Putting it together:
Photos, cutlines and pull quotes
Terms to know
• Before we go too far, we need to master
some terminology related to layout and
design.
• What is a layout?
• What is a dummy?
Terms to know
• A layout is a plan for the use of space on a
page.
• A dummy is a paper sheet used to represent
that page.
• Both of these are key elements in a design.
• What is a design?
Terms to know
• Design is the overall look of a publication.
• It includes elements such as page size,
color, type faces, spacing, art size and
standards for columns.
Terms to know
• There are essentially three sizes for
publications: broadsheet, tabloid and
magazine.
• Broadsheet is the most common newspaper
size in the United States. The O’Colly, the
News-Press, the Tulsa World and The
Oklahoman are all broadsheets.
• Broadsheet pages measure 13 inches by 21
inches. Pages are wide and deep.
Terms to know
• Tabloid design is the most common
newspaper design overseas, and is seen in a
number of places here. The Chicago SunTimes and Christian Science Monitor are
two examples.
• A tabloid page measures 10 inches by 15
inches.
Terms to know
• Magazine design is what we are all familiar
with from Newsweek, Time and dozens of
other publications.
• The standard page is 7 inches by 10 inches.
• Magazine design is often done using a
spread.
• Spreads contain facing pages. The gutter is
the space between pages.
Terms to know
• Whatever format they use, all design is
based on columns.
• What are columns?
• Columns are rectangular blocks of space
into which type and graphics are placed.
• Columns are numbered from left to right.
• Six columns is considered standard for a
broadsheet layout, but that varies.
Working with art elements
• What do photographs, cutlines and pull
quotes have in common?
Working with art elements
• Each is an art element used to fill the space
on a page.
• Each should provide readers with entry
points.
Working with art elements
• What do readers look at first? What do they
comprehend?
• According to studies by the Poynter
Institute, a color photo will draw the most
attention on a page. It will serve as an entry
point to the article and the page.
Working with art elements
• Art elements need to meet three basic
criteria:
• 1. They should accurately represent the
story.
• 2. They should serve as a conduit; drawing
readers into the story and providing
additional information for the story.
• 3. They should provide variety.
Working with pull quotes
• What is a pull quote?
Working with pull quotes
• It is normally a direct quote taken from a
story and presented on a page in an
exaggerated form.
• A pull quote must come from the story it
appears with.
• A pull quote must be contained within the
story as well as in the display.
Working with pull quotes
• Do not use a pull quote from the lead
paragraph.
• Avoid using a pull quote that serves as the
story’s impact statement.
• Make it clear in the presentation who is
stating the pull quote. Attribution,
attribution, attribution.
Working with photos
• Photos provide a visual means of telling a
story.
• Select photos that make a statement.
• Identify the center of interest in a photo.
• Delete those portions of the photo that are
not relevant to the center of interest.
Working with photos
• Important items to keep in mind:
• First, make sure one image on a page is the
dominant image.
• What is the dominant image?
• It’s the one larger than all the other images.
• There are various measurements for the
dominant image. In the class and in most of
the world the dominant image is 50 percent
larger than the next largest art element.
Working with photos
• Next, try for variety.
• Photos should demonstrate different
perspectives. They should differ in
dimension, orientation and composition.
• As an example: A photo taken from the
ceiling looking down at a basketball goal as
a player dunks provides some variety.
• Using the same type of shot for every
presentation, makes for a dull layout.
Working with photos
• Finally, be aware of how the photo is placed
on a page.
• Know the other elements and don’t let them
fight with one another.
• In particular, avoid raw wraps. A raw wrap,
where copy does not a have a headline over
it, should be used sparingly in a publication.
• Watch for other art elements on the page.
Working with photos
• Two photos may be adjacent. Make sure
their proximity doesn’t create problems
within a page.
• If the two photos clash, you have a problem.
• Also, be aware of the direction subjects face
in a photo.
• Try to have images that look into a story.
• Avoid images that look off the page or into
another story.
Working with photos
• Always be willing to crop photos.
• Always be willing to resize photos.
• Photos can be incredibly flexible. They are
a page designer’s best friend. They do not,
however, arrive in a perfect form for each
application.
• In the same way that copy needs a copy
editor, photos need photo editing.
Working with photos
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•
•
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Be careful when editing photos.
There are ethical considerations.
There are legal considerations.
There are matters of style and policy to
consider.
• Don’t forget any of these.
Working with captions
• Captions, or cutlines, are art elements that
describe other art elements.
• Captions are similar to headlines for photos.
• Captions, like headlines, need to summarize
the action in a few words.
• They also need to be written in active voice.
• Captions, however, must follow AP style
for body text. This means watch out for
numerals, punctuation and grammar.
Working with captions
• Captions can put more pressure on editors
and create the possibility for more errors.
• They are often handled by fewer people.
• They are seen by fewer sets of eyes.
• To cut down on the number of errors,
always check the caption and the photo it is
running with. Make sure the correct caption
runs with the correct photo.
Working with captions
• There are two rules to always apply to
photos and several additional steps to
consider.
• First, make sure that the caption and the
action in the photo match. Watch out for a
cropped photos that deletes a detail.
• Second, make sure that the photo on the
page is the same one as called for in the
design.
Working with captions
• Follow the two rules and everything gets
easier. Here are some additional steps.
• Make sure there is a caption for everything
and everything has its caption. This includes
photos and graphics.
• The caption should describe the picture. It
must be complete.
• Everyone appearing prominently should be
identified.
Working with captions
• Use present tense. Kansas City’s Angel
Berroa throws out White Sox catcher Chris
Drummond at second base.
• If a date must be specified put it in the
second sentence of a caption. Note: AP uses
only two sentence for a caption. We will do
the same.
• Identification normally starts at the left of
the photo.
Working with captions
• Avoid mixing present and past tense.
• Write what you know. A demonstrator with
an open mouth is not necessarily screaming.
• Don’t insult readers’ intelligence. If it is
clear that a bartender is drawing a beer,
don’t say in the caption that the subject is
drawing a beer.
• Avoid words like shown above, pictured
and poses.
Working with captions
• Explain strange items that appear in a
photo. If the subject is using a mass
spectrometer in the photo and the device is
pertinent, explain what it does.
• Avoid posed subjects.
• Avoid photos that you have seen a dozen
times before, such as handing over an
oversized check, groundbreaking
ceremonies and the like.
Working with captions
• Avoid widows.
• Widows are the last word or words on a
line. They look like headlines that were too
short for the count.
• Either delete a word or words from the
previous line or use the remaining space to
say more about the photo or graphic.
• Finally, don’t forget to credit the
photographer.