DOCUMENT RESUME

ED 085 739 CS 2C0 908

AUTHOR Adams, Marlene E.TITLE Yearbook and Magazine Layout, English, Jcurnalism.

Language Arts: 5113.200.I;TSTITUTION Dade County Public Schools, Miami, Fla.PUB DATE 72NOTE 20p.; Authorized course of instruction for the

Quinmester Program

EDRS PRICE ;F -$0.65 HC-$3.29DESCRIPTORS Curriculum Guides; Editing; Elective Subjects;

*Journalism; *Layout (Publications); PeriDdicals;Photography; Printing; *Secondary Education; SpecialEffects; Student Developed t'aterials; *TeichingGuides; *Yearbooks

IDENTIFIERS Minicourses; *Quinmester Program

ABSTRACTDeveloped as a guinmester unit for the high school on

yearbook and magazine layout, this guide provides the teacher withsuggested teaching strategies for a study of the theory and practiceof page layout, photo cropping and editing, use of color and specialeffects, copy fitting and headline writing and fitting, andprinciples of typography. Current magazines are studied for trends in,layout, and methods of adapting magazine layout to schoolpublications are developed. Also provided are opportunities forpractice in using these skills, terms, and procedures. The guide isarranged by performance objectives with the teachinj strategieslisted under each objective. Appended is a list of student andteacher resources including textbooks, magazines useful for -tudyinglayout and typography, and yearbook printing companies in Floridawhich offer many booklets, brochures, samples, audiovisualpresentations, recordings, and other useful aids to yearbook layout.(HOD)

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AUTHORIZED COURSE OF INSTRUCTION FOR THE

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LANGUAGE ARTSYearbook and Magazine LayoNt5113. 2005114.2005115.1485116.1515165.15

FILMED FROM BEST AVAILABLE COPYDIVISION OF INSTRUCTION1971

YEARBOOK AND MAGAZINE LAYOUT

5113.200

5114.200

5115.148

5116.151

516E.15

English, Journalism

Written by Marlene E. Adamsfor the

DIVISION OF INSTRUCTIONDade County Public Schools

Miami, Florida1972

DA DE COUNTY SCITDOL BOAFD

Mr. William TAILIIIL171, ChairmanMr. G. Holmes Braddock Vice-Chairman

Mrs. Fthel Beck'AamMrs. Crutcher Harrison

Mrs. Anna Brenner MeyersDr. Ben She ppn d

Mr. William }-T.. Turner

Dr. E. L. Whigham, Superintendent of SchoolsDade County Public Schools

Miami, Florida 33132

Published by the Dade County School Board

COURSENUMBER5113.2005114.2005115.1485116.1515165.15

COURSE TITLE: YEARBOOK AND MAGAZINE LAYOUT

COURSE DESCRIPTION: A study of theory and practicein page layout, photo cropping and eCiting, use ofcolor and special effects, copy fitting and headlinewriting and fitting, and principles of typography.Current magazines are studied for trends in layout,and methods of adapting magazine layout to schoolpublications are developed.

I. PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES

A. Given a list of terms used in layout, tne student willdefine the terms.

B. Given a completed layout, the student will label thecomponents of the layout usirg appropriate terms.

C. Given several layouts from magazines or yearbooks, thestuc'ent will discuss critically the artistic successof each layout.

D. Giver examples of several different types of layouts,the student will identify each type.

E. Given 3 yearbook layout, the student will rearrangethe components of the layout to improve it.

F. Given ar uncropped picture, the student will crop thepicture, explaining his procedure.

G. Given a cropped picture, the student will calculatethe dimen3ions for an enlargement or a reduction ofthe picture.

H. Given blank layout paper and a ruler, the student willcopy a double page spread from a yearbook, making alayout fo- the spread.

I. Given a magazine, the student, selecting a spread,willadapt 't for a yearbook layout.

J. Given a magazine or yearbook, the student will identifyseveral special effects used in printing it.

K. Given a number of photos, the student, selecting onefor improvement with a special effect, will explainhis evaluation.

L. Given the opportunity, the student will explain therelative costs and advantages of differert specialeffects to a yearbook's budget.

M. Given a headline, the ..student will count the units inthe headline.

N. Given a block of copy, the student will count thecharacters in the block.

0. Given a block of copy, the student will es-jmat,,-2 thespace such copy would occupy in a yearbook.

P. Given samples of different type faces for headlinesand body copy, the student will evaluate each forlegibility and appropriateness in a yearbook.

Q. Given several uncropped pictuses, a block of copy, anda headline, the student will create a layout utilizingmost of the pictures, accommodating the headline andcopy, and following the rules of good layout.

