1. Page Layout
Aby Jones

2. The page layout is very important
To ensure a clear and effective page layout, certain points need to be
focused on, the layout has to be:
• Professional
• Easy to read and follow
• And aesthetically pleasing
Ensure that the conventions are used correctly, the conventions being:
• Margins
• Grids
• Spreads
• Columns
• Dateline
• Page numbers
• Orientation

3. Conventions
Here is an example of margins
– a margin is the space around
the edge of the page that
hasn’t been marked with text,
it’s almost like a border
around it.
This particular example is a double page spread as
the text/story covers two pages, not just one.
The text has been
broken down in to
columns, this splits
paragraphs in to
singular columns and
makes it a lot easier
for the reader to
follow – columns can
be made using grids
during production.
As the example article
I used didn’t have a
dateline, here is an
example of one using
the guardian’s
website.
The dateline is when
the story was
published, it’s usually
used for storing in the
magazine/newspaper
companies archives or
it can be used for
referencing work.
Depending on the size of the magazine and the
page layout, there is usually page numbers at
the bottom corner of the pages – this is to help
readers navigate easily through magazines and
pieces of text.
Page orientation is how the information on the
page (the text, pictures etc.) is presented, in
this case, the page layout is landscape.
The text to picture
ratio is almost half
and half but there is
definitely a lot more
writing in correlation
to pictures.

4. Ensure that the devices are also used correctly, the devices being:
• Headline
• Crosshead
• Cutout
• Strap line
• Base line
• Border
• Blobs and stars
• Drop capital
• White/negative space
• Reverse
• Pull quote

5. DevicesThe headline is the main title of the text – it
can give an extremely brief explanation as
to what the reader is about to read, it can
also draw them in.
The headline can be a clever play on words that
fans of certain subjects or people can be
immediately drawn to – in this case, it’s the
supposed nickname of the singer with a little
quotation on the other side of her saying: “Mind
the claws!”
This particular example
doesn’t have a cutout
image as the background
is still in the picture.
A cutout is when an
image has everything but
the main object deleted
from it, i.e. the
background and then the
image is incorporated
somewhere in to the
article so that is stands
out – using the previous
example, this is a cutout
image.
The bit of bolder,
smaller writing after a
headline is called a
strapline, the idea
behind this device is
that it further explains
what the viewer
exactly what they are
going to be reading
about their favourite
artist/subject – in this
case, the strapline is
explaining the header,
‘Kaytiekat’ by telling
us who she is and
what she does.
The base line is the
imaginary line that the
writing on the page
rests on – almost like
rubbed out lines in a
text book.
A border is a box that is
formed around text to
keep it separate from the
rest of the text – such as
this one - this could be
for various reasons, i.e.
it’s a clever remark, like
in this article or it has
nothing to do with the
rest of the text.
Blobs and stars (bullet
points etc.) are used to
draw attention to a
particular part of the
text – they’re used to
abbreviate paragraphs
and make it easier to
keep the readers
attention.
Drop capitals are enlarged letters at the
beginning of a piece of writing this can be
used to make the piece of writing
aesthetically pleasing or it can be used to
draw attention to the text – a viewer can
open to the page and become engrossed in
it just because of the first letters style.
White space or negative space is
the area in an article or a piece of
text that is left unmarked, in this
example there is quite a bit of
negative space beside the image.
The reverse device is putting
white text on a dark
background, it can be
difficult to read for some –
in this example, the
strapline and sub headings
plus the pull quote are all in
reverse.
A pull quote is a piece of interesting text
that has been enlarged and put in-between
text to attract attention to it – to entice the
reader.
The crosshead in this
example is the subheading
that breaks up the text
making it easier for the
viewer to read.