a quarterly online newsletter from

Vol. 1 No. 3, July 2004
http://www.kauaidesign.com

This online publication is being sent to you because you are

a client, colleague or prospect of Kaua`i Design Graphics.

In this issue:

I. Making Headlines

II. Type Talk

III. Break Up Text With Graphic Elements

IV. The Mission of Kaua`i Design Graphics

V. Do You Want to Receive THE GRAPHICS GRAPEVINE?

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I. Making Headlines

Be it a newsletter article or a print ad, an effective headline serves as bait and hook to grab attention and pull a reader into the rest of your story, In these days of information overload, you have only a few seconds to win a reader over. Both visual appeal and headline appeal are key. Below are ten proven strategies to engage your reader along with ten ways to punch up a headline.

10 WAYS TO ENGAGE YOUR READERS

Arouse curiosity by asking a provocative question or making a startling statement.
Offer a challenge: Five consumer types; which are you?
Include an unexpected twist or paradox.
Make them smile.
Allude to well-known titles, lyrics or expressions.
Provide a list: Eight reasons to call us before planning your next vacation.
Offer help: How to launch a home business in your spare time.
Use a news style headline to promote a new product, service, location, manager, etc.
Talk benefits, appealing to basic needs for acceptance, love, fun, family, health, security, comfort, convenience, etc..
Quote a happy customer in an advertisement or a key player in a news story

10 WAYS TO PUNCH UP A HEADLINE

Choose short words and minimize adjectives

Use present tense, even for an event from the recent past or near future, to convey immediacy and impact.

Use active voice; Student's invention saves lives packs more punch than Lives saved by student's invention.

Omit helping verbs is and are to liven up headlines; Hyatt committed to protecting monk seals leaves out the understood helping verb is.

Avoid abbreviations. While the meaning may be obvious to you, it may not translate for some readers.

Be specific. General and vague words make dull headlines: Matson CEO announces new services is stronger than Message from the President.

Omit articles a, an and the to enhance flow and save space.

Avoid exclamation points, using strong verbs instead.

Use single quotation marks instead of double. Use semi-colons instead of periods in a compound headline. A comma can stand in for and in a headline.

With two-line headlines, place line breaks where they make sense, keeping key phrases intact. Avoid splitting infinitives or hyphenated words.

II. Type Talk

Access to a fabulous array of typefaces is at the fingertips of any computer user these days. It's easy to take for granted the typographer's expertise in creating a set of letters, numbers and symbols that work together as a typeface, often within a larger type family. Looking through the typographer's eyes at the diagram above...

We see that the letters in the example are set in a serif typestyle defined by the thin horizontal lines at the tops and bottoms of straight strokes. The labels in the diagram are set in a sans (without) serif type. Generally sans serif typefaces are best for headlines, small text such as captions and footnotes, screen use (computer monitors or overheads), number-intensive and faxed documents. Serif typefaces are best for body copy, as serifs help the eye to flow along lines of printed text with ease. The thin and thick strokes of serif type also add texture and interest for the reader.

Large, open counters (the space inside the letters p and g above) in either typestyle improve legibility. When combining fonts, a rule of thumb is to select one serif and one sans serif for contrast. Holding documents to a maximum of three typefaces is recommended: one for headings, one for body copy and one for accent type.

Type size is measured in points from the bottom of the descender to the top of the ascender. Seventy-two points equal approximately one inch so a 72 point font will measure about an inch from ascent line to descent line. X-height is the distance from the baseline to the top of the lowercase x in a given typeface. Cap height, from the baseline to the top of a capital letter, is usually 2/3 to 3/4 of type size.

Use of all caps, like underlining, is a holdover from typewriting days when options for emphasis were limited. Setting text in all caps removes the uneven "skyline" of type (tall, short, and dotted letters) that enhances word recognition and reading speed. It also takes up 35% more space on a page.

For a comprehensive glossary of type terms, visit http://store.adobe.com/type/topics/glossary.html

III. Break Up Text with Graphic Elements

Your readers will love you for breaking up long blocks of text into manageable chunks of information, and you can make your pages more attractive and interesting in the process. White space, photos and illustrations are commonly used for this purpose. Other devices that can enhance readability as well as reader interest, understanding and retention include:

headlines and subheads, larger and/or bolder than the body copy and perhaps in a different font
pull quotes with optional extra large quotation marks or indented margins
side bars with related information
ornaments as section dividers; endmarks
screened shapes behind text blocks
text wrapped around graphic objects
typographical enhancements (bold, italic, drop caps, etc.)
rules (horizontal lines) as section dividers or to enhance pull quotes and blurbs
diagrams, charts and graphs
bulleted or numbered lists like this one

IV. The Mission of Kaua`i Design Graphics

Communicate the intended message to the intended audience. Graphic design is above all about communication.

Create or reinforce a positive visual identity and image for the organization, honoring existing logos, trademarks and intellectual properrty, and complementing other media efforts when appropriate. An organization's public image is among its most important assets.

Actively explore conceptual solutions to communication goals. Good creative work doesn't usually come from a flash of inspiration but from multiple approaches, imaginative and resourceful problem-solving and careful refinement.

Showcase the organization's unique character along with its products and services, helping to solidify market position and shape consumer perceptions.

Address the needs and interests of customers, directing readers' attention to the most important information and encouraging them to take the next step.

Can be produced within time and budget constraints.

I would be remiss here if I did not encourage you to take the next step and contact Kaua`i Design Graphics for your free consultation. Call (808) 822-0055 or e-mail linda@kauaidesign.com

V. Do You Want to Receive The Graphics Grapevine?

Future editions of The Graphics Grapevine will be sent to you by e-mail each quarter only if you want to receive them. If, for any reason, you’d like to remove your name from the e-mail list or add your name to the list, please e-mail: linda@kauaidesign.com

Owner of Kaua'i-based Kaua`i Design Graphics, Linda Pizzitola specializes in logos, business identity packages and print promotions. Kaua'i Designcollaborates with business owners and event promoters to bring their graphic identities to life. See samples of her work, a client list and more at http://www.kauaidesign.com. Linda can be reached by phone at (808) 822-0055.