 There are certain qualities that every printed document must have, regardless of its purpose or form  Use what we learn over the next two days as a safety checklist, not rules  I’ll also expect you to start explaining items using the terminology and design skills we discuss

 Proportion  Balance  Restraint*  Contrast  Rhythm  Unity  Detail* * Not in Lichty

Design Principle #1

 How well does each piece of the puzzle relate to the other pieces  Hold the layout at a distance and concentrate on the Total Picture ◦ is it pleasing to your eye?  Proportion Obtainers ◦ Importance ◦ White Space ◦ Margins ◦ Grids

 The size of an element should be determined by its relative importance to its environment.  The larger an element, the more important it seems to the reader ◦ Works with graphical or textual elements ◦ Stair-stepping elements  Like this  Or even this

 Areas of a page without text or graphics  Structured Order White Space ◦ gutters, leading, indents, etc.  Less Structured White Space ◦ drops, empty left/right column, bands of white  White Space is very inexpensive to use  Readers welcome it as a place to rest their eyes (or a place to take notes)

 Too little ◦ Can look hard to read ◦ Overwhelming & confusing  Enough ◦ More inviting ◦ Less intimidating HOW TO REPEL READERSHow to attract readers

 Plan for it - Treat white space as an element on the page ◦ equal in importance to text and graphics ◦ shouldn’t be seen as “leftover” space ◦ should be organized  Use it along the outside edges of a page  Use it in unequal concentrations ◦ Margins, drops, etc.

 Space trapped on all 4 sides ◦ Fails to realize its potential  One of the biggest no-no’s in DTP  Distracts the reader’s eye  Seems to push away other elements on the page  Looks like a mistake How to avoid creating trapped white space

White space, White space, White space  When you have an item that doesn’t fill the space, don’t “float” the item by splitting the space evenly  Group WS together White space, White space, White space

 Defined by the grid, which describes the proportion and placement of the margin  Should occupy about 50 percent of the page  Margins should always be unequal – equal margins breed monotony ◦ Should use progressive margins

 A series of non-printing horizontal and vertical guidelines on the page. ◦ Guarantees consistency throughout the document ◦ Identifies margins ◦ Determines orderly placement of columns and illustrations on the page  Using the golden section

Birds of Paradise The Norwegian Blue Polly the Parrott

 Laying out various text columns that account for appropriate white space  You can interchange the page structures, but remember to keep consistent margins throughout a document  Roughly 8 ways to structure a page

Design Element #2

 The weight of the objects on the left side of the page equals those on the right  Unbalanced objects make us uneasy  Balanced objects look proper and secure

 To obtain balance, you work with the optical center  The spot the eye sees when it first encounters a page  Slightly above the mathematical center of the page  Similar to where we look on the face when we talk to others: the eyes

 Symmetrically formatted  Balance is evident along the optical center  Provide feeling of formality, precision, and reserve  Examples: wedding invitations, title pages, business cards, etc.

 Asymmetrical format  Balance is dynamic instead of static along the optical center  Reader adjusts the balance in own mind  More energy, more vigor, more enthusiasm  Adds interest to the page and sparkle to the presentation

Design Element #3

 Strive for simplicity in design  DTP gives you so many tools  Straight-forwardness is a virtue ◦ Effective design is invisible to reader  Restraint is achieved by sticking to a few carefully chosen typefaces, styles, and sizes  A good carpenter doesn’t use every tool in his kit on a single task; neither should you

 If you draw attention to too many items on the page, the result is nothing will stick out  Excessive use of emphasis weakens your publication to the point of losing all impact  Overuse of graphic gimmickry results in a cluttered look

 Looking Good in Print, Roger C. Parker  The Non-Designer’s Design Book, Robin Williams  Desktop Publishing Design, Kristine Moore  Design Principles for Desktop Publishers, Tom Lichty