This lesson discusses the principles and techniques of page make-up or page layout in newspapers. It lists the various types of page make-up, analyses the typographic details and highlights the salient features of an effective page make-up.

Page layout or page make-up is the arrangement of various elements or contents on a page. These include the headlines, news stories, photographs, graphics, cartoons, advertisements, weather forecast, train and flight timings, reviews, a medley of other information and white space. The composition or arrangement of these disparate elements requires special skills and follows certain established principles. Page layout is designed meticulously with the view to attract a large readership and increase the newspaper’s effectiveness in disseminating information.

Newspapers may follow a fixed page make-up or mixed page make-up. The fixed page make-up denotes a page composition that is fixed and followed consistently, while the mixed page make-up signifies constant innovations and changes in the layout so as to attract the readers. Basically there are 3 types of page make ups.

The first page is the focal point of a newspaper and lots of effort is taken in designing it. The first page carries the important news stories of the day. It is also the page where the reader’s interaction with the newspaper begins. Hence, its layout must be eye-catching and reader friendly. Bold headlines, striking photographs and different column designs are some of the features of the first page. Advertisements are usually avoided in the first page.

The process of page make up begins with the creation of templates. Templates are dummy pages that are designed with the overall page layout in mind.

Here are some points that must be remembered while designing page layouts. The page layout must be attractive and reader friendly. The bottom half of a page is as important as the top half. Equal attention must be given to all sections of the page. Continuation of news stories in subsequent pages must be mentioned very clearly. Each newspaper must evolve its own page layout that is distinct and different from other newspapers. The design and size of the columns are central for effective page layouts. Most of the newspapers have 6 or 7 columns in their layout. Different type faces or font sizes are used for different stories. These are called ‘Points’. Points range in size from 5 to 72. Headlines are of utmost importance in newspapers. They are designed in various points depending on the urgency of the news story. Photographs and cartoons must be arranged in appropriate places. News stories and advertisements are differentiated by the use of vertical or horizontal lines. Boxes and gutters are used to make the layout attractive. The arrangement of the seemingly unimportant white space also adds to the overall effect of the page layout.

Page make-up has several uses. It attracts the readers’ attention by presenting the news stories in the most appealing way. It enables the reader to comprehend the relative importance of various news stories. It lends a distinctive identity to the newspaper.