NEWSPAPER EDITING, LAYOUT AND DESIGN LECTURE NOTE 2

DEPARTMENT OF MASS COMMUNICATION,

BAYERO UNIVERSITY, KANO

2013/2014 NEWSPAPER EDITING, LAYOUT AND DESIGN

LECTURE NOTE 2

TYPES OF LAYOUT

Regardless of which category-Layout can be further divided into either modular or rectangular.

Ø  Modular Layout: This type of layout is designed in such a way that the page is break into a series of rectangles- Headlines and related texts will form a four sided rectangular units. Each story is made to fit into a rectangular module and each story is separated by a white space.

Ø  Irregular layout on the other hand breaks a page into a series of inter-locking shapes-(Jigsaw)

It should be noted that, the layout type can change but the format remains the same.

LAYOUT FORMULAE

1. VERTICAL LAYOUT: This is the simplest form of page organization. Using these formulae headlines are the width of the basic single column grid and the text run a single column. It is the oldest form of layout and it is extremely limited in the range of news values it can express, visually depressing but the vertical shapes suggest energy C is appropriate for news. It gives maximum number of stories above fold. The issue of visual depression can be overcome by using colors along the horizontal lines (black & white) or varying adjacent heads. It can also overcome by the width of column inches. This could be used to overcome the problem of news values.

Follow this URL for more example http://www.thepaperboy.com/frontpages/archive/The_Guardian_13_8_2014.jpg

2. HORIZONTAL LAYOUT: Is a form of page organization that has more capacity for emphasis. A study fully designed horizontal layout is modular in shape with text squared up under a multi-columns h/L to create several horizontal units. The shape is therefore made up of series of these horizontal units lying on the top of each other.

The horizontal layout has the following merits:

1. It makes long stories to appear shorter
2. A complete news story can be read with the page folded at natural.
3. Headlines are separated from each other by texts, thereby enabling h/L to retain its emphasis.
4. It makes full use of the width of the page.

On the other side:

1. It yields few stories above the fold & often only those stories above the fold on a page are visible at retails or sales outlets.
2. It suggests rest & repose: A page designed based on series of horizontal lines may seem as monotonous as a prairie

3. QUADRANT/DIAGONAL: The quadrant layout divides the page into units or sections using a line at fold and another down the middle of the page. Each of the four sections will be assigned with attention compeller. This formula reminds the editor that there is more to a page than the top.

DEMERITS:

1. Geometric rigidity: The danger of the inflation values. Another type of Quadrant is Diagonal in which the layout editor places.
2. H/L along the imaginary diagonal lines that divide the page across the second variant of the quadrant has the virtue of reminding the layout man that H/L can be distributed everywhere on a page.

4. FRAME LAYOUT: Is more of gimmick than a formula. It offers very little guidance on emphasis or organization. It is designed based on simple fact that on an eight column page. Column 1 and column 8 should be of solid text so that beneath the paper’s title and eight column banner head, the rest of the content will form a frame.

5. BRACE LAYOUT: Using layout formulae, the headlines are arranged in steps so that the one at the top of the page is supported by another running parallel. In other words; it’s design with overwhelming large headlines which dominates the entire page with minor headlines beneath as supporters. It is also called (known as focus). The related stories will run parallel to the upper headlines which were arranged in steps.

This layout formula has two disadvantages:

1. Each headline can lose its emphasis as they may be competing for attention and depriving each other of contrast
2. The brace layout forces the texts away from its related headline.

6. CIRCUS LAYOUT FORMULA: All that the layout editor needs to consider when using this layout formulae is that the page is arranged in such a way that everything seems to happen at once. Several headlines, not necessarily of the same size are carelessly used on the page. Each headline will have to fight for attention. Usually, this form of layout is appropriate when the stories are short. The headline on this kind of page are dramatically displayed to entertain as well as to inform the readers.

7. SYMMETRICAL LAYOUT: The name symmetrical was viewed from the word symmetry which means two sides with equal things. In newspaper term ‘Symmetrical Layout’ is the kind of layout that attempt to produce a page of equal balance and weight around its axis-optical center of the page. Each side of the optical center is a mirror reflection of the other. The h/lines on the others sides are of the same weight and form with those on the other sides. The run of the text also are the same on both sides. It should be noted that, the optical center of the page is not the mathematical center as a horizontal unit-rather the optical centre of a symmetrical page is the mathematical center of the page as a vertical unit. To achieve this form of layout, the layout editor places the optical center of the mass on the optical center of the unit and is only possible when you have only one mass or design such as h/L on a feature page.

ADVANTAGES

1. Offers the designer the chance to clear organization
2. It has a powerful appeal for serious papers
3. Satisfy the mind of natural demand for balance

     

 DISADVANTAGES

             a. It distorts news values

                   b. Very difficult to achieve

             c. It is considered outdated

8. ASYMMETRICAL LAYOUT FORMULA

asymmetrical layout formula is typically off-center or created with an odd or mismatched number of disparate elements. When the left and right sides of the design are unequal it is said to have asymmetrical balance.

Asymmetrical does not necessarily mean unbalanced.

A print document may also be asymmetrical in other ways. A folded piece with distinctly uneven panels has asymmetrical folds, such as  the shape of a package where the left and right or top and bottom are not mirror images is asymmetrical.