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

Allison Deland
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Boris Izgordu
Sandra DeSilva
We need to discuss, understand
and practice the thought process
first.
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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
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
Michael Sasjack
Natalia Orlova
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So, before you finalize with this
You must first come up with this.
Natalia Orlova
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SUMMARY OF PROCEDURE.
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1 Thumbnails
2 Roughs
3 Tight Layout
4 Comp