Similarities in Layout

After looking at a range of printed, text based layouts one would be forgiven for assuming that many are the same or follow the same patterns. However, this isn’t necessarily correct – There are some similarities between such things as novels, newspapers, journals etc, such as many of them having justified text as opposed to purely left aligned. This is however, where the similarities largely end… if you take a newspaper for example, the use of columns is prevalent, something which is rarely seen elsewhere (other than magazines and similar informative publications). I believe these are used in order to break down large chunks of text into smaller, less daunting sections. Usually these columns are rarely more than 3 in width across the page, though on larger broadsheet newspapers, a fourth column can also be found. This is a trend that is common worldwide.

Margins and gutters are consistent through pretty much all printed ephemera, as it provides not only a safe distance to the printed edge, but also makes the text clearer to read in the centre of the page.

Page numbering, again, has been largely consistent in terms of it’s layout across various documents, usually residing in the bottom corner of each page. This can vary though, some articles, (particularly smaller documents, I found), feature the page number in the centre of the bottom of the page.

By doing this research I feel I am a lot more knowledgable on what features define certain publications. And feel confident in being able to use what is considered the norm, for each of these different layouts.