Page Layout

Aby Jones

The page layout is very importantTo ensure a clear and effective page layout, certain points need to be focused on, the layout has to be:

• Professional• Easy to read and follow• And aesthetically pleasing

Ensure that the conventions are used correctly, the conventions being:• Margins• Grids• Spreads• Columns• Dateline

• Page numbers• Orientation

Conventions

Here is an example of margins – a margin is the space around the edge of the page that hasn’t been marked with text, it’s almost like a border around it.

This particular example is a double page spread as the text/story covers two pages, not just one.

The text has been broken down in to columns, this splits paragraphs in to singular columns and makes it a lot easier for the reader to follow – columns can be made using grids during production.

As the example article I used didn’t have a dateline, here is an example of one using the guardian’s website. The dateline is when the story was published, it’s usually used for storing in the magazine/newspaper companies archives or it can be used for referencing work.

Depending on the size of the magazine and the page layout, there is usually page numbers at the bottom corner of the pages – this is to help readers navigate easily through magazines and pieces of text.

Page orientation is how the information on the page (the text, pictures etc.) is presented, in this case, the page layout is landscape.

The text to picture ratio is almost half and half but there is definitely a lot more writing in correlation to pictures.

Ensure that the devices are also used correctly, the devices being:• Headline• Crosshead• Cutout• Strap line• Base line• Border

• Blobs and stars• Drop capital

• White/negative space• Reverse• Pull quote

DevicesThe headline is the main title of the text – it can give an extremely brief explanation as to what the reader is about to read, it can also draw them in.

The headline can be a clever play on words that fans of certain subjects or people can be immediately drawn to – in this case, it’s the supposed nickname of the singer with a little quotation on the other side of her saying: “Mind the claws!”

This particular example doesn’t have a cutout image as the background is still in the picture.A cutout is when an image has everything but the main object deleted from it, i.e. the background and then the image is incorporated somewhere in to the article so that is stands out – using the previous example, this is a cutout image.

The bit of bolder, smaller writing after a headline is called a strapline, the idea behind this device is that it further explains what the viewer exactly what they are going to be reading about their favourite artist/subject – in this case, the strapline is explaining the header, ‘Kaytiekat’ by telling us who she is and what she does.

The base line is the imaginary line that the writing on the page rests on – almost like rubbed out lines in a text book.

A border is a box that is formed around text to keep it separate from the rest of the text – such as this one - this could be for various reasons, i.e. it’s a clever remark, like in this article or it has nothing to do with the rest of the text.

Blobs and stars (bullet points etc.) are used to draw attention to a particular part of the text – they’re used to abbreviate paragraphs and make it easier to keep the readers attention.

Drop capitals are enlarged letters at the beginning of a piece of writing this can be used to make the piece of writing aesthetically pleasing or it can be used to draw attention to the text – a viewer can open to the page and become engrossed in it just because of the first letters style.

White space or negative space is the area in an article or a piece of text that is left unmarked, in this example there is quite a bit of negative space beside the image.

The reverse device is putting white text on a dark background, it can be difficult to read for some – in this example, the strapline and sub headings plus the pull quote are all in reverse.

A pull quote is a piece of interesting text that has been enlarged and put in-between text to attract attention to it – to entice the reader.

The crosshead in this example is the subheading that breaks up the text making it easier for the viewer to read.