Print/Publication Standards Guidelines for a Newsletter

[Jen]

Here's an article I found online which looks at measureable guidelines
for publication design.
Although the author sites six primary concentrations, he only lists
five here that I can see.
???

Here's a link to the source:
http://www.graphic-design.com/DTG/Design/standards.html

Publication Design Standards
By Fred Showker

I get letters quite frequently requesting design "standards" of some
form or another. On the Design Cafe list, people often request
references to "cool" layouts, or "bleeding edge" web sites, and even
rules and regulations for various design projects.
Quite frankly, if we ask these questions today, we'll get as
many answers as there are respondents. However, in terms of print
design, there are certain rules -- let's call them guidelines -- that
one can rely on as a starting place for design experimentation.
When you are at the onset of a publication design, you need to
set up a prototype. The style or personality of the publication is
determined at this point, so you need to be sure each decision you
make pays careful attention to the details of good design. This could
be any kind of printed piece, but for this discussion I'm
intentionally talking about just newsletters, periodicals and perhaps
books.
There are six primary areas of concentration that have the most
dramatic affect on your finished publication: format, grid, nameplate
(title area on the front page), the style sheet, and graphic styling
details.
As briefly as possible, we'll walk through these areas before
taking a look at one particularly innovative and visually exciting
publication.

Designing the Format

The "Format" means the size and shape of the printed piece. There are
many sizes of publications, from 8.5 x 11 (from 11 x 17 folded), to
tabloid (11 " x 17"), to broadsheet (17 x 22) among others. But that
doesn't make these "standards." They're convenient because they're
based on standard paper sizes. I've seen quite a few based on 8 1/2" x
11 folded to 5.5 x 8.5, and 8 1/2" x 11 folded and trimmed to 4.25 x 9
or 10.
So, in terms of "format" there are not standards beyond the
availability and costs of standard sheet or roll paper stocks, and the
printing limitations of your commercial printer. I encourage you to
ask your commercial printer or paper house for convenient sheet sizes,
then begin folding and experimenting with different formats that might
suit your message best. Don't overlook web/newsprint printers, because
they have a unique set of specifications that can make for a unique
look.

Designing the Grid

The grid is probably the most important aspect of the overall design
-- and it deems the most amount of attention to establish it. Although
it demands a lot of work in the beginning, well planned grids are
wonderful because they eliminate a lot of work later, especially if
the publication is a periodical.
The grid for your publication will dictate how many columns you
will put on the page and where key elements will be placed. On the 8.5
x 11 page, your choices range from one to five columns or more.
No matter how many columns your grid is based on, keep this rule
in mind: Studies have proven that readers feel most comfortable with
between 35 to 45 characters per line. This is a key factor to
understand when you design the grid for a publication.
A one-column grid is not always advisable because unless you
have generous margins and white space between lines and paragraphs the
line lengths will be too long -- too many characters per line. In the
same regard, if you are trying to squeeze a five to seven column grid
into an 8.5 page width, then the line lengths will be too small,
characters per line too few, and the reading will be choppy and slow-
going.
The decision as to the number of columns and how they are used
should be determined partly by the number of photos or graphics you
will use.
Modular grids can be helpful, and provide exciting variations in
your periodicals, as we'll see in part two of this article. Alternate
grids can also be incorporated into a publication for those special or
unusual content items. But be careful: when you break from the grid,
it will be noticeable. The reader should not be aware that you've
switched grids!

Nameplates & Banners

The Nameplate or Banner refers to the title area on the front page.
It's sometimes called the flag. We often hear it called the masthead,
but in publication terminology, the masthead is the staff credit box
found elsewhere in the publication.
Designing the banner depends on two primary rules: it must be
distinctive, and it must portray or "suggest" the nature of the
content to be found within.
Newsletter design may differ slightly from magazine or newspaper
banners. In newsletters, the reader is usually a subscriber. Where
magazines must have a certain amount of news-stand appeal, newsletters
usually don't.
A second consideration should be the area where the banner
resides. This "spatial divider" can be a box, screen tint block, or
color band that defines the banner space but usually "white" space is
best. The location and size should not change. At right we see the
cover for our example publication today, Parade Magazine. The color
may change from issue to issue, but the banner position never changes.
Note how it's designed with space above for the local newspaper to
strip in their own banner marking.
When designing the nameplate -- take your time, and experiment
with many different arrangements. This is one of the most important
graphic areas of the publication because it's the first thing a new
reader connects with. It should be designed with care. If you're not
up to the challenge, by all means hire a professional designer.


The Style Sheet

The typography you use in your publication will ultimately control
it's readability, and believe it or not popularity. If a reader finds
your publication 'hard' to read, they won't stay long.
Generally speaking, most editorially based publications will run
60% to 85% text coverage. Less is better. The text needs to be
readable at all times, but readability is particularly important where
there's 75% and more text coverage.
Never set body type smaller than 9 point. The older your
audience is, the bigger the body type should be. In the same regard,
body text should seldom be larger than 11 point unless your audience
is over 65 years old. Design with 9, 10, or 11 point, and always
provide a minimum of 20% leading. (Multiply the point size by 1.20 for
the leading factor.) You can make it slightly more, but less is not
recommended. The wider the column, or the more dense the type, the
more leading you need. If your line lengths go beyond 45 characters,
make your leading factor at 25%. Always maintain the same size text
for all your articles. The only time you break from that rule are for
special editorial departments you wish to set apart from the rest of
the publication's content. If an article doesn't fit in one size, do
not change the size of the type to fit it. Edit the story back, or let
it take over more space.
Use no more than three faces for the working type. That's one
for body type, a second for headlines, and a third for "overhead" or
"special use." You can successfully design with only one type family
-- by using various sizes, weights and postures to differentiate the
usage.
When designing the typographic dress, and selecting the fonts to
be used, think long and hard about the image you want to portray. You
can create a friendly, informal look or a conservative, more formal
image -- all in the way you use typography. Remember that serif fonts
are regarded as best for running text. And also keep in mind that for
display type like heads or department slugs, a sans serif style
subliminally suggests "inorganic" content, and serif faces
subliminally suggest "organic" content.

Graphic Styling

Graphic Styling refers to the overall "look and feel" the publication
takes on because of the way art, photography and graphics are handled.
This is what makes you stand out in the crowd.
Graphic styling takes on two parts: overhead and editorial.
Overhead graphics are all those which remain in place on most pages,
and through every issue. Editorial graphics are all those which
pertain specifically to the editorial. You have a latitude of
flexibility with editorial graphics but NOT with overhead graphics.
Overhead graphics should be carefully thought out, and use with
restraint and consistency. Graphic devices which delineate the
publication should be used consistently throughout the publication.
Rules, borders, drop caps, department slugs, folios and other
repeating devices should be carefully designed to "control" the flow,
help the reader, but not disturb the reading process.



I'll keep looking, and Charles, I'll look for some additional examples
of a Creative Brief. Any and all feedback is welcome:)


Jen