Grids are invisible guides that form the underlying

structure of your design. They provide order and

consistency, ensuring that your content is arranged
in a clear and organized way.
Without grids, laying out content would be much
more time-consuming, and achieving consistency
across multiple pages would be difficult. Grids
help streamline the design process and maintain a
cohesive look throughout your work.

A grid is made up of margins on the outside.

Graphic design Grids

 Then columns...

and rows..

and the space between columns and rows is called

the gutter.

You’ll end up with something that looks like this.

Graphic design Grids

 It’s important to note that not every grid needs to
include rows. In fact, I rarely use rows in my own
work. Instead, I often create extra guides to align
elements horizontally. These guides can provide
structure without the need for a traditional row-
based grid.

Grids help by aiding readability and providing a

structure when dealing with multiple elements
They make it easier for the reader to navigate.
And in multiple page documents it helps create
consistent repetition.

However, it’s important to know that not everything

needs to stay inside the grid. For example, page
numbers and chapter headings can sit outside...

...and images or illustrations often bleed beyond the

grid to create more dynamic layouts.

Graphic design Grids

 Be cautious with large gutters, though—excessively
wide spaces can disrupt page flow and hinder
readability.

As a general rule, the more columns you use in your

grid, the more flexibility you’ll have in fitting words
and aligning elements. But remember: aim for 7-12
words per line to ensure optimal readability.

When working on multi-page documents like books,

it’s essential to make the inner margins larger than
the outer ones.

Graphic design Grids

 This allows for the book’s spine and ensures content
doesn’t get lost near the fold, maintaining a clean,
readable layout.

Thumbnailing is a vital part of the design process

for graphic designers. It’s a quick way to sketch
out ideas and layout options before diving into the
details on your computer.
These rough sketches can save you time and help
prevent creative blocks.
Thumbnails are not about precision—they only
require basic drawing skills.

Here’s how to approach thumbnailing:

Graphic design Grids

 Here’s our page border.

First we draw margins using dashed lines.

We represent images as simple rectangles with a

cross through them.

Scribbles like this indicate headlines.

Graphic design Grids

 Show body copy as straight lines.

Indicate call-to-actions (like website addresses or

phone numbers) with thicker lines.

You’ll use them across all types of layout designs—

from business cards to billboards, websites to
packaging, and even logos, symbols, and icons.
Remember, thumbnails are placeholders, not final
illustrations.

Graphic design Grids

 Here are some general tips for creating thumbnails

Sketch your ideas quickly and produce as many as

possible.

Don’t discard any ideas—sometimes the best

solutions come from combining multiple concepts.

Keep your thumbnails small but try to maintain the

proportions of the actual artboard.

Graphic design Grids

 If you already have a strong idea for an image or
headline, feel free to add more detail (like the phone
example shown here).

Remember, the whole point of these sketches is to

generate visually appealing ideas before we jump on
the computer.

Here’s an example of how we would begin sketching

thumbails when receiving a new brief.
Our client has asked us to design a landscape
advert for an alternative music magazine. They’ve
provided an image, their logo, and all of the copy in a
Word doc.

Graphic design Grids

 To start, we need to establish a content hierarchy
by ranking each section in importance. In this case,
the image is most important, ranked as 1, and the
logo is least important at 5. However, you might
decide that the headline deserves more or equal
prominence to the image, depending on the overall
message.

Next, sketch your layout in the correct proportions,

and don’t forget to add margins.

Once that’s done, loosely start placing the content

into your design.

Take a moment to review your first layout—what’s

working? What could be improved?

Graphic design Grids

 Start putting down some more ideas.
Could adjusting the margins or finding a new point
of alignment enhance the design? Could the image
be cropped or repurposed for a stronger visual
impact?
Remember to create multiple options and don’t
worry about making mistakes—this stage is all about
experimentation.

A helpful tip when creating thumbnails is to play

it safe with your first few designs. This way, you’ll
always have a fallback option. Afterwards, challenge
yourself to be more adventurous—how far can you
push the design while still maintaining the brand’s
values

When you move into designing with software, a

great practice is to duplicate your artboard once
you’re happy with a design and experiment with new
ideas on a fresh canvas. Avoid working on just one
artboard; exploring multiple variations can lead to
better results.

Graphic design Grids

 Now it’s time for a fun, practical exercise! We’d like
you to find a magazine, it can be old or new..

And find a double-page spread within it. I’ve chosen

this one because it has text columns on both pages.

Now we want you to pull out the two pages, being

careful not to rip or tear them.

Graphic design Grids

 Next, draw where you think the columns, margins,
and gutters are, similar to this example.

Using a ruler, measure each space to work out the

actual dimensions including the page height and
width.

The next step is to recreate this grid in any design

software you have access to. If you are brand new
to design we recommend a program like Figma or
Canva as these are very easy to use for beginners,
and they’re free!
Any program that allows you to draw guides is
suitable.
If you’re feeling adventurous I’d recommend
watching the beginners tutorial for Adobe InDesign
and giving it a go in there as Indesign is best suited
for editorial design.

Once you’ve set up your grid, try to recreate the

entire spread by adding text and images. It doesn’t
have to be perfect—you can use dummy text and
placeholder images. The purpose of this exercise
is to help you understand how designers use grids
to create organized and efficient layouts. It will also
give you a better feel for ideal text sizes and the key
elements typically included in magazine design.

Graphic design Grids

 If you managed to complete this task we’d love to
see your results. Please tag us on Instagram or
Facebook

Graphic design Grids