Learning page design

[MNgremlin]

What do you have trouble fitting? I use the EXP boxes as well. We have 1.75" columns, I use a 6.5 pt typeface with -5 tracking and everything fits pretty easily.

Ah, that'd be the problem then, most likely. Our columns are more like 1.5" with 1/6" gutters.

 

[LeesaJohnson]

It depends on your creative ideas that how good you can design it.

 

[MNgremlin]

Hey look, it's me again. I'm still at the same shop over three years later, and have still been mostly learning design from afar (I'm still just a part-timer, so I'm not the first backup when the editor is out of town).

However, I feel like I've taken some pretty good steps in 2018, partly due to the shop being understaffed (shocker, I know). We had the opportunity to send our editor for Super Bowl coverage, which left me as the sports guy in the office to get the pages finished and sent. That gave me some of my first real work with both the photo process and with sending off the pages.

The other thing I've picked up along the way is working on the local shopper's special section that includes all of the sports/activities schedules. In the past, I would just type all of the schedules, but in the fall edition I essentially did everything from cover to cover.

Fast forward to present, the past week in the office has been difficult because our editor has been out of town. This put an already understaffed sports department in more of a pinch. The full-timer has mostly handled pages since Thursday, but doesn't like doing pages and to be quite honest it somewhat shows in the final product. Otherwise it's the news editor, who couldn't even see that he spelled volleyball wrong in the main subhed on Page 1 when he did the sports pages one night. I'm stuck to the desk every night I work since I don't drive, so finally I stepped up and told the full-timer I could handle pages for a night. Usually similar suggestions have been brushed aside, but this time they took me up on my offer. So Tuesday night, I essentially did the sports section on my own. The full-timer had a few things on the pages when I showed up, but I had the freedom to move things as I saw fit. I thought I worked pretty efficiently too, getting everything set up in basically 2-3 hours (which included waiting for copy and photos).

I'm really hopeful that I will be able to parlay some of these things into bigger opportunities at the office or somewhere else. I don't think my pages were award-winning by any means, but for my first real crack at it I'm pretty pleased with how they turned out. I forgot to email myself the PDFs, but I'll try to see if I can share my work here.

 

[MNgremlin]

Be nice.....

 

[MNgremlin]

Overtime meant not getting the gamer in Tuesday's paper. So I improvised....

 

[MNgremlin]

I can't believe it's been 6 years since starting this thread.

I was kinda thrown in off the deep end last fall as our shop turned into a regional design hub and extra sports staff turned into page designers (bright side, finally full-time after 7 years at the paper!)

I was pretty happy with this front I put together the other day, especially the NBA package.

 

[studthug12]

I can't believe it's been 6 years since starting this thread.

I was kinda thrown in off the deep end last fall as our shop turned into a regional design hub and extra sports staff turned into page designers (bright side, finally full-time after 7 years at the paper!)

I was pretty happy with this front I put together the other day, especially the NBA package.

Congrats on getting the full-time gig @MNgremlin. I will say it's probably not anything to do with you, but the front page is too busy for me...I like a bigger CP with a strong big picture. Just me, doesn't always have to be, but would prefer art on bottom to even out page. But as I said if you get a budget with quite a bit of stories I can see not having room. I like the breakout shaded box also.

 

[Sam Mills 51]

The photo in the top strip probably needs to be two columns at its widest, not only to make sure the CP plays where it should, but also to make sure readers know that the CP is, well, the big story.

Also, when using a breakout box and art with the top strip, it almost makes two photos with the CP package a little messier than need be. Sometimes, one with the breakout is enough, especially with a major art element on the strip.

(Not trying to be nasty or discouraging, MNgremlin ... I don't want to be that SOB, but it really jumped out at me. Keep up the good work.)

 

[MNgremlin]

The photo in the top strip probably needs to be two columns at its widest, not only to make sure the CP plays where it should, but also to make sure readers know that the CP is, well, the big story.

Also, when using a breakout box and art with the top strip, it almost makes two photos with the CP package a little messier than need be. Sometimes, one with the breakout is enough, especially with a major art element on the strip.

(Not trying to be nasty or discouraging, MNgremlin ... I don't want to be that SOB, but it really jumped out at me. Keep up the good work.)

All good. I appreciate tips like that. It's why I post here.

 

[MNgremlin]

Congrats on getting the full-time gig @MNgremlin. I will say it's probably not anything to do with you, but the front page is too busy for me...I like a bigger CP with a strong big picture. Just me, doesn't always have to be, but would prefer art on bottom to even out page. But as I said if you get a budget with quite a bit of stories I can see not having room. I like the breakout shaded box also.

Fair points. I probably could've moved bottom story inside, which would've allowed for a bigger main photo. As I said, was just trying to package things together...something my boss doesn't do enough of imo.