1. Home
  2. Computing & Technology
  3. Desktop Publishing

Consistency Organizes and Unifies Newsletter Design
Practice Page-to-Page and Issue-to-Issue Consistency

By , About.com Guide

A newsletter doesn't have to be boring. It can have little surprises pop up. But consistency aids the reader by organizing your words and eliminating distracting clutter. Consistency unifies the many different elements -- headlines, text, clip art, photos, captions, short stories, long stories, fillers, etc. -- and doesn't distract the reader from the message.

So what would be inconsistent newsletter design?

  • Different margins on each page.
  • A different typestyle for every headline.
  • Not using the same basic layout on each page or changing the 'look' every issue.
  • Clip art and graphics that don't relate to the newsletter contents.

How do you maintain consistency in newsletter design?

  • Design around a grid. Grids help keep elements in the same place from page to page.
  • Use templates and styles. Templates, like grids, help keep elements in the same place from one newsletter issue to the next.
  • Use repeating elements (examples. the same header on each inside page; the same end sign on all articles; the same standing header for all recurring columns).

NEXT: Cut the Clutter, Let the Message Shine Through in Newsletter Design

Explore Desktop Publishing
About.com Special Features

The Best Web Trends of the Decade

A look back at the best innovations, ideas and technologies over the last 10 years, More >

Family Tech Center

Stay connected and entertained with reviews on tips on the latest HDTVs, cellphones and more. More >

  1. Home
  2. Computing & Technology
  3. Desktop Publishing
  4. Things to Make
  5. Newsletters
  6. Newsletter Design Clinic - Consistency Organizes and Unifies Newsletter Design>

©2010 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company.

All rights reserved.