MODULE 3: DESIGNING A NEWSLETTER
Applying Desktop Publishing Guidelines
One of the biggest challenges in creating a newsletter is balancing change with
consistency. A newsletter is a document that is typically reproduced on a regular basis,
whether monthly, bimonthly, or quarterly. With each issue, new ideas may be presented,
new text created, and new graphics or photos used. However, for your newsletter to be
effective, each issue must also maintain a consistent appearance. Consistency contributes
to your publication’s identity and gives your readers a feeling of familiarity.
When designing your newsletter, think about the elements that should remain
consistent from issue to issue. Consistent newsletter features and elements may include:
size of margins, column layout, nameplate formatting and location, logos, color, ruled
lines, formatting of headlines, subheads, and body text.
Focus and balance can be achieved in a newsletter through the design and size of the
nameplate, the arrangement of text on the page, the use of graphics images or scanned
photographs, or the careful use of lines, borders, and backgrounds. When using graphics
images or photos, use restraint and consider the appropriateness of the image. A single,
large illustration is usually preferred over many small images scattered throughout the
document. Size graphics images or photos according to their relative importance to the
content. Headlines and subheads can serve as secondary focal points as well as provide
balance to the total document.
White space around a headline creates contrast and attracts the reader’s eyes to the
headline. Surround text with white space if you want the text to stand out. If you want to
