieve contrast with type by using regular type with boldface type. Headlines also can be contrasted by using bold, blackheads or by displaying reman type with italic type. The editor can achieve contrast with pictures by using verticals with horizontals, small column widths with large column widths or dark and light photographs. Further, the editor can achieve contrast through color by displaying black type with color boxes, pictures and heads.
RHYTHM:
By using the rhythm concept, the editor tries to get the reader to move from one element to another element on the page. Rhythm is achieved in newspaper makeup by staggering headlines, stories and pictures on the page.
UNITY:
The unity concept of newspaper makeup is used to tie the page together; therefore, the page is not divided into one, two or more sections. A page that lacks unity is called a paneled page. You can avoid paneled pages by crossing the column gutters (space between columns) with headlines and pictures in the middle areas of the page.
HARMONY:
The harmony concept is used to give a newspaper a standard appearance from day to day. Harmony generally refers to typographic harmony. This means using one typeface for body type and a contrasting typeface for cutline. Headlines should have the same typeface as the body type and maybe varied by weight and the use of italics on occasion. Thus far, all the subject matter in this chapter has dealt with the tools and materials available for presenting the reader of a ship or station newspaper with an attractive, interesting and convenient look at the news. Whether you achieve the desired product will depend on how these tools and materials are used in assembling your newspaper. If you are the person responsible for laying out, making up or actually pasting up your newspaper, you should adopt a basic typographic plan or style. First, read all of the copy being considered for the newspaper. Study the pictures and other artwork closely. Visualize the news story message, or ideas, and the nature of the artwork as a whole. Decide the relative importance of the elements; then put the entire page together using the individual components of newspaper makeup. Makeup creates recognition of a newspaper. A good editor varies the makeup in each issue, so the readers are not bored with the newspaper. On the other hand, each page will resemble the previous editions enough so the reader can immediately identify it.
NAMEPLATE:
The nameplate should be simple in design, attractive, and in harmony with the character of the paper. Its type should either harmonize or contrast with the headline type. The nameplate can combine type and artwork together. The artwork however, should not make the nameplate jumbled and hard to read. Figure 8-19 shows several examples of nameplates. The nameplate can be made to float on the page. Although a nameplate that runs the entire width of the page can be made to float, a floating nameplate usually occupies two or three columns and is placed anywhere in the upper third of the page.
FLAGS:
A flag of the newspaper is a display used by a newspaper to indicate section pages or special pages, such as editorial, sports and family pages. Just like nameplates, a flag should not dominate its page and should appear above the fold. Flags can also be floated. (NOTE: Some authorities maintain that a flag is the same as a nameplate and identify a section head as a "section logo." We do not.)
HEADLINES:
Headlines, or simply heads, contribute to all five concepts of newspaper design - balance, contrast, rhythm, unity and harmony. The headline for one story should be separated from that of another. Heads that appear side by side (called 'Tombstones") could be read as one head and confuse the reader. Tombstoning also prevents each head from gaining its share of attention. When headlines and pictures are used together, they should be placed so the reader is not confused by their positions. You should not place a picture between a headline and a story, because the reader might begin reading the cutline thinking it is the first paragraph of the story. Heads of the same column width should not be placed lower on the page than a smaller one, or higher on the page than a larger one. This does not mean that the bottom of the page cannot contain a large multicolumn head. It only means that heads of the same width should decrease in point size as they descend the page.
Awareness:
Do not run stories out from under their heads. This creates a readability problem by confusing the reader about where to find and finish reading the rest of the story. A story can be wrapped (to continue a story from one column to the next) under its main head, or lead, to achieve variation. A story is always turned to the right from its main part. A turn running above the headline of the story could confuse the reader and cause the individual to abandon the item. A story requiring a "jump," or continuation, to another page should be split in midsentence, never at a period of a paragraph. For example, "(Continued on page , col. ) will direct the reader adequately. The jumped portion should carry a brief head, or key word, taken from the main head to identify it as a continuation. The "jump head" should be keyed to the same type style and face, although it seldom will be in the same type size, as the original headline. Never jump a story on a hyphenated word, or carry over the last line of a paragraph.
