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Tips for Good Design
The copy may say everything you want it to say, but without careful and intelligent design to reinforce your point, the message may seem garbled or even contradictory. The professional designer considers a number of elements in creating a unified whole. Questions regarding size, folding, weight of paper and color, type selection, illustration and photography are among the many issues that must be decided before a publication is ready to be produced.
How often have you made a decision regarding the worth of an offer based on the "quality" of the publication that represents it? Whether it is an advertisement, brochure, direct mail solicitation, or full-color catalog, audiences make snap judgments and rate the value of the offering on the basis of the material they hold in their hands. Does the paper feel flimsy? Are the colors too gaudy? Does the illustration look like it should be on a matchbook cover? In publications, the medium is the message.
Please note that Microsoft Publisher and Microsoft Word are software programs designed for desktop printing. These programs are not used by printers for offset printing. To have a project printed that was created in Publisher or Microsoft Word, you will need to convert the file to a PDF.
Boxes, borders and rules create visual interest when used in moderation. But keep it simple. A single-rule box is preferable to a more complex one. A hairline rule between type columns also may work.
A screen of ink printed behind the text can add emphasis, but be careful not to sacrifice readability. If there is a lot of type, use a screen value of no more than 10 percent or 20 percent.
Clip art offers graphic possibilities, but make sure it is appropriate to the publication and the font. Cutesy clip art makes the piece look less professional and, by extension, the university looks unprofessional.
Adobe Garamond was selected to impart a feeling of history and academia. Univers communicates a modern, efficient approach to balance out the more traditional font. These two fonts — along with their complete families of light and bold, Roman and italic — are recommended for all publications.
Most lengthy body text should be set in Adobe Garamond. Univers can be used for captions, bold headings, reversed type, text set off in a box or in any application where a more modern look is desired. Other typefaces may be used as accents, headlines or in limited applications as appropriate. There should be a justifiable reason for using other typefaces, beyond the designer’s personal preferences.
The university’s Web/PC-friendly fonts are Times and Arial. Use Times as a replacement for Adobe Garamond and Arial as a replacement for Univers.
When a heading falls at the bottom of a column or page, be sure to include at least two lines of text with the heading. Otherwise, move the heading to the next column or page.
Lists and bullets are helpful for highlighting information; be careful of overusing other dingbats, typographical symbols or ornaments. These, too, can clutter a page. One strong image is more effective than many little icons.
Type that is angled, put in irregularly shaped blocks, or broken across an illustration is difficult to read. People read from left to right, so any divergence from that pattern immediately sets up a roadblock to communication.
If you print a newsletter, consider preprinting the masthead in color on enough paper for several issues. Each issue can then be printed in a second color of ink at less cost.
Stick with standard paper sizes. All paper sizes are based on multiples of 8 1/2 by 11 inches. When you stray from those sizes, your cost will increase because more paper will be required for printing. If your publication will be mailed in an envelope, consider the size of the envelopes you will need to mail it. Larger envelopes and those that are nonstandard sizes will increase postage costs.
Most printers stock house sheets. Using this paper is less expensive than ordering a special stock.
Special effects, such as embossing, die cutting, foil stamping, special scoring, bleeds or fancy folds, can add substantially to printing cost and production time. Embossing or die cutting your publications usually increases lead time, and bleeds may require a larger sheet size than you would otherwise need.
How often have you made a decision regarding the worth of an offer based on the "quality" of the publication that represents it? Whether it is an advertisement, brochure, direct mail solicitation, or full-color catalog, audiences make snap judgments and rate the value of the offering on the basis of the material they hold in their hands. Does the paper feel flimsy? Are the colors too gaudy? Does the illustration look like it should be on a matchbook cover? In publications, the medium is the message.
Keep the following general guidelines in mind when designing a publication.
For a professional look, keep your design simple. Choose a few elements and use them consistently. This will help you achieve a cleaner, more readable look. Consult the Branding Standards and Graphic Identity Toolkit published by the Office of University Marketing for proper use of text and images.Please note that Microsoft Publisher and Microsoft Word are software programs designed for desktop printing. These programs are not used by printers for offset printing. To have a project printed that was created in Publisher or Microsoft Word, you will need to convert the file to a PDF.
Page Layout
Balance and proportion are the keys to page layout. It is important to consider the overall look of the page and its relationship to the opposite page. A page with solid type looks gray. Use subheadings to break it up. Vary the sentence length, and keep the paragraphs short. Use white space to give the eye a place to rest. Also use only one space between sentences, not two as when you use a typewriter.Boxes, borders and rules create visual interest when used in moderation. But keep it simple. A single-rule box is preferable to a more complex one. A hairline rule between type columns also may work.
