4. Grids

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1. For hundreds of years, books printed in Europe were designed with generous margins and Classical proportions. The relationship between the text and white space was determined by geometric formulas.

Classic One-Column Grids

• composed of a single column that contains both text and illustrations
• In classic text proportions, the outside margin is greater than the inside margin, and the top (head) margin is less than the bottom (foot) margin.

2. Pages filled with text are usually uninviting. Without adequate margins or white space, the type overwhelms the page.

Poorly Executed One-Column Grids

• A column is too wide for comfortable reading if the text is dense and wide.

3. The same text as above set in a reduced column width is more inviting to the eye and therefore easier to read.

Improving the One-Column Grid

• Reduce the column width slightly and reposition it on the right or left side of the page. Although this offers a smaller text area, readability is enhanced and the page has a more open feeling.

4. Most magazines have grids with two or more columns. The greater the number of columns, the greater the possibilities for organizing the text and illustrations. As long as the text sets well on a given linelength, columns may be any width. The vertical placement of elements such as heads and folios must be carefully determined.

Multiple-Column Grids

• Most magazines as well as illustrated books are designed around two- and three-column grids. Text and images may occupy one or more columns; illustrations may even run off the page (bleed)
• Column widths may vary; for instance a two-column grid may have a wide column for text and a narrow one for captions and callouts.

5. Grids may be designed with a greater emphasis on horizontal divisions than on standard vertical columns. These grids tend to be used for technical or special-interest publications. Some publications use more than one grid. Generally, certain margins are shared in these formats to provide visual consistency.

Complex Grids

• Some grids designed for specific applications are very complex, having multiple columns that vary in width. Technical books, for example, may require a grid with special columns for data or charts as well as several horizontal page divisions for organizing information.
• Other grids may be designed with columns that can be shifted or overlapped to afford even greater design flexibility.

6. Working without a grid may look easy but requires a great number of design decisions to be effective.

Working Without a Grid

• When no grid is used the publication is held together by a common style or design concept.