II COURSE CONTENT

A. Rationale

A yearbook consists of an attractive display of pictorialand verbal information. Through the careful and artisticarrangement of photographs, artwork, headlines, and copy,the yearbook will give evidence of journalistic train-ing and will promote leadership. Skill in layout can bedeveloped by making editors aware of the elements oflayout, by exposing them to p',ofessional examples oflayout in magazines, and by providing practice in theuse and manipulation of these elements to achieve aneffect of unity and art in their layout designs.Ideally, this course would precede the actual productionof the school yearbook and would serve as a preparatorycourse for new staffers. However, the information inthis course could also be combined with the first quin-mester course in actual yearbook production. If theunits within the cou,se are converted into learningactivity packages, they could be taught at any timeduring the course or given to new students who join thestaff a'ter the first quin. The course includes prin-ciples of yearbook/magazine layout and identifiction ofseveral often -used styles of layout; cropping and pro-portioning (enlarging and reducing) of photos; methodsof fitting type for copy blocks, captions, and headlines;the use of color and other special effects; and oppor-fJnity for practice in using these skills, terms, andprocedures.

B. Range of subject matter

1. Theory of page layout

a. Photographsb. Headlinesc. Body copyd. Cutlinese. Airf. Styles

2 Photo cropping and proportioning

a. Portraitsb. Group shotsc. Candids

3. Color and special effects

a. Picturesb. Spot colorc. Screens

4. Type fitting for copy and headlines

5. Typography

III. TEACHING STRATEG:

A. Short lectures

Via lec:ure-demonstrations, the teacher may explainterms and identify the elewnts of layout: the margins,columns, gutter, double-paTa spread, copy, captions,headlines, and so on. The following material is anoverview of the primary understandings necessary tothe cevelopment of an attractive product.

Theory.' of page layout

"Layout" refers to efferent elements (pictures,type, and white space) in books, magazines, news-papers, advertisements, and other printed items.Yearbook layout emphasizes photographs primarily,but includes information, identification, and head-lines as well. There are many types of layoutarrangements, but nearly all have the same basicprinciples.

a. Photographs are planned so that the moreimportant or interesting pictures are featured,and others, if any, are subordinated. Usuallythe emphasis is achieved by size, though theuse of color or shape can also draw attentionto a picture.

b. Headlines are abbreviated sentences -- or some-times, merely titles -- which announce thesubject matter of the page or double pagespread. They are set in larger type. Thelocation of the headline is usually near thebody copy, most often directly above it. Thelength of the headline is determined by thelayout, and is written after the layout isdesigned v) it is sure to fit. The size oftype used is generally the same throughout thebook; however, a smaller size type is oftenused for "sub-heads" and other minor headlines.

c. Body copy is the "story" or written matter onthe page. Usually several paragraphs of copyare included on every double page spread.This is written in journalistic style, andoften written after the layout is made to in-sure that it will be long (or short) enough.

Body copy is generally in the same size andstyle of type throughout a yearbook. The copyin the opening section or on special pages mightbe larger, while the type used in the index,the class section, and for club identificationis generally,smaller. The width of copy blocksis usually standardized throughout a book: forexample, all copy might be set in lines threeinches wide. Another effect that is often usedin yearbooks is to set the copy so that oneside is "ragged" or unjustified; this give1s theeffect of free verse, a rather "arty" look.Again, consistency is important: if most ofthe copy is in even, justified columns, thenall of it should be.

d. Captions, or cutlines, contain information aboutphotos. Usually they are set in a differentstyle of type (boldface or italic) and often ina smaller size than the body copy. The usual

location for captions is above or below thepictures they describe. Sometimes captions fora page or spread are all put into one copyblock. These blocks are called "cluster cap-tions." Each caption is then keyed to itspicture numerically or with such expressions as"above left," etc. Many yearbooks eliminatecaptions on some or all of their candid photos.This makes layout easier (captions sometimesmake a layout more difficult to accomplish) andcleaner (because little lines of type betweenevery picture make layouts busy.) However,captions serve an important function: since ayearbook is primarily a reference book, it isuseful to include as much information as possiblefor the reader. The names of all people in aphoto and a description of the event or situationare considered essential by most yearbook judg-ing services.

