PHOTO SPREADS Tips, tricks and tactics for effective photo layouts by Chris Lusk, page designer, Orange County Register

WHAT ARE PHOTO SPREADS?  Self-contained layouts that give a collection of photos the big, bold play they deserve.  Photos, cutlines, a headline and a short copy block

WHY A PHOTO SPREAD?  Covering a major event  Exploring a topic or trend  Profiling a personality  Telling somebody’s or something’s story  Displaying objects or places

HOW ARE THEY DIFFERENT?  They bend — and sometimes break — the rules  Unconventional widths for cutlines and text  Typically only include short text blurbs  Let the visuals do the storytelling

GUIDELINES  Learn about the story. You can’t begin until you learn about and understand the story.  Shake things up. Use different shapes and sizes.  Strength through harmony. The photos should work together to paint an overall image of the story.

GUIDELINES  Content must dictate design. This is always the case, and it remains the rule in photo spreads, too.  Dominance. Take the strongest visual and play it big. Build your layout around that picture.  Use a grid. Don’t randomly place things on page.

GUIDELINES  Proper positioning. Place the pictures somewhere in the layout that makes sense.  Hit the sweet spot with the copy block. Don’t run too much text — or too little.  Don’t forget the cutlines. Help readers identify the photos with clear, easy-to-spot cutlines.

GUIDELINES  And put the cutlines in the correct spot.  Make sure to anchor cutlines near the photos they describe.  Ragged type? Run the ragged edge away from the photo.  Push cutlines to the outside.  Credit where credit’s due. Don’t forget photo credits.  Embrace the space. White space is your friend. Love it.

LET’S REVIEW  Learn about the story  Shake things up  Harmony  Content dictates design  Dominance  Use a grid  Proper positioning  Just enough text  Don’t forget cutlines  But put ’em in correctly  Always credit the photos  Let your design breathe

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