Description
Learning Objectives Covered:
Implement correct usage of Master Pages
Define and apply a grid system to a page layout
Utilize a baseline grid to align text and graphics in layout
Background
Wk3Assignment.jpgPage layout software like InDesign incorporates tools to create master pages, baseline grids, and style sheets to help designers utilize grid systems, repeating elements, and standard font sets quickly and easily. Learning how to properly use master pages, InDesign’s tool to be able to quickly add and change elements to multiple pages with ease, allows designers to create multi-page documents faster and with a consistent layout. Baseline grids are used to take a page with a lot of text columns and line them up top to bottom. Creating layouts based on a grid system will allow the designer to properly use the elements to create their compositions. These types of finishing touches can take a multi-page layout from good to great. These may seem unnecessary or restrictive, but using these tools and sweating the details could make the difference between having a good portfolio and a great portfolio.
Over the next two weeks, you will be creating a newsletter utilizing these great tools in conjunction with the tools you have learned to use in week’s one and two. Webster’s Dictionary defines a newsletter as: “A printed report usually issued at regular intervals, giving news about or information of interest to a particular group.” Research has shown that the first newsletters came around in the 1530’s, long before their larger, more complex cousin, the newspaper. Throughout the coming decades, newsletters would evolve into newspapers and become larger and more comprehensive versions of themselves.
In the early 1900’s, newsletters became popular once again. Businesses looked to them to be a vehicle for specialized information. By the 1930s, corporate newsletters were on the rise. From farming to fashion, there were few areas that a newsletter didn’t individually cover industry trends and happenings.
By the mid to late 1980’s, newsletters once again soared in popularity with the advent of desktop publishing. The once labor-intensive multipage documents became something quite accessible – and utilized – by businesses of all kinds. Today, print and digital media combine when it comes to newsletters. Online drag and drop systems have brought a once complex e-blast on to the desktops of designers and business owners alike. So are print newsletters dead? Nope. They are still a vital way to spread news today.
Prompt
For the next two week’s assignments, you will be building a 4-page newsletter utilizing style sheets and master pages. For this week’s portion, you will complete the following:
Create a new InDesign document
8.5″ x 11″
.5″ margins on top, left and right
.75″ margin on bottom
Facing Pages
3 columns
.25″ gutter between columns
4 pages
Master page construction
Folio – Auto page numbering, date, name of publication
Baseline grid
Style sheets for headers, first paragraph (drop cap), subheads and body copy
Page 1/cover, layout which includes
Flag (logoed title of newsletter)
Table of contents – apply your knowledge of tabs here
Feature article
Sidebar with article
Pages 2 and 3 will be addressed in Week 4, so leave them blank
Page 4
Place graduation ad (pdf provided) on top half
Bottom half utilized as mailing panel
Remove page number and any other elements from the page bottom here so that it is mailable
You are encouraged to follow the general layout from the example so you can focus on learning the tools
When you are finished with your design, create a package folder
Be sure that a quality screen resolution pdf is included in your package
Zip the package folder and submit the .zip file
Download the Student Matters newsletter assets here. The packaged file includes:
Flag (logo for the top of the page)
7 Word files with copy for the newsletter
7 Photographs
Style sheet specifications
Graduation ad PDF
Final newsletter layout PDF