A Designer's Dozen Newsletter Tips

A DESIGNER S N EWSLETTER TIPS TIPS TOo ENHANCEz n CLARITY Organize the content of your newsletterDD e then use the command in your software to make and into groups: administrator/staff articles the desired portion into all caps. That way, if you 1or columns, grade level/curriculum articles, decide to change it to upper and lower case later, extracurricular groups/events/sports, parent you don’t have to retype it. group/organization articles or columns, items that need action (such as forms to be filled out See how you first Reverses are very effective, and returned, workshop flyers that ask for looked at this reverse? but use only in a few small areas. They are a good choice advance registration, etc.; e careful that you don’t You might want to use a 4 have two things on back-to-back pages that need reverse for a short item for short items that you want to call to be filled out and returned to different places) you want a response to, attention to. Use a bold weight for such as a call for volun- the white type so that it doesn’t fill in and general informational items from outside- teers or a lost and found the-school sources (such as District letters reminder. Notice how when copied, and you may want to regarding bus safety, lunch information flyer both the subhead and increase the point size of the type as body of this item are well. Set up your text block to have from SoDexHo, parenting information newsletter bolder than the typefaces that the school subscribes to, etc. - you’ll proba- used for the black type on all the white type indented from the bly just copy the original and attach it as a page white background. edges. This block is almost as large at the end of the issue.) Group articles from each as you should go for black areas. of these categories together in the issue as much as you can. Put a small Table of Contents on the first Use tints and shades of color to add page in the same place each issue (say, bottom left richness and complexity without adding the corner or upper right next to the masthead) if you 5cost of additional color inks. If the tint is have a long newsletter. If it’s 8 pages or less you behind text or other graphics, don’t go darker than probably don’t need one. Use page numbering. 20% to assure easy reading of the overprinted text. For white type on a shade background, use at least Use ragged right type, not justified. This 50% of the color/black. Plan ahead to have the creates the most pleasing word spacing and color portion of the “shells” printed for the entire 2avoids “rivers”, or white holes between words year’s quantity, then print only black for each issue. that look bad when you can see the whole page laid out. Also, set your hyphenation so it only will Choose to use two typeface families (a serif hyphenate a maximum of two lines in a row (I set family and a sans serif family) that go together mine to only hyphenate one line at a time.) 6well to provide variety and help differentiate articles from each other. The type below is ragged right (left side aligned, right The type below is justified (both left and right sides The following definitions side flows as it will) : lined up): may help in describing type:

The Middle Ages and Tom Sawyer are the main focal points The Middle Ages and Tom Sawyer are the main focal for the sixth graders as they approach the concluding points for the sixth graders as they approach the conclud- Serif type: the type you are trimester of their first year at WJHS. The study of the Middle ing trimester of their first year at WJHS. The study of the reading is serif type. It has Ages will begin in March and conclude with an activity day Middle Ages will begin in March and conclude with an on Friday, April 11. activity day on Friday, April 11. little “feet” at the ends of many of the letter strokes. It is typically more “thick and Use all capital letters sparingly, such as for thin” in the strokes that make up the letters than sans headlines or subheads only. Copy is very hard serif typefaces are. The bold and regular type in this 3to read with all caps - studies have shown that paragraph are of the typeface family Berkeley - the the more unique shapes of upper and lower case specific typeface names are Berkeley and Berkeley letters facilitate easier reading. Also, in places that Black. Serif type is easier to read than sans serif you DO want to use all capital letters, don’t type it because the “feet” lend even more uniqueness to each in all caps, instead type it in upper and lower case, letter shape and therefore make reading easier. Sans serif type: the type you are reading now is sans Points: a traditional measurement that is used to serif type. It does not have “feet” and typically, though measure type sizes and distance in the graphic not always, has slight or no variation in the thickness of design and printing professions. An inch has 72 the strokes that make up the letters. The bold and regular points, and also can be divided into 6 picas that type in this paragraph are of the typeface family Futura - have 12 points in each pica. A pica is therefore 1/6 the specific typeface names are Futura Light and Futura of an inch. Heavy. Leading: The space from the baseline of one line of Baseline: the imaginary visual line that is at the type to the baseline of the next line of type. bottom of a line of letters/words.

