Designing a Reader-Friendly Newspaper
When designing pages, remember the following:
- Avoid crowding type against rules or boxes.
- Allow sufficient contrast when reversing type to white against a dark ground or black over a shaded or color background.
- Overprinting a photo or other graphic often makes type difficult to read.
- Wrapping type around a graphic may create gaps and awkward spaces that slow readers down.
- Paragraph indentations of newspaper columns should be no greater than three to five spaces.
- Do not run extended body copy or text units in single columns when using 7-10 column grids.
- Do not stretch copy across too wide a space. Too much means the full width of an 8-1/2" x 11" paper or across more than three columns of a five-column, tabloid-size page.
- Printed on newsprint, both typographical tricks and photographs lose a certain degree of sharpness and clarity – something that deserves a layout artist's consideration.
