Page Layout Design

15-25
min


In this tutorial, well explore the design phase of document creation. With the grid as our
layout guide, well look at the various ways that elementstext, images, graphic objects,
and so oncan work together to produce effective layouts.

The grid provides a structured framework for a layout, but it should not limit design or
stifle creativity. Rather than forcing you to work rigidly within its confines, the grid layout
should work for you, allowing you to dictate the look and feel of your publication. Were
confident youll never look back!
By the end of this tutorial you will be able to:
Understand how basic grid structures are used for page layout.
Use asymmetrical grids to add interest to your design.
Work with margins, row and column gaps.
Understand how to use mixed grids.
Choose the right grid for your publication and break out of the grid to enhance your
design!
Why use grids?
Grid structures are vital to successful document design, and especially so for documents
containing a mixture of text and graphics. If you dont believe us, examine a few of those
magazines in your doctors waiting room. Whatever the subject matter, and no matter
how random the layout appears, the underlying structure will generally be based on a
carefully designed grid.
In the following pages, well look at some different grid structures and illustrate various
layout options for each. Along the way, well offer tips and suggestions for creating
successful grid-based layoutswell even encourage you to break the rules occasionally!
At the end of the tutorial, well provide some guidelines to help you choose the right grid
for your particular project.
1: Basic grid structures
Lets start by looking at some basic grid structures.
Two-column grids:
Two-column grids are mostly used in books, newsletters, or narrow publications where the
column width is limited. Although this layout is very simple, you can still achieve variety
by allowing some elementsfor example, images and headlinesto span both columns on
the page.

However, in wide publications, such as magazines or coffee table books, the text columns
in a two-column grid would generally be too wide for comfortable reading.

Three-column grids:
These offer more flexibility than two-column grids because text and images can span one,
two, or all of the columns. Three-column grids work for most layouts, even wide ones, and
are particularly suited to publications that do not require complex arrangement of
elements.

An alternative to the three-column grid is the three-row grid. This format is great for
laying out narrow documents such as the tri-fold brochure.

Four- or more column grids:
If you need to place a variety of elements into your layouttext, images, graphics, and so
onyoull find that grids with four or more columns offer the most flexibility.
Generally, grids with an uneven number of grid columns work best. Five- and even seven-
column grids provide maximum flexibility and also allow for asymmetrical placement of
elements, which tends to be more visually appealing than a symmetrical layout.
The examples below illustrate two different ways we can place the same information onto
a seven-column grid.

Notice how we have created white space by leaving some columns empty. Effective use
of white space creates breathing space, especially on a busy page.
4-column grids
4-column grids can be problematic because a single column is often too
narrow for comfortable reading or for placing a graphic. Unless you are sure
this structure will work for you, you could end up with most layout elements
spanning two columns. In this case, the finished layout will appear to be
based on two columns rather than four.
2: Asymmetrical grids
One of the most important features of the grid structure is its flexibility. So far, weve
shown you how to add interest to your pages by leaving a column empty. In this section,
well explore this idea further and show you how asymmetrical grids can liven up your
layouts.
For instructions on setting up asymmetrical grids, see the Creating Page
Layouts tutorial.
Basic three-column symmetrical grid:
Our first examplea basic grid consisting of three equally sized columnsdisplays text
columns and images in a pleasing, but conventional arrangement. Note that some
elements span multiple columns (marked in red).

Three-column asymmetrical grid:
In this example, weve dragged our column guides to make three columns of distinctly
different sizes. To provide page-to-page consistency throughout our publication, weve
created a mirrored layout.
Notice again that some elements span multiple columns. The narrow column has been
used for a pull quote on the left page but on the right page we have intentionally left the
narrow centre column blank (marked in red).

Asymmetrical grid with sidebar:
Our final example is a very popular asymmetrical layout which makes use of a narrow side
column, or sidebar. This sidebar is not used for main body copy, but instead holds related
text (headings, pull quotes, notes, and so on), graphics, or simply white space.
The following list describes some common uses of the sidebar:
To display headingsHeadings displayed in sidebar columns help to organize a
document and allow the reader to quickly scan the page to find the information they
are looking for.
To emphasize important information or quote.
To hold information that is relevant to the main subject of the body copy, but not part
of the main text flow. For example, a note, suggestion, or warning.
To declutter a complex layout by providing white space.
On the left page of our sample layout, below, the sidebar holds an initial adjacent cap and
a note box (marked in red). On the right page, the column is intentionally left blank
except for a small quote; this balances the spread and creates an open and airy feel that
complements the imagery perfectly.

This second example uses the same grid structure to create a very different look and feel.
Here, a single text column is flanked by a narrow sidebar and an image. The ample white
space allows the images to dominate the page.

3: Margins and row and column gaps
Besides choosing the number, width, and arrangement of your columns, there are some
other important grid elements that you must consider: page margins, and row and column
gaps.
Page margins:
No matter what type of document youre working on, its rare that your page margins will
all be of equal width. For example, you may want more space at the top or bottom of each
pagefor page header or page footer information, page numbers, and so on.

For bound publications, youll usually find that the inside margins are considerably wider
than the outside margins. This prevents text and images that are placed in the centre of a
spread from disappearing into the spine.
If your document is to be printed professionally, avoid last-minute problems
by discussing margins and gutter widths with your printer before you start
creating your layout.
Row and column gaps:
Row and column gaps are the spaces between the rows and columns in a grid structure.
There are no strict rules about the width of these spaces, but if you make them too
narrow your text columns will be difficult to read. We suggest that you experiment to find
the gap width that works best for your particular layout.
4: Mixed grid layouts
Weve stressed the importance of using a grid to maintain page-to-page consistency
throughout a document. However, if certain pages present information that varies greatly
from the rest of the document, dont try to force them to conform to a structure that
doesnt really suit the purpose. Instead, simply use a different grid for these pages.

In our example, the main pages are based on an asymmetrical three-column gridtwo
wide columns for the main text flow and a narrow sidebar for headings, pull quotes and
selected images. Pages displaying images only are based on a basic 3 x 3 grid.
5: Breaking out of the grid
Weve convinced you (we hope!) of the power and flexibility of the grid. Now, well
encourage you to break the rules and occasionally break out of the grid.
Example 1:
Add impact and visual interest to a layout by extending an element out to the page edge
or even across the entire spread.

This works especially well for presenting large images.
Example 2:
Try positioning some elements outside of the grid. On the right page of the newsletter
spread below, see how the text frame containing the pull quote is centred on the page,
breaking the underlying three-column grid structure.

Example 3:
If youre feeling adventurous, why not break the grid by rotating some layout objects
(marked in red). Be careful not to overdo this though, and make sure that other elements
remain within the grid, or your page will appear disorganized.

Example 4:
Diagonal lines can add interest to a grid layout. In this example, weve cut through our
columns, but have still aligned the images with the grid.

6: Choosing the right grid
When planning your layout, you need to have a clear idea of what your finished document
should look like, what format is required, the purpose of the document, who will be
reading it, how it will be printed, and so on. Once youve answered these questions, youll
have a better understanding of the type of grid structure required. The following
guidelines should help you choose and plan your grid layout.
Content:
The most important question to ask yourself is this: Is the document predominantly text
or images? For lots of text with few images, try a simple two- or three-column grid.
For lots of graphics, photos, or illustrations, four or more columns will give you more
scope to place and size these elements.
Do you want to include notes, pull quotes, or other accent information? Is the document
hierarchical, with lots of headings and subheadings? If so, consider an asymmetrical grid
with a sidebar column.

Complexity:
For complex documentsfor example, a newsletter containing a mix of text and
graphicsgrids with more columns and/or rows provide more design options. However,
avoid making the grid too complex or youll lose sight of the underlying structure.

Document type:
Newsletters usually contain more text so simple column-based layouts tend to work best.
For more sophisticated publications, such as illustrated books, more columns will provide
more design options. Publications with mainly small articles and graphicsa sales
brochure or catalogue, for exampleare more suited to grids containing both columns and
rows.

Summary
In this tutorial, our main objective was to illustrate the power and flexibility of the grid,
and explain why it is such an important document design tool. We'll leave you with a few
tips:
Dont confine page elements to individual grid units. In grids with four or more
columns, text and images can span several grid units.
Leave some grid units empty, or use them for accents such as small photos, adjacent
caps, headlines, and so on.
Use your gutters and margins. Extending some images and headlines into the bleed
area can add interest to a layout.