Issue 2 2010 - Anatomy of a Newsletter

Publishing an informational newsletter is a wonderful way to keep your name in front of customers or prospects. (In fact, it’s one of the reasons we provide ImpacTips to you each month.) A newsletter may entertain, educate, inspire, or inform. And a well designed newsletter communicates much about the organization that publishes it.

To achieve a great looking newsletter, adhere to a few basic principles of composition and design. You will produce a publication that will catch the eye of your readers.

BEGIN WITH A PROTOTYPE

Whether you are designing a new publication or refreshing the look of an existing one, begin by developing a prototype – a model of what the finished newsletter will look like. To do this, you will have to decide on format (the newsletter’s size and shape); grid (the underlying organization); style sheet (rules for typography); graphic style (color palette, graphic elements, photographs); and nameplate (title).

Format: popular newsletter formats are based on a standard paper sheet size, either folded or unfolded. For instance, a format using an 11x17 inch sheet of paper folded in half produces a four-page newsletter whose finished size measures 8 1/2 x 11 inches. Other possibilities using a standard sheet size are:

PrinTips and Tricks - Newsletter Style Sheet

Here are some tips to use when you are determining the style sheet for your newsletter:

Tip 1: Type size The point size for body type should be between 9 and 11 points unless your audience is over 65 years old. Always maintain the same point size for all text (body copy) in all articles. If an article won’t fit the space allocated at the correct point size, edit the copy or change the space allocation rather than reducing the point size of the type.

PrinTips Idea - Simple Scanning Rules

If you have your own scanner and prefer to do your own scans rather than have us do it, please follow these simple rules:

Scan images at the final size they will appear in the newsletter. This might require a test scan for you to establish scaling.
For photographs, use a resolution at least 250% (2.5 times) the line screen we will be using. If you aren’t sure what our standard is, please call us at 303.450.0725. When complete, the scan should have an effective resolution of 300 dpi at 100% of printing size.

PrinTips Q and A - What is a bleed and how do I indicate one in my file?

A bleed is any printed element on the page that extends beyond the edge of the page. A full bleed means the printed elements extend beyond all four edges of the page.