Many people are daunted by the prospect of having to lay out a somewhat complex document like a newsletter. Generally, to get the job done, they are faced with the task of figuring out a desktop publishing program like Microsoft Publisher (at the low end) or Adobe InDesign (at the high end). However, creating a layout using desktop publishing software isn’t very difficult once you understand a couple of basic principles.
First, unlike Microsoft Word or other word processors, a layout program isn’t linear. You need to think of your page more modularly because it’s made up of a series of boxes. Pictures go in one type of box and text goes in another type of box. The text boxes can be linked together to form text chains so the text flows from page to page.
Because a layout is essentially made up of boxes, one technique graphic designers use is the concept of a “layout grid.” At it’s most basic, a grid simply helps you line up items on the page. Most programs have margin and column guides, plus you can click and drag other guidelines onto the page to help line up your boxes.
Generally, when you are given a task like a newsletter, people throw all the component parts at you, and you have to figure out how to make everything fit. Now you have 3 articles, 12 photos and no idea what to do. Before you start willy nilly heaving things onto the page, I suggest you stop and think about the image you want to present. Does your company have a particular look or use specific colors or fonts? You probably want to carry that look into your newsletter. First set up the overall page size and margins. Then set up the masthead and basic fonts and any other elements that need to tie in with the company look first.
Now draw the boxes for your 12 photos, but don’t put them in yet. Will you really have enough room for the articles? If not, now is a good time to negotiate any photo or article deletions (i.e. before you spend a lot of time in layout). Next load in just one article and start setting up styles for the headings and the body text, so your formatting will remain consistent. Finally, load in the other articles and see if you can make them fit.
Unfortunately, making things fit rarely works on the first try, so you frequently have to tweak things. Whether or not all your items fit depends on the fonts you use, how big the text boxes are, the size of the pictures interspersed within the text, and how the text runs around the pictures. So you need to adjust these variables to make it all fit. Welcome to the world of desktop publishing!