Grids: Building Blocks of Graphic Design

Grid Samples

Page Organizers
Use a grid to help organize elements on the page. Make sure that the grid is flexible, but that the grid sections are not too small. Divide the page into four or five columns for most flexibility. Use multiple columns to organize text and visuals into smaller (more easily read) blocks of information. Divide text into two or three equal columns for best results on a standard page.

Use a single wider column with a smaller column for pullout quotes and other types of supporting content.
If printing, make sure to accommodate for three-hole punch, or other bindery techniques by adding a little extra white space to the inside margin.

Always begin your layout with a grid.
It will save you time and your design will be more interesting and organized. Regular placement of one column alongside another in a rhythmic pattern throughout the publication. A skeletal under structure. Columns and rows made up of uniform rectangles. Rhythmical repetition of patterns from page to page create a unity and harmony to a publication.

Purpose of Grids:

• improve communication: make the page more effective in getting the message across to the reader

• make the message clearer to the reader

• make the page appear more interesting

• builds a family resemblance in multi-page publications

• create order and continuity

• avoids ambiguity

• speeds up layout time by giving you a frame work to follow

Some grids are best suited:

• to deal with text with sidebar illustrations

• for layouts where a variety of images are dominant and text is secondary

• for a mixture of both type and images

Grid columns are a container to hold the type and images.

The type style and point size must be appropriate for the size of the column:

Rule of thumb:
- wider the column, the larger the point size;
- narrower the column, the smaller the point size.

Always experiment with different grids and experiment with different layouts within the same grid.
A seven column grid (smaller image below) used in a variety of ways (larger image)in the same article
but keeping the integrity of the grid (type or image covers two or more columns while staying within the columns).