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e. White space, or "air," is a layout element asmuch as are any of the above. Unlike newspapers,which generally fill up every bit of the pagewith type or pictures, leaving a margin onlyaround the outside edges, magazines and year-books utilize white space to balance and con-trast with other elements. White space is usedfor all exterior margins, and to separateelements from each other (interior margins).

f Layout styles -- specific ways to design pages,like the mosaic, moduar, Mondrian, formal-balance, or columnar method -- have seasons oreras of popularity. Each of the above methodsproduces layouts with a feeling of unity for abook, but each utilizes different approaches tofocus, white space, and so on. The best sourcefor current information about tre specificstyles that are "in' at any particular time isthe yearbook printer's representative. The majorpublishing companies provide any brochures andsamples of layout techniques for the use ofyearbook staffs.

2. Photo cropping and proportioning

The photographs in a yearbook may be roughly dividedinto three classes: portraits, group pictures, andcandid or informal pictures.

a Portraits are usually produced professionally,and when they are, they are generally proportioneduniformly and cropped into vertical shapes, withonly head and shoulders showing. Traditionally,portraits are printed using similar cropping,so the staff does not need to change anythingon these pictures before sending them to theprinter. However, they will usually be providedto the school larger than they are to appear inthe book. In the layout, then, the picturesmust be reduced in proportion to their originaldimensions. A picture that is 3" x 5", forexample, could be reduced proportionally to1 1/2" x 2 1/2", or to any other proportionalsize. Special slide rules and proportioningwheels and other devices are provided by theprinter to make this job a simple one.

b. Group pictures are portraits, in a sense, andare therefore cropped to include the subject --that is, the faces and shoulders of the indivi-duals -- with everything below shoulders orwaist trimmed off, and distracting backgroundsminimized. Currently, many group pictures arebeing arranged in a oasual manner with indivi-duals grouped informally in a garden, up astairway, under trees, and so on. In pictureslike these, the backgrounds are part of theplanned picture, and the full length of theindividuals is generally planned to be part ofthe artistic composition. These pictures are

cropped to inclor:e wh,itever adds lo.) the mood

of the picture, but the inoivi:aals shouldstill dominate: the more hookground that canbe trimmed away, the larjer the people will bein the yearbook, and Gnat is important tothese people.

c Informals oc candids can be cropped in manyunusual ways to focus attention on the subjectof t;ie photo. A study of Look or Life magazine

show that often the forehead of an indivi-dual will be cropped out to draw attention tohis expression or his work. Vertical pictures(pictures longer or higher than they are wide)are not as common as horizontals, and studentsshould look for vertical possibilities in someof their horizontally-printed photos. Verticalsare needed for interesting variety in layout,and often one minor element of a picture canbe isolated and enlarged into such a vertical.Square pictures are another format useful forvariety. Shapes other than rectangular (suchas circular, football-shaped, and so on) (orenot in vogue at the present, and in any caseare used exceedingly rarely for special emphasis.Sometimes the printer can "outline" a photo;that is, he ,can take the subject and eliminatethe background so the subject is printed stand-ing on the white page. This procedure is costly,and effective on a limited basis.

3. Color and special effee..o

A glance through recent local yearbooks will provethe popularity of many special-effect printingtechniques. Most of these techniques cost extramoney, and it is essential that the staff knowwhere and to what extent eacn technique is appro-priate.

a. Colored pictures are an obviously attractivefeature in many yearbooks. Such pictures arethe most expensive of all common printing effects,however. They require four separate printingplates and four printing runs with four colorsof ink. In addition, they require an originalcolor photo which in itself can be costly toset up and take. In laying out a sectionwhich will have color photos in it, the staff

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should know that the cost factor is decreasedfor successive color pictures on the same pageor printing flat. This fact is so because itcosts the printer little more to print addi-tional pictures in color at the same time thathe is printing cne. For this reason, thelocation of color must be planned with theprinter so that the most economical arrangementis made.

b. "Spot color" is the term used when an ink otherthan black is used on a page for any reason.This is done in "tint blocks," which are areasof solid or screened color printed behindpictures, between pictures, behind type areas,or sometimes in other ways. Spot color is alsoused in "duotone" photos, which are Mack -and-white pictures which are overprinted with thesame picture in a colored ink, such as green orblue. Sometimes type cr headlines are set incolored ink rather than black. The same plan-ning that is used in four-color process must beused to plan spot color, which, too, requiresseparate printing plates and press runs. Spotcolor is less expensive than four-color, but itis still an item that must be budgeted.

c. Special screens are sometimes used to get un-usual effects with black-and-white photographs.These screens are used instead of the tiny-dottype of halftone screen, and can make a picturelook like an etching, a poster, a series offine lines or concentric circles, etc. Theprinter's representative will have samples ofavailable screens and the different effectspossible with them.

