DTP - Techniques

The bottom left and top right of the page (marked by crosses) are fallow corners.

The wavy lines on this diagram indicate the direction that eyes resist moving. Having to move up the page, or across to the left can interrupt reading rhythms.

From this diagram (and extensive research) it is more than likely that whatever is positioned in the Primary Optical area is read first. For publications like advertisements, this is normally an eye catching illustration, or perhaps a punchy headline.

By the same token, whatever is positioned in the Terminal Anchor area is the last thing a person reads and quite often the last thing they remember. Hence this is where the company name or logo will often appear.

Contrast

Is used in a publication generally to draw the attention of the reader. Some contrast is necessary in any publication. No contrast would make for a very boring page.

A heading is a basic form of contrast. Using a larger typestyle distinguishes it from the rest of the page and positioned correctly on the page, draws the eye of readers in such a fashion that they move on to read the rest of the text.

Another commonly used device to create contrast on a page is a liftout - an area of enlarged text, normally bordered by rules.

Colour and drop caps are also commonly used and effective.

A basic rule about using contrasts is not to use too many - emphasising too many areas on the page compromises the emphasis and confuses the reader.

The basic rules of harmony dictate that all the elements of the page - the rules, the text, borders and illustrations, should have a uniform tone. Using the same typeface in different sizes and weights is generally far more appealing and less risky, than mixing typefaces on the same page.

There are a number of schools of thought on what is the most appropriate proportion for a printed page, but each school agrees on one thing. The most agreeable shape is oblong. The oblong can be placed portrait (vertically) or landscape (horizontally). Portrait is generally the more popular for most publications.

The traditional method of dividing the depth of the page up into eight equal parts is very effective.

The third division from the top is what the Greeks called the line of golden proportion - and it is considered the best position for one group of words, or a single word (ie front page of a report).

When type is placed on a piece of paper it should harmonise with the shape of the paper.

A common mistake is sticking a picture right in the middle of a column or columns. The problem here is that if the eye is following text down a column, where does it then go after hitting the picture?

Headings

A simple way to add a heading to a page is to let the heading fall as it will. However if we even up the lines a little we get a result a little more pleasurable to the eye.

Note how headings are done in publications. They are written as a sentence (without a full stop) with the normal rules of capitalisation applying. That is all words don't start with capitals. (Check a newspaper!).

The number of words and lines in a heading should be kept as small as possible. A heading of around 2-3 lines is quite satisfactory.

Full stop at the end of heading

Tends to pull people up to a stop. Many people feel there is no need to read on.

Body Text

Body text is the main text of your document. Make sure there are not too many characters per line of text. The optimum characters per line is around sixty. To comply with the width of text rule, many publications will indent text quite a bit from the left. In advertisements and newsletters, multiple columns serve the same purpose.

Too many fonts on a page destroy its harmony and sequence, and give it a cluttered effect.

Most publications use different fonts for headings and body text to achieve a contrast. Often a sans serif font is used for headings and a serif font for body text although a contrasting serif font can be used in a heading to achieve the same result.

Don’t use for large blocks of text

Leading - for body text should be set around 10% higher than the size of the text. It should never be negative, but can be expanded quite considerably.

Black text on a light tint is effective for emphasis

Reverse Text

The darker the background you print your text on, the lower the comprehension of information. Depending on the colour and background, comprehension of text is lowered when text is coloured. Nothing reads better than black text on a white background.

The first stage in designing a publication should be working out who the readers are and what they want to know. Ask yourself the following questions:

Don’t let your publication alienate readers through thoughtless use of sexist or discriminatory language.

Everything about a publication, contributes to the image it conveys about the sender. And the single most important guideline in fashioning that image is appropriateness. The elements you select and the way you assemble and reproduce them become a matter not so much of good or bad design as of design that is appropriate for your purpose and audience. Even the crammed-full, poorly printed advertisements for discount department stores cannot be dismissed as ‘bad’ design when put to the tests of appropriate and effective communication.

If you are promoting a financial service, you want prose that is well informed and authoritative and design and printing that is prosperous without being indulgent. A company that has had a bad year, on the other hand, wants to appear careful and restrained without creating concern about quality. And you want an entrepreneurial business plan to appear energetic, bold, and thorough all at the same time.

A travel brochure for a Caribbean cruise might use colour photos to suggest escape, adventure, and celebration, and an ad for a new restaurant in the theatre or art district might use words and decorative motifs to project a similar experience close to home.

As you consider the elements and design of your publication, write down a list of impressions you want to make. Formal. Informal. Friendly. Playful. Elegant. Stylish. Trendy. Classic. Adventurous. Conservative. Scholarly. Provocative. Diverse. Spirited. Generous. Concerned. How do you want your audience to perceive you?

Format includes everything from the organisation of material to the page size to the underlying structure, or grid, of your layout.

Keep in mind that readers scan printed matter, and consider techniques to facilitate this: