Why Newsletters? Effective, timely & attractive way to target messages Enhance organisation’s reputation Demonstrate permanence, reliability & consistency Improve community relations Improve relations within organisation Explain organisational goals Motivate & reward employees with stories about them Attendance, Employee of Month On and off-job activities Introduce new staff, services & products Inform employees of developments in other departments Provide feedback to management via columns, letters to editor Educate employees

Newsletters

• Professionally written to convey information
  • Clearly
  • Persuasively
• Proven graphic design to increase readership
• Key to effectiveness: Identification with audience
• Characteristics:
  • Tailor-made for situation, time, and audience.
  • Chatty style.
  • Specialized information.
  • Condensed from many sources.
  • Brief, to-the-point writing

Newsletter sizes—print

• Classic: A4 or 8-1/2 x 11
• A3 or Tabloid
• Others

Newsletter design

• Before designing, must understand its purpose.
  • Appearance appropriate to subject matter & audience.
    • Get ideas for newsletter’s personality from research.
• Design tells readers
  • The "attitude" of the publication,
  • Its approach to subject matter, and
  • Which items are especially important.
    • Some always boxed, or have other distinguishing feature
    • Tells reader something about the contents of the item.
    • Reader gets habit of seeking this element for certain information. 

Classic, or traditional, newsletters A4 or 8-1/2 x 11 Large (such as A3 or 11 x 17) sheet folded to four A4 or 8-1/2 x 11 pages More pages can be added. A4 or 8-1/2 x 11 sheet front and back for two pages. Characteristics: Classic is one column--can be narrow, with heads on left. Short, punchy writing style. Limited number of graphic elements used consistently. Simplicity stressed One font for body copy.

Two-column format Two columns, usually of equal size. More readable line width. Greater opportunity for creative design. More variation and interest. Easier to use graphics, such as charts and illustrations.  Can use different column widths, One narrow, one wide: 1 to 2 (14p to 28p or 30p). Three-column format & beyond More like a magazine or miniature newspaper. Body copy should be in proportional font. Can blend best qualities of magazine design. Can vary column widths (2 and 3 columns) Four-column format done, but hurts readability.

 Margins, column dividers

• Margin size:
  • At least 3 picas all around.
  • If hole-punched, margins wider to accommodate.
• White space between columns: 1 to 2 picas.

 Rules

• Used to frame type spaces.
• Form follows function. Use only if functional.
  • A rule across top and/or bottom of each page, often bled to edge, can help unify newsletter and be an identifying device.
  • Vertical hairline column rules
    • Centered in at least 1 pica of white space
      • Too thick can create disunity.
      • Tone down wide rules by screening.
    • Trend comes & goes

Alignment

• Justify or ragged right
  • Should be ragged right for narrow columns or
    • If there’s a chance of awkward spacing between words or
    • Too much hyphenation.
  • Trend is ragged right.

 Layout grid, or template

• These format decisions create a grid, and in InDesign a template.
  • Logo, nameplate (banner) & folio can be added.

Logo Symbols, graphics, slogans Added to nameplate and template. Should really "symbolize." Slogans can help identify purpose. Banner, or nameplate Should identify newsletter and its scope Iimaginative & expressible with graphics. Should not overpower other elements on page. No more than 20% of page. Nameplate, with logo plus folio lines, usually takes up no more than 12 picas Usually at top Can be a third of way down on page With teaser or feature headline, article and art at top Or can go vertically on left side. Typestyle should be appropriate to purpose. Should contrast with headline type, or be distinctive. Nameplate in color can distinguish and be done economically if preprinted on supply of blanks.

Folio

• Folio line
  • Volume number, issue number and/or date,
  • Usually just below banner.
• Folio (usually name & date) with page number.
  • Bottom or top of page
  • Not necessary unless pub is filed for future reference and an index is issued.

 Masthead

• Miniature of nameplate or logo, plus folio, publisher, address, phone number, staff members, and heads of organization.
  • Postal regulations affect placement; check.
  • Usually on page 2 or last (outside) page.
  • Writers who get bylines not listed here.
  • Design people, editors listed.
• Like other constants, can be boxed or screened or both.

 Headlines

• Subject & verb, present tense
• Usually flush left
• Length
  • At least 3/4 across one-column story
  • At least to 1/2 across last column of multicolumn story.
  • Proportional type:
    • Lowercase=1 unit except flitjr,
      • flitjr 1/2 unit each.
    • Uppercase=1-1/2 units except M, W, which are 2.
• Should harmonize but provide contrast.
• Most headlines in A4 generally not over 24 pts.
• Decide on style:
  • Up: Capitalize all first letters except articles or
  • Down: Capitalize only very first word, proper nouns.
  • Be consistent no matter style.
  • All caps not very readable.
• Usually above article.
  • Can be beside article if dedicated column.
• See Headline & Cutline Writing Tips for details

 Subheads

• Only for long articles (but most short).
• Same typeface as headlines, but in smaller size.
  • Or one that harmonizes.
  • Or italics of same typeface.
  • About one-half size of main heads.
  • At least same size as, but usually larger than, body copy, then in bold or italics, etc.).
  • Subheads add natural breaks.
    

Lead-ins Short summaries or introductions For transition between headlines and body copy. Can be at different column width. Can be in type size and/or leading larger than body copy. Can be in body copy bolded, or separated with rules. Can be a quote-out (pull out quotes--see left). Does not necessarily quote speaker verbatim, can be a summary quote. Typographical devices Can be used for emphasis, rhythm. Initial caps at the start of each article But avoid too many elements on a page. Can set off a list of specific points in an article Numbers or dingbats. Indent paragraphs at least one em But not as much as typewritten reports (proportional).

Standing features

• Standing heads
  • Columns, etc., that continue from one issue to the next.
  • Plan a method of handling them.
  • Can be a "kicker," a head above the main head,
    • May be underlined.
• Bylines
  • Distinctive style;
  • Be consistent.

Table of Contents

• Short, on front page.
  • Box
  • Shade or screen.
  • Color type

 Cutlines & captions

• Must use with pictures.
• Different typestyle (italics or different size).
  • But the same typeface as body copy.
• Cutlines
  • Describes action in pix (but not too obvious action).
  • Written in present tense.
• Captions
  • Like a title, identifies person, thing (name only; no verb).

 Self-mailers

• Provide space for label & postage
  • Can be preprinted for mail with postal permit number.
    • "Address Correction Requested" helps update mailing lists.
    • See postal regulations.
• Print return address (echo banner, masthead).
• Bottom of back page.

Online Newsletters

• Newsletter Directory
  • 9,546 newsletters http://www.newsletteraccess.com 

Tips

• From The Newsletter Guy
  1. Keep stories short, simple, clean
  2. Use a stylebook
  3. Avoid cliches
  4. Learn about typefaces (and leading, copyfitting)
  5. Have a good mix with art
  6. Don’t get too fancy with printing
  • Colored ink for text, spot color sparingly, hard-to-read paper
    
    
• Avoid

• Small, difficult-to-read typefaces;
• Crowded pages;
• Too many "cute" graphics;
• Dull, static layouts with little accent or variety;
• Tiny photos;
• Group shots;
• Inconsistency in design.
• Boxing halftones is good form.
  • Use light rules: hairline to half-point
• Should be attractive and neat.
• Should be uncomplicated and consistent.
• Follow informal journalistic style
  • Both in writing stories and headlines.
    

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