TYPE AND GRID - construction of grids

Construction
- before you can apply a grid you must understand the requirement of the grid for the work to be produced
- typeface, text and illustrations, print method and paper quality must be confirmed beforehand
- always start with small sketches
- thumbnail sketches will make your job of final layouts easier and productive
- thumbnail sizes should be proportionate to the final format - build up ideas and develop them up
- best place for images and text
- save you from just staring at the screen
- to make your job of final layouts easier and productive
- make job more streamlined

Construction - before drawing your sketches, consider the number of columns needed:
- e.g. 1 column only for text and illustration gives little freedom of layout
- restriction of making illustrations small, medium or large
- e.g. 2 columns, logically, gives you more scope - 1 column for text, 1 column for illustration, they can be mixed together
- 2 column division can be subdivided to create a 4 column page
- e.g. 3 columns, opportunities for arranging and accommodating text and illustrations in numerous sizes
- you could also subdivide the three column grid into a 6 column arrangement

Disadvantages of 6 column systems are:
- lines of text will be narrow
- small typeface will have to be used
- BUT this solely rests on the function that is to be performed

- for stats, figures, graphs and trend line publications use 4 columns per page
- remember 4 columns can be subdivided into 8, 16 + columns
- convenient for representing stats
- the width of a column dictates the size of typeface used
- the rule: the narrower the column is, the smaller the typeface
 - why...if too big/too small...longer to digest information, harder to understand, illegible

Thumbnails and development
- in a nutshell, make a variety of thumbnails of layouts and designs
- do not rely on just one set of thumbnails
- enlarge a small selection of appropriate thumbnails by 1:1
- compare them and select and repeat process until you are confident with the design
- idea generation, taking information
- finding a way to work for you

Apply type to columns
- the first line must fit flush to the top limit of the column grid
- the last line must stand on the bottom limit
- keep calm, it is difficult to find the solution the first time around
- it could mean that your grid field is too high or too low

Example
- 10 pt type, 15 pt leading
- column length 15cm
- loosely means use 15 point leading
- at this length there must be 10 lines per field
- meaning 30 lines every 15cm
- the depth of my fields ascertains how many 10 pt type lines I have

Example
- caption text = 4 point type, 6 point leading
- header and footer text = 7 point type, 10 point leading
- body text = 10 point type, 13 point leading

Type and picture - 8 field grid
- A4+ format
- 8 and 20 grid fields
- 8 grid fields are used frequently for advertising material and brochures

*the grid is only an instrument in which you, a designer, can make interesting and blanched designs*

- 20 field grid has quite a large scope for idea solutions
- there is around 42 possible layout options

TASK
- concertina book
- 5 to 16 pages
- ready made content or own work
- challenge the presentation
- use a mixture of all of the grids for different reasons
- make and break grids
- put your stamp on it