PICTURES:
Readability studies have shown that pictures are one of the most popular elements in a newspaper. For that reason alone, important pictures should be large and positioned in a manner that maximizes their display. Pictures of two-column widths or more should be placed on a page so they stand or hang from something that gives them support. A picture can stand on a headline, another picture or the bottom of the page. A picture can hang from a headline, another picture or the top of the page. A picture of two-column widths or more should not float in copy, but a one-column-wide picture or smaller can float in copy. Pictures and headlines that are not related should be separated by more than a rule, if the possibility exists that, when placed together, they are humorous or in bad taste. Avoid any clashing items. For example, do not place an accident story next to a mortuary advertisement. (Discuss the placement of advertisements with your editor or the CE newspaper publisher. If you run two pictures, two boxes or a picture and a box side by side, except in cases where the subjects are related, they tend to cancel each other out. It is best to separate unrelated artwork with body type. Reader's eyes have a tendency to follow the line of sight of people in pictures. Therefore, if people in a picture look off the page, readers will tend to look off the page. To prevent the reader from doing this, the main subjects in pictures should look straight ahead or into the page. This also holds true for pictures showing action. The motion should go toward the center of the page whenever possible. This reader tendency can be used to your advantage. The line of sight and motion can be used to guide the reader's eye through a page. Try to avoid running pictures on the horizontal fold of a newspaper, because the area along the fold becomes distorted once the newspaper has been folded. Do not give a picture more display space than it deserves, especially a "mug shot" (portrait-type, close-up photograph of an individual). Mug shots can float in copy, but it is best if they stand on or hang from something. If a mug shot floats, it is best to float it within a sentence in a paragraph. Mug shots should be accompanied by at least a name line for identification. By omitting the name line, the reader is forced into trying to identify the individual in the picture. "Thumbnails" also are used in making up newspaper pages. The term refers to half-column mug shots. A thumbnail is best used when it looks into the story or directly out of the page. A name line, in most cases, should also be used with thumbnails.
WHITES, GRAYS AND BLACKS:
A newspaper page is made up of varying degrees of whites, grays and blacks. Some pages may contain other colors. A good editor strives for relative balance of colors on a page and will not let any color dominate the page. You will not have any problems with white pages, black pages or any other colored pages; your concern is staying away from gray pages. There are many ways to relieve grayness, or gray-out, which is created by large areas of body type. One way is to use multicolumn pictures to break up columns of type. Another way is to use thumbnail photographs.
Effective approach:
Type also can be used effectively to relieve grayness. To breakup gray areas in a long story, you can set selected paragraphs in boldface type, if used sparingly. Another method of breaking up long gray stories is to use boldface subheads set about two points larger than your body type size. A third method of using type to break up grayness is to use boldface, all-cap lead-ins. This method is particularly effective in matter set in wider measures. In two-column matter, the first three to five words of the paragraph containing a lead-in can be set in boldface and all caps, and in one-column matter, the first one to three words of the paragraph can be set in boldface and all caps. The paragraphs to be set in any of these boldfaced methods should be the paragraphs that introduce anew element into the story or ones that contain information of more than usual interest. Two paragraphs using the same boldfaced method should not be run side by side because they tend to cancel each other out. Note that the use of boldface type is not favored by the editors of contemporary newspapers as much as by the editors with traditional leanings. (More about traditional and contemporary designs will be presented later in this chapter.) "Modem" editors rely on the use of different design concepts to eliminate large gray areas on their pages and consequently have little use for boldface type, except possibly as subheads.
