Varying the Number of Columns No one can say
that one specific number of columns is best for all design purposes, but
experience provides a few guidelines. Most designers prefer using an odd
number of columns per page (usually three or five). That pattern makes
it less likely that the design will be symmetrical or, in other words, have
perfect balance.
If you decide to use an even number of columns (usually two or four),
you can still use a clever modification to ensure a nonsymmetrical
design. Try a 2 plus column approach. The idea is to divide the page into
two and a half columns. Most designers use the extra column for pulled
quotations, mug shots or interesting infographics. You can also use the
plus column (the half column) to create an interesting shape for a photo.
The photo could be one and a half or two and a half columns wide, pro-
viding that it extends into the plus column. A 4 plus column approach
also works well.
Bleeding Photos Art school students are often told to “work
to your image area.” This is good advice for yearbook and magazine
designers as well. Allow your creativity to stretch beyond the traditional
one-inch margins that surround most published work. A photograph
that slides provocatively off a page can have a dramatic effect and cap-
ture the reader’s attention. But beware. As with all aspects of design, the
key word with bleeds is restraint. A steady diet of bleeds across the gutter
can become just as monotonous as no bleeds at all.
Bleeds help unify spreads and move the reader from page to page. In
addition to photos, you can bleed graphics, too. A rule running across the
gutter between two pages is another example of a unifying bleed. As illus-
trated in Figure 18.11, this can be a simple and beautiful device for creating
the illusion of one page from two—if, that is, your printer and binder do a
good job. If the book or magazine is not printed and bound properly, those
bleeding rules will pass each other like two ships in the night.
Page layout and design software, such as QuarkXPress and Adobe
InDesign, allow you to create bleeds with ease. These programs include a
pasteboard that allows you to position elements beyond the edges of the
page. Thus, creating a bleed in these programs is as simple as extending
your artwork one-eighth of an inch over the edge of the page.
Once your document is laid out, it’s time to proof your work. Many
laser printers can print only to within a quarter-inch of the paper’s edge.
This means that your bleeds won’t print if you’re trying to print a year-
book-size page on a standard 8^1 ⁄ 2 -by-11-inch piece of paper. One way to
get around this problem is to use the page layout program’s Scale option
to print a reduced version of the page. In our experience, 65 percent
works well. You can also select “Reduce to Fit” in some programs.
Managing White Space Use white space to make design
elements stand out. White space provides a background that emphasizes
whatever it surrounds. You can strengthen your message by using white
space to focus the reader’s attention on your words and ideas.
The opposite of carefully plotted and planned white space is trapped
white space, white space in the middle of a page. Avoid this trapped white
space, as it creates unsightly holes and leads to an unfinished look.(^430) MIXED MEDIA