Savor the Success - Business Network for women entrepreneurs

As entrepreneurs we have all had the last-minute information request to fulfill…service lists, media sheets, flyers, or presentation handouts. When you don’t have the time to contact a graphic designer and need to design something on your own, don’t panic!  Here are 8 great tips to help you create a professional-looking page layout. 

1.  Keep the layout clean and simple.  The easiest way to do this is to gather all of the information and graphics you want to include and create a “grid”.  A grid is basically a map or organizational sketch of how you want the layout to look.  To give you an example, our Creative Director Catherine Mangosing illustrates a grid below.  In this piece we had three images (one large and two small) and three main pieces of text that we needed to include.  We sketched a grid based on that and included margin areas, center points,  and room for graphics and content. 

Here is the sketch:

Here is how we applied the content and graphics:

And here is the finished layout:

2.  Make sure your content is clear and concise.

3.  Use “white space” around the blocks of copy and images for a modern, clean look.

4.  Wide columns of text or line lengths can look unprofessional.  Consider creating more than one column or adjusting your alignment and margins to avoid columns that are too wide.

5.  Use two font styles maximum.  Choose an easy to read font for the content.  If you would like to draw particular attention to a header or quote, consider using a different type of font or different color.

6.  Don't make your font too large or too small.  You want to make sure your piece is readable but still maintains a professional look.  For example, the main content font size should be between 9 pt and 12 pt.  Anything larger will make the layout seem overbearing and unprofessional.  Headers and call-out quotes can be larger.  Keep in mind that you should maintain a consistency throughout your piece.  Don’t have more than two or three font sizes.

7.  Avoid using too many colors.  Start by choosing a color palette for your piece.  The color palette should have one color for the bulk of your content and no more than one or two colors for the headers and graphics.  For content choose a dark, readable color (navy, gray, black or brown).  
 
8.  Finally, use high quality images to add visual interest.