Layout glossary

Layout Glossary

Alley: the space between columns within a page. Not to be confused with the

gutter, which is the combination of the inside margins of two facing pages.

Banner: The title of a periodical, which appears on the cover of the magazine

and on the first page of the newsletter. It contains the name of the publication and

serial information, date, volume, number. Bleed: when the image is

Block quote: A long quotation - four or more lines - within body text, that is set apart in order to clearly distinguish the author’s words from the words that the

Body or body copy: (typesetting) the main text of the work but not including

Boost: picture boost (usually front page) pic promoting a feature or story in later

Strap boost: as previous, but with a strapline, not a picture

Byline - A journalist's name at the beginning of a story.

Callout: An explanatory label for an illustration, often drawn with a leader

line pointing to a part of the illustration.

Centre of visual interest (CVI) - The prominent item on a page usually a

headline, picture or graphic.

Column gutter: The space between columns

Copy - Main text of a story.

Cross head - A few words used to break up large amounts of text, normally taken

from the main text. Typically used in

Cutlines: Explanatory text, usually full sentences, that provides information

about illustrations. Cutlines are sometimes called captions or legends.

Deck: a headline is made up of decks, each set in the same style and size of

type.A multi deck heading is one with several headings each different from the next and should not be confused with the number of lines a heading has. A four line heading is not the same as a four

deck heading.

Drop cap: a large initial letter at the start of the text that drops into the line

or lines of text below.

Feature - A longer, more in-depth

Facing pages: In a double-sided document, the two pages that appear as a spread when the publication is opened.

Flush left: copy aligned along the left margin.

Golden ratio: the rule devised to give proportions of height to width when laying out text and illustrations to

produce the most optically pleasing result. Traditionally a ratio of 1 to 1.6.

Justify: (typesetting) the alignment of text along a margin or both margins.

This is achieved by adjusting the spacing between the words and characters as

necessary so that each line of text

Kicker - The first sentence or first few words of a story's lead, set in a font size

larger than the body text of the story.

Masthead: Magazine term referring to the printed list, usually on the editorial page of a newspaper or magazine, that

lists the contributors. Typically this would include the owners, publishers,

editors, designers and production team. The masthead is often mistakenly used in reference to the flag or nameplate, which actually refers to the designed

Negative space - (or white space) the area of page without text, image or

Noise: A noisy image or noisy scan is one where there are random or extra pixels that have degraded the image

quality. Noise in a graphics image can be generated at the scanning stage, by

artificially enlarging an image by interpolating the pixels, or by over-

sharpening a digital photograph. Noise can sometimes also be found in

Overline: introductory headline in smaller text size above the main

Pull quote: A brief phrase (not necessarily an actual quotation) from the body text, enlarged

and set off from the text with rules, a box, and/or a screen. It is from a part of the text set

previously, and is set in the middle of a paragraph, to add emphasis and interest.

A quote or exerpt from an article that is used as display text on the same page to entice the

reader, highlight a topic or break up linearityPull-out quote - Selected quote from a story

highlighted next to the main text. Often used in

Recto - Right-hand page.

Rivers:A river is a typographic term for the ugly white gaps that can occur in justified columns of type, when there is too much

space between words on concurrent lines of text. Rivers are especially common in

narrow columns of text, where the type size is relatively large. Rivers are best avoided by either setting the type as ragged, increasing

the width of the columns, decreasing the point size of the text, or by using a

condensed typeface. An often overlooked method of avoiding rivers, is the careful use

Running head: A title or heading that runs along the top of a printed

publication, usually a magazine.

Sell - Short sentence promoting an article, often pulling out a quote or a

Splash – Main front page story.

Standfirst: will usually be written by the sub-editor and is normally around 40-50 words in length. Any longer and it defeats its purpose, any shorter and it becomes

difficult to get the necessary information in. Its purpose is to give some background

information about the writer of the article, or to give some context to the contents of

the article. Usually, it is presented in typesize larger than the story text, but

Strapline - Similar to a subhead or standfirst, but used more as a marketing

Talkie headline: a quote from one of the people in the story used as a headline

Tag line: a short memorable line of cover text that sums up the tone of the publication (Loaded Mag has :For men

who should know better)

Tombstoning - In page layout, to put articles side by side so that the headlines

are adjacent. The phenomenon is also referred to as bumping heads.

Top heads - Headlines at the top of a

Widow - Last line of paragraph appearing on the first line of a column of

Wob - White text on a black or other coloured background.