Modern

Graphic Design
New approaches to DTP modify
the way a story is written
Long stories get structured
* Time is running faster in the 21st century.
* Mass media went through a process of
diversification (appearance of TV, then Internet).
* Entertainment opportunities other than media
have appeared almost everywhere.
* =>A long printed story should be more
structured and attractive in order to be followed
until the end.
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Oldskool DTP
* Single story
* Black & White
* Blunt typography: two
kinds of fonts
* Poor printing
* Equal columns (4 in the
example)

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Story organization
* Instead of a single big story, contemporary magazines and some of
the newspapers organize the material in several elements:
* Main story
* Side stories
* Sidebars
* Chapeau
* Photo captions
* Tables
* Subheadlines
* Upper and lower headlines
* The story organization is naturally reflected both in the layout of
the story and the text pieces.
* This is why a journalist should have some graphic design notions

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Evolution

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Newskool DTP
* Main story with sub-headlines
* Two side stories: chronology of the
church and info about prices
* Chapeau, caption, signature more
punchy at the beginning of the story
* Colored picture
* Colored headlines & other elements.
Color is extracted from/assorted to
the picture
* Contemporary, attractive, varied
typography – a family of fonts
* Uneven number of columns (5 in the
example), to be able to juggle with the
volumes: the first is reserved for the
chapeau and one of the side stories.

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Newskool DTP – advantages
* More hooks to get the
reader into the story
* The content is presented
in an ordered way: a
beautiful descriptive
main story and two other
side stories including
prices (useful info) and
the chronology of the
monastery
* Esthetics
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What should a journalist do to see his
story printed this beautiful way?
* Make sure he has a good opening
photo. The photo should show the
subject of the material (a person, a
building, a situation). Generic stock
image (newspaper archive) is used
less and less
* Talk to the graphic designer about
the way the story should be
organized (main + side stories)
* Agree to cut (and increase length)
of text to some extent, according
to the graphic designer’s
specifications
* Be able to write a short headline
to achieve good graphic impact.

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Oldskool workflow
1. Reporter goes to collect
info, often without a
photographer
2. Reporter writes story
3. Editor approves
4. Reporter gives the text
to graphic designer
5. Reporter goes out for a
beer.
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Newskool workflow
1. Reporter goes to collect info, WITH
photographer, with whom he TALKS in
advance about the idea of the story
2. Reporter gets back to the office,
TALKS to the editor and the graphic
design to agree on a story
organization
3. Graphic designer achieves layout and
communicates to the reporter the
length of the texts (number of
words/characters)
4. Reporter writes main story AND
auxiliary material
5. Adjustments are made
6. Reporter goes to sleep, it is too late
and he is too tired for a beer.

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end