Desktop Tips

by Bob Nunn, President MCUC

To give your piece a professional look always do your headlines in a sans-serifed font like Helvetica, Mykonos, or XXXXXXXX.  These are of course in bold and in a large easy to see font size to grab your attention.  Always do your headlines in upper and lower case letters. If you use all uppercase (I see this done frequently) it makes it harder to read! (Have you ever read an all uppercase post on a bulletin board?). Your body text should be in a serif type font, ( You know the ones with the little tails on the letters)like Times-Roman, Courier, or XXXXXX.  Sizing of the Fonts should be fairly simple - Headlines as big as practical, body text in 9 point or better. If you want something not to be read then italicize it. Reverse type should be used sparingly for effect only. When you choose your fonts stay with them, don't use 5 or 10 fonts just because you have them. ( Prevents that ransom note look)

   You may have notice that this newsletter is done with some of the rules in effect. The best rule is that you are pleased with the look and your piece is pleasant and easy to read. I've seen expensive publications with just the opposite rules in effect for headlines and body text and you know what? They looked just as professional and easy to read.
    
     Use graphics sparingly and do what you can to size them to the page.  Find a printer or someone who has a copier that will shrink or expand. Attempt to make them fit in with the text. Graphics will make your publications from lukewarm to excellent but try to keep them in context and in the same style. It's easy to make a decent piece look like a ransom note if you get carried away.
    
    Art supply stores sell line tape. Use this to breakup the page to make it less threatening. Nobody likes to read page after page of simple typed in text.  
    
    Lastly, look at some professionally done publications and analyze how and why it was put together.  The best example I can think of is INFO magazine.  They are desktop publishers that use the graphics, headlines, blurbs etc. in a fashion that is not difficult to emulate in a simple cut and paste type piece.