MSU-Northern Information Technology Services

   
 
ITS Home Page
 
Inside ITS
Mission
Services/Training
How To...
News
Search

 

  

Services & Training

Media & Reprographics Center:
Writing and Designing
for Maximum Impact
Return to MRC page

In this section:
  Media & Reprographics Center
  Services
  Policies, Procedures
  Equipment
Helpful Hints & Tips:
  Copier Service
  Creating Brochures
>Writing & Designing

 
Pencil bullet For maximum impact and readability, use a sans serif typeface (such as Arial or Helvetica) for headlines and a serif typeface (such as Times Roman or Caslon) for body copy.
   
Pencil bullet If you have a two-word headline, it's OK to set it in all uppercase type. But for longer headlines, avoid using all caps--it hinders reading. Instead use initial caps.
   
Pencil bullet Use verbs in the present tense--rather than past or future--to give headlines a greater sense of immediacy and impact.
   
Pencil bullet Keep related words together when headlines run to two or more lines--and avoid breaking lines at awkward or misleading points.
   
Pencil bullet Break up text with subheads to help readers scan material quickly and provide visual interest to your piece.
   
Pencil bullet Sprinkle your articles with quotes from sources.
   
Pencil bullet Use captions to link photographs and illustrations to a story, but avoid stating the obvious. Omit the caption if the subject matter is self-explanatory. For maximum readability, place captions below the artwork. Include small photo credits to show appreciation for photos contributed by fellow employees or professional photographers.
   
Pencil bullet When using clip art, keep in mind that a single, large illustration is generally more appealing than numerous small illustrations placed randomly about the page. However, several individual-but-related clip art images may be grouped together for a very effective message.
   
Pencil bullet When wrapping text around a graphic, edit out excessive hyphenation and unsightly, irregular spacing between words.
   
Pencil bullet Use visual clues to guide readers through sections of your newsletter that appear as regular features. For example, show hands clapping at the head of a column entitled "Kudos".

Return to top of page
Return to MRC page

 
ITS@
MSU-Northern
P.O. Box 7751
Havre, MT 59501

Copyright © 2002-2008
Privacy Statement

AA/EEO Statement

Last Update: 28-Dec-2007
Site Index