[h=4]Page Layout
Some of the first choices you need to make about your publication involve
page layout. Creating a publication
from a
template takes care of most of these choices for you. However, if you create a publication from scratch
or decide to heavily modify a template, there are three components of page layout that you’ll have to consider.
Size
Some publications, like flyers, can be large or small. However, you probably don’t want a brochure to be giant. A standard
sheet of paper is 8.5 inches wide and 11 inches tall. Larger sheets of paper can be expensive and difficult to print. Think
carefully about your publication size before you commit to printing in a particular format.
Orientation
Do you want your publication to be in
landscape orientation (wider than tall) or
portrait orientation
(taller than wide)? Your choice will probably be influenced by standard design conventions. For instance,
business cards are usually printed in
landscape orientation.
Margins
Margins are areas of blank space that line the edges of a printed document. While professional printers can print
publications where the text and images stretch out all the way to the edge of the page, most home and office
printers require that your publication have margins, even if they are narrow ones.
The
width of your page margins can affect the
look and
feel of your publication. For example, extremely
wide margins, like
those often found in menus for fancy restaurants, can look sophisticated. However, wide margins don't leave much room for
images and text. In contrast,
narrow margins give you a large amount of space to work with.
As you plan your publication, it might help to mock up your design on paper. You can also use an existing publication as a model.