step-by-step column design designing a 10-column spread
TRANSCRIPT
Step-by-Step Column Design
Designing a 10-column spread
Lesson Goals
You will learn how to design a 10-column spread
You will be able to identify the common pitfalls of column design
Terminology Review
Step One
Determine how many columns you will have on your spread. Use 3, 4 or 5 columns per page when you begin.
All copy and captions will be one column wide, and
All photographs will align with the width of the columns.
The columns are one pica apart.
How to set up columns in Adobe
Click on Layout Margins and
Columns
How to set up columns in Adobe Adjust the number of columns to 5. Notice the column guides appear as you
type the number in.
Step Two
Place the dominant photoThe dominant photo is two to 2 ½
times larger than any other on the spread.
It usually crosses the gutter.It helps to unify the two pages of the
spread.
Step Two
In Adobe…
Use your box tool to create a spot for your photo
Step Three
Place the remaining candid photosA typical spread has 5 to 7 additional
photos of varying shapes and sizes.Place these around the dominant
photo.Use a consistent internal margin of 1
pica to separate the photos.Leave room for copy and the headline.
Step Three
In Adobe…
Use your box tool to create the remaining photo spaces
Check that your spacing is consistent between photos.
Step Four
Place the captionsEach photo needs a caption.Place each caption so that it “touches”
the photograph it describes.Captions can be placed above, below
or next to the photos.Never place more than two captions
together.
Step Four
In Adobe…
Use the Type tool to drag a box in the locations desired.
Step Five
Place the copy and headlineThe copy and headline are a single,
rectangular unit.They should be placed in one of the
four corners of the spread.
Step Five
In Adobe…
For your Copy draw a box with your Type tool.
Right Click Choose Text
Frame Options
In Adobe…
For your Headline, draw a box with your Type tool.
It should span the same number of columns as your copy.
Copy box
Headline box
Sounds too Easy?
Mistakes can still be made.
Be careful of the 3 common pitfalls of Design
Pitfall One
Trapped CaptionsCaptions should be placed to the
outside of the spread.They should never be sandwiched
between two or more photos or between the copy block and a photo.
Pitfall One
To avoid this pitfall, place all captions after photos have been arranged.
Pitfall Two
Elements do not fill the columns, creating more than one pica of white space between elements.
Pitfall Three
Elements violate the external margin. Be sure that when you bleed a photo, it
extends to the outside of the bleed line. The bleed line is the dark grey one-pica line to the outside of spreads
Pitfall Three
Be sure to flow your copy text in columns
Right-click on your copy text frame
Choose Text Frame Options
Change the Number of Columns to the number of columns that your box spans.
Click OK
Create a Layout Open the 2 page spread template
from the I: drive Set up your column guides Create 7 – 10 photo boxes Add caption boxes for each photo, a
headline and copy (properly placed) Place photos (image-in), add text Ensure you have avoided the pitfalls!
Choose a topic, take photos…your Layout is due on Tues. September 21