LAYOUT DESIGN

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LAYOUT DESIGN

• LAYOUT STAGES AND FORMATS

By Francine Krimsky
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Layout Stages and Formats

• Thumbnail Layouts
• Rough Layouts
• Finished (Tight) Layouts
• Comprehensive Layouts

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How Do We Get To This Point of Finished
Computerized Comps?.

George Mach
Allison Deland
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We need to discuss, understand and practice the
thought process first.
Boris Izgordu
Sandra DeSilva
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The Thought Process

• Before a designer proceeds to the computer, he
  or she must be properly prepared.
  
• This means that only after going through the
  thought process, or the hand on work, can the
  designer make a proper decision regarding the
  design he or she will use for their or final
  presentation.
• It is very important that the final
  presentation is thought out thoroughly on paper
  rather than think it out on the the computer.
  
• There are many reasons in maintaining the
  traditionalhands on process when designing ads
  and layout designs.
  
• Some of the evident reasons are
• Thumbnail and rough sketches can actually be
  constructed faster when sketching out impromptu
  ideas.
  
• There is not always a computer available
  (sometimes they are inoperable).
  
• Sometimes an artist or designer meets with a
  client over coffee and sketches ideas out while
  they discuss the presentation and make changes or
  additions.
• Sketching out ideas is an informal and
  comfortable approach. A client in not always at
  ease with a laptop over coffee or lunch. Quick
  sketches can be drawn out at casual meeting, at
  which time the the designer might make changes
  and feel comfortable doing so (especially most
  clients are not computer savvy in the art-related
  programs).
• The designer can now go forward and complete
  the presentation.

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THUMBNAIL SKETCHES

• Because it takes less time to sketch in
  miniature than in actual size, the designer
  begins by making thumbnail sketches using a
  simple 2 pencil. The thumbnail sketches should
  be in proportion to the ads as they are to appear
  in print. Quarter size is considered normal.
  
• Even at this early stage, the designer thinks
  in terms of tones as well as outlines.
  
• These sketches may be extremely rough, because
  usually only the designer studies the thumbnail
  sketches. These thumbnails are the designers
  guide for preparing the finished presentations.
  
• Heavy lines may be used to indicate the
  heading. Outline shapes may be used to indicate
  illustrations and photographs.
  
• Text may be Greeked in as well with line
  work, although some artist feel more comfortable
  indicating more detail at this stage. Either way
  is acceptable.
• It is important that the designer can interpret
  his or her own renderings.
  
• The following slides indicates thumbnail
  sketches,,,,,,,,,,,,,

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THUMBNAIL SKETCHES
Heading
Sub-Heading
Photograph
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2
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Heavy lines indicate large type, thinner lines
would be body copy, approximately 1/4 (or 14
points), the rectangles indicate photos or
illustrations.
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Rough Layouts

• The designer chooses one or more designs from
  the thumbnail sketches that he or she feels would
  work best for the final presentation.
  
• The rough layouts are now drawn
  out.
  
• Roughs are usually one half size of the
  finished presentation.
  
• Color is additionally added either in marker
  or color pencil.
  
• The heading and sub-heading are legible, and
  the illustrations and/or photographs are neater,
  although nothing needs be ruled out precisely at
  this point.
• The client can see what particular style font is
  used and is able to better visualize the
  subject matter of the photograph or
  illustration.
• These elements need not be extremely precise at
  this stage.
  
• If there is an abundance of body copy, it may
  be Greeked in (using lines), similarly to
  the style used in producing the thumbnail
  sketches.
• See next slide for student examples

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ROUGH LAYOUTS
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Finished or Tight Layouts

• Now that we are in the Computer Age, many
  artists proceed directly from the rough layouts
  to the finished comprehensive layout on the
  computer.
• Either process is acceptable provided the
  designer and their client is comfortable with
  this procedure..
  
• It is always good practice, however, when
  starting out, to have good hands-on skills,
  therefore, I strongly suggest that entry-level
  students complete a few tight layouts before
  proceeding to the computer.
• Tight layouts get further polish at this stage
  of design.
  
• A finished or tight layout is perfect in every
  detail.
  
• Headings are hand-lettered in ink or marker and
  photographs or illustrations are drawn in
  precisely.
  
• If a large amount of body copy is to be
  included, it may still be Greeked in (the
  text can be typeset separately).
  
• The measurements of the finished presentation is
  precise in size.
  
• See next slide for student examples

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TIGHT LAYOUTS
Charleen Wu
Julie Pertrova
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Comprehensive Layout

• The Comprehensive Layout is now finalized on
  the computer.
  
• The most popular applications for
  constructing advertising and graphics are the
  PhotoShop, Illustrator and QuarkXpress programs..
  
• I teach my students to save and work with
  their photographs in PhotoShop, then import these
  photos into Illustrator where they then proceed
  to add the heading and sub-heading.
• Photographs should be worked with in the
  PhotoShop program before importing the file in
  order to change variables such as the color
  balance, hue, saturation and many other variable.
  However, the image size can still be easily
  adjusted under scale in the Illustrator program
  if necessary. Students must be made aware that
  PhotoShop operates using CMYK colors and
  Illustrator, RGB, which may cause differences in
  their work.
• I allow my students to import files from
  Illustrator into PhotoShop, or PhotoShop into
  Illustrator. It is good practice to be made aware
  of the changes that have to be made to
  compensate.
• If there is a good portion of text,the
  presentation may be saved as one file and then
  imported into the QuarkXpress program.
  
• (Until the latest version of PhotoShop came out,
  the text had been too pixilated in
  PhotoShop.)
  
• But, it still remains a good habit, however, to
  have students construct their larger or
  decorative type in Illustrator to get a feel for
  importing and working within each program for
  now, I still think it is the best way to go.
  
• See the following slides for student
  examples

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COMPREHENSIVE COMPUTER LAYOUTS
Natalia Orlova
Michael Sasjack
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So, before you finalize with this
Natalia Orlova
You must first come up with this.
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SUMMARY OF PROCEDURE.
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1 Thumbnails 2 Roughs 3 Tight Layout 4 Comp
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