Newsletter Design - How to Create a Newsletter
Learn about newsletter formats, using grids, content, and use of photos in newsletter design. Whether producing simple one-page fliers or glossy, four-color multi-page periodicals, find newsletter design tips and advice.
This series of articles and tutorials focuses on newsletter design — not writing. No newsletter can survive without good content but our aim in the Newsletter Design section is to present your content in an attractive, effective package.
You'll find checklists for overall newsletter design, a discussion of concepts such as consistency and image, and lessons in using specific components of a newsletter such as pictures, decks, and jumplines in order to create a newsletter that looks good.
Your newsletter design doesn't have to have all these parts but most newsletters will have at least four of these key elements of newsletter design, and usually many more. Find out what these parts are and get tips on newsletter design for each part.
Mug shots are a stable of many newsletters, especially employee publications. Find new ways to use these old stand-bys in your newsletter design layouts.
Dont' get stuck in a rut.
Does your newsletter design appear haphazard, thrown together with each page having a different look? Is it cluttered with multiple fonts, photos, and unnecessary clip art? Do the pages appear gray and monotonous? Put the 3Cs of newsletter design to work.
One measure of a newsletter design effectiveness is the first impression a reader has upon seeing it. Does it say boring, exciting, read me now, save me for later, or, don't bother - there's nothing important here? Ask yourself these questions about your newsletter design.
Follow these steps and guidelines to improve your chances of creating a "good" newsletter design.
Find examples of ways to format and use bylines in your newsletter design layout.
Show readers where the rest of the story starts.
Show readers where the story ends.
When you have to continue on another page, let the reader know where to go to keep reading.
These tutorials explore all your options for formatting the text in your newsletter or other publications.
It's not always necessary to use the same grid for every single page.
Borrow these newsletter design ideas from Chuck Green: A fast and easy to update newsletter design and a simple way to keep your web page fresh and new.
Roger C. Parker offers 12 steps to success when creating a business or organization newsletter. Covers topics such as consistency, margins, visuals, and color.
See the before & after with background and commentary in this newsletter design makeover feature at Creative Latitude.
Browse a selection of tips and articles from "The Write Stuff" newsletter. Articles include topics such as using apostrophes, avoid cliches, story ideas, printing terms, and how to use your newsletter.
The Paper Mill Store has a free template for a 4 page newsletter in InDesign, PDF, and QuarkXPress formats.
