Newsstand Inspiration: Dealing with Lots of Text in Your Layouts

When it comes to journaling, I’ve come across two kinds of people in my classes – those who can’t think of anything to say beyond the “who, what, where, when and why,” and those who have so much to say that they don’t have room on their pages. This article is for you prolific writers, who are looking for a way to incorporate long passages of journaling into your layouts.

As long as your journaling is meaningful, there is no rule that says you must confine your words to one small box on your page.

Some of the best sources of inspiration for text-heavy layouts can be found on the newsstand. Magazines and newspapers provide strong examples of graphic design that effectively incorporates large blocks – even multiple pages – of text. Some of my personal favorite magazines design-wise include The New York Times Magazine, Rolling Stone, 2wice, GQ and Esquire.

Browse through these and other magazines and newspapers for layouts that catch your eye. Then, analyze what it is you like about them. Is it a clever use of type? Maybe there is a lot of white space. Or do you like a particular arrangement of photos or the color scheme? Do you see a pattern in the layouts you chose?

You can “scraplift” a design from a magazine in much the same way you do published scrapbook layouts. Create a sketch based on the magazine layout noting where the headline goes, how the text is formatted, the number, size and arrangement of the photos, and any other design elements, like callouts (a portion of the text taken out of the article and enlarged to jump out at the reader).

Following are some techniques newspapers and magazines use to deal with lengthy text that you can borrow in your scrapbook:

Typographical Hierarchy. Use headlines (large font) and subheads (slightly larger than the font of the text) to guide the reader through your layout. Callouts and photo captions also help establish hierarchy.

Columns. It takes longer and is more difficult to read long lines of text. Format your text into columns to be more reader friendly. Be careful not to make the columns too narrow though. You’ll know this is happening when you see lots of awkward word breaks.

Drop caps. Also called an initial cap, a drop cap is the large letter that is often used to begin the first word of an article in a magazine. It adds visual interest and leads the reader’s eye to the first paragraph.

Sidebars. In newspapers and magazines, sidebars are those short stories that often run alongside of larger articles providing additional information or sidelights. Many times, they are presented in a box. This technique is perfect for those little asides in your journaling.

Having a lot of text in your scrapbook pages doesn’t have to be boring or overwhelm your reader. Using these simple techniques, you can make your pages as reader-friendly as a magazine.

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