4. Type fitting for copy and headlines

In order to be sure that a i'2adline will fit thespace planned for it in the layout, editors mustknow exactly how many units of type can be accommo-dated in that space, and then must count theirheadline to see that it does not exceed that numberof units. A headline that is too long or too shortcan make a layout look sloppy, and often cannot beprinted at all, causing the staff expense when theyhave to rewrite it while correcting proofs of thepage. Headlines are usually set in such large type

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that the letters must he counted in terms of"units," because some letters are wider than

others. The unit values for letters are givenin all basic journalism texts and are providedby most printers.

Because body copy is printed in ,mailer type,counting by units is not necessary. Often a word-count method is used, but the most accuratemethod is one in which every character ane spaceis counted. This is called the "character-count"method. Every type style and size has a differentcharacter count; that is, every style will differfrom others in the exact number of letters thatwill fit in a given line leogth. Again, theprinter can provide accurate counts for the typestyles to be used in the book. If body copy isnot counted, the editor may write too much or toolittle copy, making the layout slorpy and causingcorrection costs later.

5. Typography

mne selection of type faces for the yearbook dependson good taste and an understanding of the effectthe book is trying to achieve. First of all, thetype must be legible -- in other words, it shouldnot be physically fatiguing to the eye to read inquantity. Scripts, italics, and text types (oldEnglish) are not as legible as the more commonlyused (roman and sans serif type face.) However,most printers offer a wide variety of type styles- -and most are easily read. A second considerationis effect; some type styles are traditional-looking,and others are quite modern-looking. Some aredelicate and feminine, while others are bold and

overpowering. Since the entire book is generallyprinted in one type style, care must be taken thatthe type style chosen will be appropriate formany uses. A third consideration is harmony.Headline type and body type are often not in thesame "family" of type, but they should look welltogether, and suggest a similar "mood."

B. Projects and writing assignments

This course is basically a laboratory for new yearbookstaffers to learn and practice layout techniques.Therefore, most of the course must be involved with

student production of layouts and student practice inthe skills needed to make layouts. Projects and assign-ments will include copying pages from existing yearbooksonto layout paper; improving such layouts; adaptingmagazine layouts for yearbook use; cropping photos toarea of interest; proportioning photos to fit into lay-outs; designing layouts which will accommodate picturesthat have been proportioned; counting headlines by units;counting copy by characters; laying out copy and head-line areas which will accommodate previously writtencopy and headlines; specifying different kinds ofspecial effects. In addition, the teacher may assignwriting assignments in which students explain why copy-fitting is necessary, why cropping a picture can makeit more interesting, or why a particular magazine oryearbook has good or bad layouts.

C. Discussions

Discussion is useful when evaluating layouts either inmagazines and yearbooks or in student-produced assign-ments. It can be used to determine the best croppingof a picture. Since special effects are used in limitedways in a yearbook, students should discuss the mostinteresting and economical ways for their book to in-clude any such effects.

D. Resource personnel

The publisher's representative is the most easilyavailable, well-trained person to supplement instructioncovered in this unit. The photographer contracted totake senior portraits often has personnel who can explainphoto cropping to a class. Local journalists and adver-tising layout people may have ideas for the staff, buttheir ideas may not instantly translate themselves toyearbook technique.

E. Field trips

Local publishers of magazines and yearbooks might permittours of the pasteup and printing areas in their plants.Such tours can show students why their layouts must beexecuted in a way that the printer's employees can easilyinterpret.

IV LEARNING ACTIVITIES FOR STUDENTS

A. Learning the language of layout

1. Listen to lecture/demonstration on layout terms.

2. Study printed lists of layout definitions.

3. Read textbook chapters on layout, if any.

4. Look at a completed layout; identify the partsof the layout.

5. Look at a magazine spread; identify the parts ofthe layout.

B. Learning the theories or types of layouts

1. Listen to lecture/demonstration which illustratesdifferent types of layout.

2. Look through other yearbooks; identify the type oflayout used.

3. Look at magazines (Look, Life, etc.); identify typeof layout used.

4. Evaluate different types of layout in a discussion;determine which layouts seem most attractive andwhich seem easiest to execute and to adapt tc thevarious needs of the school's yearbook.

C. Cropping and proportioning photos

1. Study photos printed in yearbooks and magazines tosee if the editors trimmed uninteresting and dis-tracting elements from the pictures.

2. Study photos provided by the photographer whichhave not been cropped to determine where they shouldbe cropped.

3. Listen to lecture/demonstration on methods ofcropping photos.

4. Use actual photos; make crop marks on photo usingmethod requested by printer or teacher.

5. Calculate the width of a printed photo if the croppedsize is now 6" x 8" and the height to be, whenprinted, 3"; 12"; 7"; 5".