Below is a way that I often set up and name styles for a basic style sheet:

body - 10 to 12 point type with 12 to 15 points of leading, serif typeface, sidebar body - 10 to 12 point type with 12 to 15 points of leading, sans serif ragged right, no indent at the beginning of each paragraph, extra space typeface, ragged right, no indent at the beginning of each paragraph, extra before each paragraph space before each paragraph

head - 12 to 18 point type with 13 to 20 points of leading, sans serif type- sidebar head - 12 to 18 point type with 13 to 20 points of leading, serif type- face, flush left/ragged right or centered, no indent, more extra space before face, flush left/ragged right or centered, no indent, more extra space before this than for subhead, bolder weight than subhead or all caps this than for subhead, bolder weight than subhead or all caps

subhead - 10 to 14 point type, sans serif typeface, flush left/ragged right or sidebar subhead - 10 to 14 point type, serif typeface, flush left/ragged right centered, no indent, more extra space before this than for body, bolder weight or centered, no indent, more extra space before this than for body, bolder than body but not as bold as head weight than body but not as bold as head

TIPS TO ENHANCE CONSISTENCY

Use style sheets! I can’t stress enough that Set up your first issue as stationery or a the time spent in learning how to use style template. This will include all styles, mast- 7sheets is FAR, FAR more than made up for 9head and recurring artwork (such as column when producing your issues. All you art, school logo, etc.). When doing your next issue, have to do when putting together use that stationery or template to each newsletter is tag your copy (see If you only do one thing out of this start from. Set up recurring sections your software’s documentation for baker’s dozen, this is the tip to try! (such as a letter from the principal, the way to do this) with the After the initial learning curve, using articles from the counselors, com- appropriate style and you will styles saves you LOADS of time and mentary from the president of immediately have consistency. If makes your newsletters look great! Home & School, etc.) with art you want to change something, all work or a type treatment (see tip you have to do is change the specifi- #12 for more about type treat- cations in the style sheet itself and all the ments) to use as a visual cue for that column in copy tagged with that style will then change. See each issue. Consider positioning recurring columns tip #6 for more details on style sheets. in the same place each issue (principal’s letter at the top of the first page, volunteer thank-yous on the Create a masthead (including the name of right outside column of page 3, etc.) the school, name of the newsletter, date/issue 8number, school logo if desired) and use it in the same way on each issue: same size, same posi- tion on the first page (probably across the top or along one side), same art work. Just change the date and/or issue number. Consider making the school phone number, homework hotline number or any other information that you think people would need often as part of the masthead. TIPS TO ENHANCE CREATIVITY

Use a flexible 1-on-2 or 2-on-3 letterspacing controls, not actual spacebar spaces). column layout to lend interest and give Make the whole first word large and change the 10 you choices when laying out your baseline shift like a drop cap (make sure that the issues. The handout you are reading is a type of typeface is a light weight so that the word isn’t too 1-on-2 layout; I’ve used either the whole width or overpowering). You could use “display” typefaces divided it into two columns for sections. With a (type that is more “arty” such as this typeface) in 2-on-3 page you would divide the whole width selected spots for visual interest, just be sure that into two columns and three columns, then some it’s readable. Use display typefaces only for short pages would use the two columns for all the type headlines. Below are some examples, but don’t you on the page, and some pages would use three use this many variations in one place - it’s too busy! columns for all the type on the page. An easy way to get a pre- SIXTH GRADE NEWS designed layout is to use a Sixth Grade News om Sawyer is the main focal point for the sixth template for your software, is the main graders as they approach the concluding first year often provided by the manu- Tom Sawyer focal point Ttrimester of their at WJHS. The study of for the sixth graders as they approach the concluding the Middle Ages will begin in March and conclude facturer. To obtain Microsoft activity day trimester of their first year at WJHS. The study of the with an on Friday, April 11. Office templates online, go to Middle Ages will begin in March and conclude with http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates. an activity day on Friday, April 11.

