Looking
Good in Print
Review by
Patricia Ray
By
Roger
C. Parker
Paraglyph Press
432 pages, paperback, approx. $25
Looking Good in Print isn't your average desktop publishing manual. Yes, it covers the usual topics: type, graphic design, illustrations, and color. However, Parker extends far beyond those basic ideas.
Throughout
the book, he gives general information, design guidelines, and specific
information for different types of documents. The book contains many pictures
and examples that are extremely helpful.
At the end
of the book is an entire chapter on design pitfalls and another chapter
with before and after examples demonstrating the principles
he covers in the book.
Parker starts
with general information such as typeface selection, leading, and white
space. The more technical aspects of type such as compression, reversal,
and setting type along a path are also covered.
Then he goes
into the graphic design of a page. He covers forms of white space, sinks
rules, borders, boxes, screens, and bleeds. He provides extensive information
on photographs, illustrations, clip art, information charts, and diagrams.
He gives guidelines for selecting artwork, editing it, and placing it
on the page. In addition, he gives some details on choosing and editing
photographs.
He covers
picking a color scheme for your document, how to work with spot color,
and color caveats. He refers both to using color in your software and
how it interacts with the commercial printing process.
He then provides
detailed design information for different types of printed materials,
including newsletters, catalogs, business cards, menus, and order forms.
Here are some highlights:
- Use a
consistent design for your newsletter nameplate to produce immediate
recognition.
- Plan for
ads. He demonstrates several layouts that place ads in publications
while ensuring that your readers see everything without becoming frustrated.
- Use a
grid to lay out your ad, even if it's a small one. He shows several
different methods of layout.
- Use borders
to separate the ad from the text. They can be rules, white space, or
background.
- Brochures
usually have a long shelf life so place material that changes frequently
into product sheets.
- Make the
size of the logo proportional to the rest of the information.
- Use rules,
screens, etc., to effectively set off the message area of the letterhead.
Again, I find the extensive use of graphic examples to be especially useful. I consider this book a very worthwhile addition to your reference bookshelf.