Example:
The sandwich should be placed about 2 1/2 inches deep into the story. Presumably, this practice gives the reader enough time to become interested enough in the subject being addressed to want the related information being offered. The use of the sandwich assumes the reader will immediately turn to the related story, read it and then return to the original story and continue reading below the sandwich. Special effects can be obtained with special art, such as boxes and ornaments (art borders around individual stories, announcements and ads or the entire page). These devices are also effective gray breakers but should be used sparingly, so their use does not create a cluttered effect. In using boxes, you can indent a story on all sides and use a box of white space all around the story. You can also indent on all sides of a story and then use a ruled box. Dingbats, once in vogue, are now considered old-fashioned and are shunned by modem editors. White space provides margins to frame your page. Side margins should be the same width, but bottom margins should be about one-fourth wider than your top margins to give your page a lifted look White space is also used to give breathing room around headlines and pictures in much the same manner as margins frame the page. However, you should make an effort to avoid the appearance of trapped white space. White space should run to the outside of the page.
RULES:
Rules are commonly used typographic devices in newspaper makeup. Properly used, they separate unrelated items and unite related ones. The two types of rules used are the column rule and the cutoff rule.
Column Rule:
The column rule is a vertical, thin line that runs from the top to the bottom of a newspaper page. Use the column rule to separate columns of type and to separate unrelated items, such as photographs and stories, from the rest of the page. Part of a column can be deleted to indicate that the items joined are related
Cutoff Rule
A cutoff rule is a horizontal, thin line that runs across one or more columns of a newspaper page, depending on the width of the items to be separated or united. A cutoff rule is used to separate unrelated items, such as boxes, photographs, multicolumn headlines and advertisements, from the rest of the page. A cutoff rule helps the reader's eye turn the corner from where a story ends in one column to where it begins in the next column, except when the story wraps from the bottom of a page. Then no cutoff rule is needed
ADDITIONAL MAKEUP CONSIDERATIONS:
Newspapers have other elements that usually appear in each issue and other makeup devices that are used to design newspaper pages. Some of these are described in the following text.
Widows:
Avoid having widows at the tops of columns. A widow is an incomplete line, as one that ends a paragraph. When there is a widow, carry two lines to the new column or page.
Wrapping Copy:
When you wrap copy, wrap at least 1 inch of copy into the next column. That is approximately six lines of type. Studies have shown that anything less than an inch of copy lacks eye appeal. When you wrap a story, split paragraphs at the bottom of the column, when possible, to indicate to the reader that the story continues in the next column.
Folio Line:
A folio line is an identification line of the newspaper on each page. The folio line on the front page is different from those on inside pages, as described in the following sections. FRONT-PAGE FOLIO LINE. - A front-page folio line joins the nameplate and consists of the volume number (the number of years the publication has been in print), the issue number (the number of issues published within the present year), command, location (city and state), and date of publication. It does not carry a page number and is usually separated from the flag by a border and a cutoff rule or by two cutoff rules.
INSIDE PAGE FOLIO LINE.
An inside page folio line generally runs at the top of each page. It also can run as part of a flag that appears on special pages or within the masthead on the editorial page. The inside page folio line consists of the publication date (left corner of the page), name of the newspaper (centered) and the page number (right corner of the page). An inside page folio line is normally separated from the rest of the page by a cutoff rule, but as you can see in figure 8-15, this is not a requirement.
Page personality:
The quality of the layout and makeup of the inside pages of your newspaper should receive the same attention as the front page of the newspaper. Readers should not be shortchanged once they leave the front page of a newspaper. Special pages, such as editorial, family and sports, should have their own personalities.
Editorial Page:
The editorial page probably is the least read of all the inside pages. The reason can be attributed particularly to makeup. Most editorial pages are very dull and very gray. A good editorial page should be as different in makeup from other inside pages as possible. Use pictures and artwork, white space, odd-column sets and other elements of makeup to give the editorial page its own special traits.
Family/Leisure Page:
An appealing family/leisure page features delicate type, white space and artistic designs. Use large and dramatic pictures to complement articles on off-duty leisure activities.
Sports Page:
An attractive sports page contains plenty of action pictures. Be sure to include masculine type, white space, odd-column sets and large, bold headlines to complement the flavor of this popular newspaper page.
Other Pages:
Inside news and feature pages should be as attractive as front pages within the limitation of available space. Use pictures, white space, multicolumn heads, artistic designs and groupings of related news and features on these pages.
