JRN 302: Introduction to Graphics &Visual Communication- Newsletters

Thursday, 11-4-15

Class Objectives

Lecture Newsletters

Homework assignment Start on Newsletter, due 12-1-15 (remember, this

is worth 1/3 of your final grade)

Why create a newsletter?

Build a relationship with your target audience Need to have a customer mailing list They want to read more than short information They may like to print out and read material

Want to have content that includes: Prizes or awards from products or personnel Unique offers (first 10 readers to respond…) Calendar of events Company news

What are some good newsletter designs? Google examples of newsletters!

An excuse of not knowing what a newsletter is (and therefore making things that look more like flyers) is no excuse

http://www.5cubecommerce.com/newsletter-design.html Notice the amount of text! Notice the alignment/ columns

You still have to conform to the requirements of this assignment!

These are the quality of designs that you should strive for (you will be graded on).

Newsletter Assignment

Look at both this lecture AND the assignment sheet to see AND the lecture on resizing and resampling What is required What is optional Where the points will be deducted

By now, you know to not use blurry in print, blurry in PS, lo res, non-linked, etc.

Design a newsletter with consistency and repetition This helps to organize and unify the newsletter How to do Design around a grid

Grids used on all pages of a multi-page document, makes it easier for the designer to provide the consistent look that readers often expect

Grids help keep elements in the same place from page to page

How to build grids and columns

Determine your grid design How many columns are there?

If same size, just do at the New Document box or <Layout <Margins and 2 or 3 Columns

If different size, create 2 equal, then go to Master Document (under <Window<Pages)

If column guides are locked, choose <View < Grids & Guides < Lock Column Guides to deselect it.

Using the Selection tool, drag a column guide. If needed, duplicate the spread to get a second page with

the same guides and columns on it

Note that you have to have at least 2 columns per page!

How to build grids and columns

Narrow column small type less leading between each line

Wider column should use larger type more leading between each line

Space between columns= white space Should not be wasted space; should be well

organized Typical past student errors for this newsletter is either

too much text or too much white space

Nameplateor Flag At the front, top of the 1st page only. May include your logo (be careful about pixelation) Should include name of the newsletter (maybe

subtitle or motto or slogan as well), date of issue and volume number

Horizontal across page and no taller than top 3 inches on first page

May want to include color, shapes

Use Design Principles Repetition Alignment

Proximity Contrast

How to design a newsletter with consistency and repetition

Use repeating elements Running headline is repeating text

that appears at the top of each page beyond the first page in either a book or a newsletter

For newsletters, this is a text version of the nameplate and the page number

Stories for Newsletter

Can be written by you. Can also be not written by you

Be sure to include the other author’s name Have the stories be relevant to the newsletter

content Do not repeat stories

No matter where the stories come from, points will be deducted for each and every spelling error!

Other required elements

Bylines Set in body copy sized type under the

headline of the article. BY DAVID JONES By David Jones — David Jones ~ David Jones by David Jones, a freelance writer based in

Saginaw, MI

Body Copy

Stories, advertisements, reviews, interviews, news Think about who your audience is

10 to 12 point Keep same font throughout Align, align, align

Headlines should contrast body copy Note what the book says about this

May want to include Drop caps (under <Window <Types & Tables

<Paragraphs)- only 1st paragraph in each story.

Images for Newsletter

At least one photograph or illustration per page Make sure you have a resolution of 300 ppi

image (look at resizing and resampling lecture for how-to from freeimages.com)

Have to have close-to 100% placement in InDesign size as well

At most you can have 1-2 photographs or illustrations per page (in addition to your nameplate)

Do not try to “cheat” by filling up a large area of your design with an image

Newsletter Design

Use consistent, repeated elements For more than 2 pages, use same location for

headers, page numbers Use same type of alignment

Use extra space between paragraphs or indents, not both.

Definitely include your logo somewhere in this design!

Other issues for this newsletter

Limit the number of typefaces to 3 or less No amount of fancy typefaces will erase

boring text/stories Body copy type size is no bigger than 12

point. Keep same font for all body copy

Artwork should be used to enhance story Don’t just fill space with artwork.

You determine if you want newsletter to be b/w, 2 color, or full color

Don’t forget to add contrast

Suggestions Type contrast: Use a bold sans serif type for

headlines and a serif for body text. Size contrast: Make “it” big, really big. Use an

exaggerated drop cap or enlarge a single image to make a statement.

Other optional elements

Jumplines or continuation heads Appear at the end of a column

continued on page 2 And at the top of a column indicating where the

article is continued from continued from page 1

Typically are set in the same typeface but at a slightly smaller size than the main article headline.

Should contain a few of the same words as the main headline but not be exact duplicates of it.

Other optional elements: End Signs

A dingbat or symbol used to mark the end of a story in a newsletter

Signals the reader that they have reached the end of the article.

Other optional elements: Pull Quotes Used to attract attention, especially in long

articles Draws readers in to reading the article

A quote that is pulled out from the story Set the pull-quote apart from body copy

Different and larger typeface, box around it, different alignment, having it cross two columns of text (runaround with <Window <Text Wrap).