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6. Presume a layout calls for a photo to be 9" x 12",Find a photo and crop it proportionally so it canbe enlarged to that size. Try this approach forother hypothetical sizes.

7. Redesign a layout from a yearbook by enlarging, re-ducing, and recroppino photos in order to improvethe layout. (Presume the copy and headlines tooccupy the same amount of space they use in theoriginal layout.)

D. Learning to recognize and use special effects

1. Look through magazines and yearbooks to find photoswhich use special elfects; discuss the value of sucheffects.

2. Listen to lecture/demonstration on the types ofspecial effects, the planning necessary for theiruse, and the cost to the yearbook for each effect.

3. Listen to a short lecture on printing flats, photoscreening at the printer's, use of inks, and otheritems which affect the use of special effects.

4. Discuss the disadvantages of extra-cost specialeffects versus the added artistic values which theyprovide.

5. Find photos which would be effective with specialscreen treatments or with spot color added as aduotone or tint block. Design a layout in whichthese pictures are featured. Write clear specifi-cations or instructions on the layout which theprinter could follow to achieve the effect intended.

6. Fold a large sheet of paper into eight sections torepresent an eight-page standard printing flat.Roughly plan a sixteen page section (using bothsides of the paper) to utilize four-color or spotcolor on one printing flat (one side of the largepaper.)

E. Fitting type for headlines and copy areas

1. Listen to a lecture/demonstration on the un''.method of counting headlines.

2. Practice counting units on heauiines provided bythe teacher.

3. Find headlines of different type sizes and style:,

in magazines and yearbooks. Count the number ofunits in a given length of each (4 inches, forexample) to compare the effect of different sizesand styles on the number of units accommodated by

each.

4. Count fifteen units in each sample headline used in#3 and compare the length of each headline atfifteen units.

5. Listen to lecture on character counting---how andwhy it is done.

6. Find a block of copy in a magazine or yearbook.Count the number of lines of type. Count thecharacters in several lines of type to determinean average number of characters in a line. Measurethe length of the line in picas. Calculate how manylines would be needed if each line were 1 inch

longer; 1 inch shorter. Calculate how much verticalspace would be occupied by the new copy blocks.This should be done, step by step, by the entireclass, if possible, at least at first.

7. Discuss in class what would happen if headlinesand copy blocks were not counted carefully to fitthe layout.

8. Discuss in class the advantages and disadvantagesof writing headlines and copy first, and then designa layout to accommodate them.

F. Learning the principles of typography

1. Listen to a lecture/demonstration on typographyterms (point system of measuring, serifs, legibility,harmony, and so on.)

2. Find type faces in magazines which are italic, roman,sans serif, text, script, bold, condensed, novelty,

etc. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages ofseveral of these faces for yearbook use.

3. Measure headline types from top of a capital letterto bottom of a descending letter (y, g, p) with apica stick (special ruler) to determine point sizeof Hypes .

4. Discuss effect of type sizes on layouts, readerinterest, readability.

5. Listen to lecture/discussion on specifying type forthe printer.

6. Indicate copy and headlines on a layout and specifyaccording to instructions of printer or teacher.

IV. STUDENT RESOURCES

A. State-adopted textbooks

1. Hartman, William. Journalism. River Forest,Illinois: Laidlaw Brothers, 1968.

2. Mulligan, John and Dan D'Amelio. Experiencesin Journalism. Atlanta: Lyons and Carnahan, Inc.,1956.

B. The following magazines are useful for studying layoutand typography. Current and recent issues will reflectnew trends in these areas, many of which are adaptableto yearbooks.

1. Life

2. Look

3. McCall's

4. Seventeen

5. Esquire

6. Playboy

7. TV Guide

8. Psychology Today

9. Vogue

C. The following yearbook printing companies are amongthose doing business in Florida. They offer many book-lets, brochures, samples, audio-visual presentations,recordings, and other useful aids in yearbook layout.

1. American Yearbook Company, Hannibal, Missouri

2. Keys Printing Company, c/o Jack Willians Company,Gainesville, Florida

3. Delmar Publishing Company, Charlotte, North Carolina

4. Paragon Press, c/o Jack Williams Company, Gainesville,Florida

5. Taylor Publishing Company, Hollywood, Florida, orDallas, Texas

6. Designers Press, Orlando, Florida

7. Crown Publishing Company, Orland, Florida

V. TEACHER RESOURCES

See STUDENT RESOURCES: A., B., C.