Use no more than two pieces of clip art per page. On Callouts function as visual interest and serve to 11most pages you will have less than that, bring attention to parts of the copy. A callout (or which is good. Try to use straight black-and-white “pull quote”) is simply taking a bit of the words, line art without any grays if your newsletter is copying it, using a different (usually larger, some- reproduced on a copier. Try to use clip art times italic) type treatment on it and positioning it on throughout the issue that has a similar look and Callouts function the page as a piece of art. style. Do not enlarge clip art so much that it as visual interest appears “jaggy”. If you can, use art in EPS format and serve to Use rules and for best results at any size. Below are some web- bring attention to borders, but sites where you can download clip art. Inclusion parts of the copy. on this list doesn’t imply any endorsement by me, 13 carefully and they are addresses of sites that I’ve run across and consistently. For example, may be useful to you. Investigate the rules of use always use 1 point horizontal solid rules to divide carefully before you download the art to make stories, but don’t ever use 2 point dashed rules. Use a sure that you’re not infringing on any copyrights. 2 point dotted border for all of your forms that need to be returned, but don’t ever use a 1 point solid bor- www.sla.purdue.edu/fll/JapanProj/FLClipart/ der. Most of the time, stick to one type of rule and/or www.teacherfiles.com/clip_art.htm one type of border to use throughout your whole http://school.discovery.com/clipart/ newsletter, for all issues.They don’t have to match http://office.microsoft.com/clipart/ each other, however, if you’re using both rules and www.kidsdomain.com/clip/ borders - the rule could be solid and the border www.teachnet.com/how-to/clipart/ could be dashed, or vice versa. One-half point to 2 www.worldatlas.com/clipart.htm point thick rules or borders are best to keep from being too heavy and overpowering the type. Use type treatment as design elements. Make the first letter of a As you see, it’s really a baker’s dozen! 12 paragraph a drop cap. Make some words I’ve added an extra tip for good measure. bolder to emphasize. Use all capital letters for a head but space out the letters (do this with TIPS TO ENHANCE PHOTOS Check the photo resolution!13 MoreThis is the Photos should be grayscale in the layout if most important photo tip. Optimum resolu- the publication is printing in black. Photos 1tion is 266 dots per inch (DPI) with the 6 left in color and expected to translate to photo used at 100% in the publication layout. Using grayscale during the processing to plates or the photo at a smaller size is fine, but don’t go much photocopying will look more “muddy” than if it larger. The photo will appear “jaggy” or “spotty” as was converted to grayscale in (or preferably before the dots grow in size and look coarser and coarser. being placed in) the layout itself. You can’t add resolution that simply isn’t there to start with. This leads into the next tip… Consider using duotones if you have spot color available. Duotones are photos printed Use the highest available camera resolution 7in two colors, usually black plus a spot color. when shooting photos. If you’re re-using the You will need a photo-editing program such as 2photo in the future, you can always convert it Photoshop to create duotones before placing them to less DPI, but there is no way you can add detail in your layout. that isn’t there in the original photo file. Use a thin rule around photos (1/2 point or When scanning photos from a print, scan 1 point, not hairline). Make sure it’s a at a large size in full color. As on the 8consistent weight throughout the publication. 3previous tip, for future use you can always This crisply delineates the picture if there are light convert the photo to a smaller size/resolution and grays at the edges. grayscale, but if you don’t scan them with those attributes in the first place, you’ll never be able to Crop tight to direct reader interest. Get rid bring them back later. of the sky or the ceiling! You can carefully 9crop into people’s heads, shoulders and above Change photos to grayscale before placing their knees to emphasize the interesting parts of in your document and correct levels of gray the image. 4to include a full range of white to black in the shot. If you are printing your publication in full Crop one photo in different ways to color, correct the photos for color, paying special use as multiple images. If the DPI (and attention to skin tones, and convert to CMYK 10 the photo composition) is sufficient to (instead of the RGB that digital photos are saved in crop a photo into portions and use each as a from a digital camera). Most likely you will need separate image at a decent size, you can repurpose photo-editing software such as Photoshop to do one shot as many. this. If you don’t have access to this type of software, check to see if your word processing or Use fewer photos large, not more layout software can convert photos for you. See photos small. Be careful to stay within your photo-editing software for guidance on 11 the resolution/size guidelines in tip 1 to settings for grayscale and color correction. avoid the “jaggy” look. Faces should be large enough to see easily. After correcting, save photos as TIFF files, not JPEG. JPEG is a “lossy”compression Position photos so that the gaze of 5format that will degrade your image if you the subjects faces inward toward your save a JPEG as another JPEG as another JPEG… 12 page. Flip photos if necessary, but don’t Saving as a TIFF often has the option of using LZW do it if there is type in the image! Be sure to check compression that is not “lossy” and will preserve for words on clothing too. your image. It’s okay to choose that option when saving a TIFF. Action in a shot is much more interesting than a someone simply 13smiling at the camera. Choose a shot with people doing something!