newspapers still carry the most important story in the
upper right-hand corner of the front page because of
established practices.
Today, a large percentage of newspaper editors use
the upper left-hand corner as the focal point. These
editors think that readers, trained in school to read other
literature from left to right, prefer their newspapers to
be designed that way too. A few editors still use other
areas, such as the upper center of the front page as the
focal point. Only time will tell which is best, if indeed,
there is a “best.”
INSIDE PAGE FOCAL POINT
The focal point on inside pages is the upper
left-hand corner if there are no advertisements.
Therefore, the focal point is influenced by a newspaper
reader’s natural sight tendencies and is not hampered by
customs.
On inside pages with advertising, the way ads are
placed on the page influences the position of the focal
point. The focal point is always opposite the lower
corner of the page that is anchored by the largest mass
of advertising.
MAKEUP LINES
You will use the following four basic types of
“lines” in newspaper makeup:
l Vertical
. Diagonal
l Circular
l Horizontal
Vertical Line
The vertical line is used to get the reader to read up
and down the page. The line is carried out on the page
by displaying stories, headlines and pictures vertically
on the page. It is characteristic of the makeup of
newspapers in early America and is still used to a limited
degree in making up newspapers today.
Diagonal Line
The diagonal line is used in newspaper makeup to
get the reader to read through the page. The line is
carried out on the page by displaying headlines and
pictures so together they forma diagonal line from the
upper left-hand corner to the lower right-hand corner of
the page. Also, a page can contain a double diagonal by
forming another diagonal in the opposite direction from
the first. The diagonal line lends a sense of rhythm to
the page. It is characteristic of many of today’s
newspapers.
Circular Line
The circular line is used in newspaper makeup in an
attempt to get the reader to read around the page. The
line is carried out on the page by displaying stories,
headlines and pictures on the page so the reader sees
each as being equally important. This creates a tendency
on the reader’s part to read all the stories. The circular
line is used to a limited degree in modem newspapers.
Horizontal Line
The horizontal line is used in newspaper makeup to
get the reader to read back and forth on the page. The
line is carried out by displaying stories, headlines and
pictures horizontally on the page. The horizontal line is
a post-World War II development and it is probably the
most striking change in the appearance of newspapers
in this century. It is a characteristic of many present-day
newspapers.
NEWSPAPER DESIGN CONCEPTS
LEARNING OBJECTIVE: Detail the design
concepts used in ship or station newspaper
makeup.
Successfully designing a newspaper page
encompasses more than experimentation. It is actually
a calculated art evidenced by the following five
newspaper design concepts:
. Balance
l Contrast
. Rhythm
l unity
l Harmony
BALANCE
In the balance concept, the page designer (hereafter
referred to as the editor, although it may be any member
of the newspaper staff performing this function) tries to
balance heads against heads, pictures against pictures,
stories against stories and artwork against artwork. This
balance, however, is a relative balance, and it is not
measurable but is something gauged in the viewer’s
mind. Therefore, the editor has to sense, rather than
measure, the balance for a page. This perception is one
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