Page Layout

Layout is the process of arranging the text on the page. Text can be laid out in different ways.

The arrangement, which makes the text readable and creates formal qualities, can be achieved by:
- spacing
- emphasizing certain groups of letters or words

Context and aesthetic requirements of the text should determine the layout.

Neat and organized.

Avoid monotony.

“The means have to justify the end,” Bertolt Brecht said.

Be decisive about the use of your elements;
half-hearted decisions dilute the effect of the whole.

Centered alignment- oh such monotony!

A common procedure to create emphasis is to use letters of different sizes or weights.

Single lines can be executed in full-size capitals or in small capitals.

Decorative initial capitals, often several times the height of other capitals, are a favorite way of calling attention to the beginning of a chapter or paragraph.

Another is to stress headings.
In both cases it is important to find the right relationship in weight and size.

Letter initials:
It is important to maintain a connection between the initial and the rest of the word of which it is a part.

- If the initial is to be free-standing, provide a connection to the first line of the text;

- if it to be incorporated in the middle of the text, connect it in some way to the line that it logically belongs to.

- If the initial is inscribed in a rectangle, align the horizontal stroke at the bottom with the baseline of the text.
The flourishes of ornamental initials may extend into the left margin.

Good use of grids to help keep organized.
Good headlines and great use of reversal type for masthead

Headings are usually conspicuous enough if they are separated from the body of the text by one or more line spaces. Headings should be closest to the paragraph it is referring to.

If extra emphasis is desired, use the italic that corresponds to the text lettering or any of the other means that have been described earlier.

Many variations in the grey values of a text can be achieved by adjusting sizes or weights of the letters and by the spaces between letters, words, and lines.

Smaller type sizes and less line spacing create an optical illusion of a dark than large type. The larger type and linespacing creates more white space which creates a feeling of openness while smaller type with less spacing creates a heavier look.

Color
The introduction of color adds another important element to any layout.