A screen of ink printed behind the text can add emphasis, but be careful not to sacrifice readability. If there is a lot of type, use a screen value of no more than 10 percent or 20 percent.
Clip art offers graphic possibilities, but make sure it is appropriate to the publication and the font. Cutesy clip art makes the piece look less professional and, by extension, the university looks unprofessional.
Working with Type
Official Texas State Typefaces
The consistent use of a small family of typefaces is the most important constant in helping to establish a unified look among Texas State’s many publications. As with other graphic elements, consistency with type is necessary to help establish a strong brand identity. The official typefaces include a serif font, Adobe Garamond, and a sans serif font, Univers.Adobe Garamond was selected to impart a feeling of history and academia. Univers communicates a modern, efficient approach to balance out the more traditional font. These two fonts — along with their complete families of light and bold, Roman and italic — are recommended for all publications.
Most lengthy body text should be set in Adobe Garamond. Univers can be used for captions, bold headings, reversed type, text set off in a box or in any application where a more modern look is desired. Other typefaces may be used as accents, headlines or in limited applications as appropriate. There should be a justifiable reason for using other typefaces, beyond the designer’s personal preferences.
The university’s Web/PC-friendly fonts are Times and Arial. Use Times as a replacement for Adobe Garamond and Arial as a replacement for Univers.
Type Size
Body type size should usually be between 9 and 12 points. With an older audience, the type size should be 11 or 12 points. Body type size should be consistent throughout the document. Avoid the temptation to use a smaller point size to squeeze in a paragraph at the end of a page. Doing so can make the document look unprofessional. It is better to edit the document to reduce the amount of text or use a different point size and leading (space between the lines) to make the text fit.Headings
Establish a hierarchy for your headings so that all of the same-level headings are in the same point size. Consistency in headings makes the piece easier to read and helps convey important points. The spacing above and below the headings, as well as the captions and artwork, should be the same throughout the document.When a heading falls at the bottom of a column or page, be sure to include at least two lines of text with the heading. Otherwise, move the heading to the next column or page.
Widows and Orphans
Avoid orphans and widows. An orphan is a syllable, word or short line appearing by itself at the bottom of a column, paragraph or page. A widow is a short, paragraph-ending syllable, word or line appearing alone at the top of a column, paragraph or page. Usually, these can be corrected through editing.Text Treatment
Certain type elements should be used sparingly — all caps, reversed type, italics, underlining and boldface. These elements should be used for emphasis. Too much underlining or too much boldface causes the eye to see the underline or the boldface but not the rest of the text. It is better to edit or rewrite for stronger text. Let the words carry the message. Use visual devices sparingly.Lists and bullets are helpful for highlighting information; be careful of overusing other dingbats, typographical symbols or ornaments. These, too, can clutter a page. One strong image is more effective than many little icons.
Type that is angled, put in irregularly shaped blocks, or broken across an illustration is difficult to read. People read from left to right, so any divergence from that pattern immediately sets up a roadblock to communication.
Text Alignment
A ragged right margin will give you better word spacing and fewer hyphens. A rule of thumb is no more than three hyphens in a row at the end of a line.Column Width
Optimum column width is about three inches. For ease of reading, text should be set in columns with sufficient space between the columns. Two, three and four columns are standard.Color
If you can afford only one color of ink for your professionally printed piece, you should use black or maroon. If you are using maroon ink, try to use cream paper stock instead of white. Gold works well as an accent color, but gold type is hard to read. If you are printing photographs, particularly photographs of people, you should choose from dark, neutral shades such as brown, gray and black.Paper
A simple, clean design on good-quality paper stock will be far more effective than a page filled with fancy design elements printed on a sheet of bond paper. If you have limited funds for printing, investing in the paper is best. Even if you are going to use a quick copy service, a grade of paper heavier than 20-lb. bond will improve the look of the piece. A colored stock is fine; however, choose a paper color that will complement your ink color and the content of your publication and that the color of the paper is light enough for the text to be read.If you print a newsletter, consider preprinting the masthead in color on enough paper for several issues. Each issue can then be printed in a second color of ink at less cost.
Stick with standard paper sizes. All paper sizes are based on multiples of 8 1/2 by 11 inches. When you stray from those sizes, your cost will increase because more paper will be required for printing. If your publication will be mailed in an envelope, consider the size of the envelopes you will need to mail it. Larger envelopes and those that are nonstandard sizes will increase postage costs.
Most printers stock house sheets. Using this paper is less expensive than ordering a special stock.
Special effects, such as embossing, die cutting, foil stamping, special scoring, bleeds or fancy folds, can add substantially to printing cost and production time. Embossing or die cutting your publications usually increases lead time, and bleeds may require a larger sheet size than you would otherwise need.