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Page Design. Overall design issues. Know audience expectations Know client expectations Maintain a consistent look and feel Consider how each page will look before starting the work. Each page must be part of a whole Prevents having the 1 page that looks awkward. Design points.
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Overall design issues • Know audience expectations • Know client expectations • Maintain a consistent look and feel • Consider how each page will look before starting the work. • Each page must be part of a whole • Prevents having the 1 page that looks awkward
Design points • Audience needs come first • What are audience goals and information needs • Obvious organization -- lead the reader • Informative headings • Enough white space to show structure • Design to draw reader in • How does it look at 10 feet?
Serif and sans serif fonts • Serifs are the tails on the letters • Serif leads the eye from letter to letter • At large font sizes, the serifs get too big
Sans serif fonts Note varying line weights on Optima
Font tone • Each font carries a visual tone that affects how the reader reacts to the text • Can be
Points x height Body size Baseline Type anatomy
Font choices • Normally sans serif • The sans serif is visually distinct from the serif body font. This allows the eye to more easily distinguish a heading from the body text. • At larger sizes, the serifs become too large and are distracting for the reader.
Font size • Use a different font size for each heading • Avoid all caps or underlines • What is the most important attribute for distinquishing a heading?
White space • Any space that does not contain text • White space breaks up the page • Large blocks of dense looking text turn off the reader • Too much white space makes the page look disjoint
Heading white space • Sets off the heading from the text • Ensure the heading is visually tied to the proper text elements
Use unbalanced white space • Put more white space above the heading than below it. Gives a visual connection with the text. • Make the white space part of the paragraph formatting. Do not use returns. • Format-Paragraph-Spacing • Allows partial line spacings. Better control.
Line spacing • Also called Leading • Double or 1.5 is usually too much • Can be set in small increments • Some fonts look better with slightly more leading • Small changes can have large effect on document length
Line spacing examples 12 pt 15 pt 18 pt
Line spacing 12 pt 10 pt 8 pt
Text justification • Four options • Justified left, ragged right • Full justified • Ragged left, justified right • Centered
Left justified, ragged right • Easiest to read • Broken right edge helps eye remain oriented • Gives overall page a distinct shape for later recall
Full justified • Both left and right hand sides are justified • Not as easy to read • Page lacks distinct shape • Most publishers use this • Word processors are bad at good justification
Ragged left, justified right • Hard for eye to find new line • Only use for special effects • Never use for large text blocks
Centered • Hard to read • Eye can’t find new line • Use for special effect • Each line should stand alone
Line length • Best line is about 2 alphabets long • Actual length varies depending on the font • Too short, the eye is always doing a “fly back” • Too long, the eye gets lost on the “fly back” • Longer lines require more line spacing
Line length and paragraph width • If the material will be scanned for specific information, indent the text from the headings. • Longer page count = $$
Line length and paragraph width • If the text will be read in long blocks, align the text with the headings. • Saves page count
Hanging indents • First line flush and rest are indented • Useful for definition lists • Tips for the word processor • Set tab properly • Define hanging indent. • Never try to use hard returns and spaces.
