Design Principles- Type and Grid

Type and grid forms the basis of most editorial publications.

GRID

Underlying grids are used to base the layout of a DPS (Double Page Spread), Even though a lot of the time in Newspapers and magazines, readers are totally unaware of the underlying grid, this is due to the fact that often the grids are so compact that there ends up being endless variations of layouts, that still fit the underlying grid.

TYPE

Main vocabulary used in Type, originating from original letterpress terms.

• Kerning - Adjusting the distance between 2 awkwardly fitting letter.
• DPS - Double Page Spread
• Ligature - 2 letters that made from 1 piece to avoid kerning
• Leading - Distance between lines (originated from the days of letterpress when the used to used pieces of lead to put between lines of type to increase the distance)
• Linefeed - Both the point size and leading added together 

• Pica - 1 pica is equal to 12 equal parts which are called points,  the size of one point is approximately 0.35mm
• Measure- is the length of the line.
• Tracking- is the space between characters, the larger the tracking the bigger distance between between 2 characters.
• Breakout- Chosen quote that is pulled out and highlighted
• Reverse Out- pulling white out of a solid background (white text on coloured or black background) the reverse out box is not fitted to the set grid, it is the text within the box that is fit to the grid.

 When measuring type.

Using the Type Measuring tool, above shows the process to go through to work out, the point size of headings and body text as well as being able to work out the leading, adding them together to create the linefeed.


Magazine grid

Measured out grid, of The BBC History magazine, after measuring out the existing grid, i will reduce the scale of the drawn grid by 50 - 75% to create the my own improved magazine layout.