Newspaper design is an important part of print production. It not only makes the newspaper look visually pleasing but also facilitates communication. There are three design forms that newspapers have developed over the years to facilitate communication:
# Modular layout
It was introduced in the late 1970s. Today all news elements are shaped as modules. The modules are rectangular or square blocks with each news element evened at the base. The modular layout has brought the following advantages to a newspaper design:
a. They have brought order to the page, making it look neat.
b. They allow related stories to be grouped into easy, neat packages.
Over the years four kinds of modular layouts have come into existence:
a. Horizontal: The horizontal layout is more popular because it creates a favourable optical illusion. They make long news reports look less forbidding, and that is why most newspaper design specialists prefer horizontal modules.
b. Vertical: A vertical module has a deeper vertical stem. The reports therefore long, and make a reader wary. That is why in newspaper design vertical modules are used on Edit pages, where they add to the seriousness of the page.
c. Mix of horizontal and vertical: However, there is always the danger of dullness creeping on the page if all the stories are laid either horizontally or vertically. The editors generally prefer to mix horizontal and vertical modules to give the page variety and contrast.
d. Grids: An important development in newspaper design is the evolution of the grid concept. Design-conscious editors divide the page into three or four equal compartments called grids. These are then paved with modules, with no news element straying out of its grid. This lay-out is called a grid lay-out and can be vertical or horizontal depending on whether the grid is carved out horizontally or vertically.
Advantages: Grid lay-outs enhance the beauty of modular layouts. They also ensure that the page does not get top heavy or bottom heavy with a concentration of weights, and all stories act as a point of interest.
Disadvantage: The disadvantage, however, is that grid layouts demand more craftsmanship and time. The stories are to be squeezed into fixed holes. This is not always possible and a compromise often has to be affected; the casualty being the news value.
In other words, design becomes more important than the news which may not always be justified. Grid layout is advisable only when the number of news elements is limited. It is more suited to feature or lifestyle pages than news pages.
# Packaging
Editors do not like scattering related news reports across the page or across pages. The standard newspaper design is to bunch the related news reports and photographs together in a single horizontal or vertical grid. This style of placing reports together is called packaging.
# Infographics
The newspapers now communicate long and complex reports through infographics. The infographics use images, illustrations and words to explain complex stories. They are especially useful in communicating stories sequentially or explaining difficult scientific subjects.
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