Newsletter Design Checklist
Goals—to inform, to entertain, to persuade, etc
Audience — Who are you trying to reach? Where will they read it? How will they get it?
How many should we make
What quality, paper weight and size?
What production methods? Off set press, copy machine?
Cost to student, free?
How often, production schedule
Format, lots of copy or little, photos, illustrations
Choose grid, 3 column to 5 column is common.
Name of newsletter
Begin Typographic design with the nameplate. Start with thumbnails
Develop type strategy. Choose one font for headlines, one for body copy and an accent font for captions.
Convey appropriate image. Make sure type matches image
Will there be ads? What size would they be?
Leave enough white space to create balance
Costs
Write down all costs of supplies, set budget.
Get quotes from printers
Common Formats for Newsletters
• 8.5x11, 4 pages, printed on front and back of 11x17.
• 8.5x11, 8 pages, folded.
• 8.5x11, 12, 16, 20 or 24 pages, saddle stiched, folded.
• 11x15, (newsprint), 4 or 8 pages, folded.
• 11x15, newsprint, 4 or more pages folded in thirds.
• 11x17, 4 pages printed on the front and back of a 22x34 sheet.
Essential Parts of a Newsletter
Nameplate: newspaper name, graphics, logo, subtitle or motto, issue, date.
Masthead: Name of publication, publisher, frequency of publication,
address and phone number, staff listing,
subscription info, copyright notice, mission, how to submit articles, date of
issue, cost, all usually on second page.
Table of Contents: listing of articles and page numbers.
Body copy: the text of the story, usually 9 - 12 points in size.
Byline: story authors's credit. Usually appears at the top of a story.
Caption: Identifies who is in the photos. Use present tense in first sentence to tell what is happening. Use past tense in the second sentence to add information.
Deck head: A small headline extending over two or more lines of type.
Department Heading: Organizes like information such as Features, Sports, Opinions
Filler: Small infographics, lists, puzzles, etc., to fill leftover space effectively
Folio: page number, name of publication, and date. Usually at the top or bottom of the paper
Gutter: the space between columns on facing pages
Headline or Head: Attracts reader to the story. Uses active verbs, no articles (an, the, a, etc.) Not a title
Subhead/Kicker: A secondary headline, smaller than the main headline, that adds more information.
Jumpline: Informs the reader that the story will continue or "jump" to another page.
Pull Quote: Breaks out an interesting quote to use as a design element to break up large areas of text to pull the reader through the text.
Sidebar: Breaks out information into a smaller story that runs next to or within the same package as a larger story. Helps to break up long stories and get information out quickly.