An Expert Guide to Newspaper Design Produce Better Ads

The 7 AdEssentials

AvoidNoviceMistakes

DigitalPhotoTips

FREE Color Chart Inside!

ProcEssvs. sPoTcolors

secretsof thePress

Secrets of the Press

Process vs. Spot Color

Digital Photo Tips

The 7 AdEssentials

FREE Color Chart Inside!

We Want to Help You…

Understand newspaper printing . . . . . Page 3

From your desk to the press . . . . . . . . Page 4

Design an effective ad . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 5

Newspaper color sells! . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 6

**Special Pullout Color Combinations Poster**

Design tips & tricks . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 11

Digital photos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 12

Graphics and Artwork . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 13

Design examples . . . . . . . . . . . Page 14 & 15

Send us your ad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 16

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Printed & produced by North of Boston Media Group, 100 Turnpike Street, North Andover, MA 01845. Copyright 2011. Fourth edition © 2019. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form without prior written permission of the publisher. Produce Better Ads was written by Jim Falzone, designed by Jason Lynch. Contributors: Mike Ouellette, Dave Lavigne, Jim Robson, Sam Solomon. Questions, comments, or requests for additional copies should be directed to Jim Falzone, jfalzone@eagletribune.com or (978) 946-2349.

Understand Newspaper Printing

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ALL ADS ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL!One of the first things a graphic artist learns is to design with the medium in mind. Something that works well for television may fall flat on radio. Or a perfectly designed direct-mail piece might not translate well to a billboard.

When designing a newspaper ad, it’s important to realize it is much different than designing for any other types of print media. We'll skip the sales pitch, knowing that if you are reading this, you realize that newspaper advertising is proven to move product and build brands. However, to get the most from your newspaper advertising dollars you need to design an ad built for a newspaper. You shouldn’t try to repurpose an ad built for the web or magazines!

*This booklet is designed to help you create the best possible newspaper ads. If you are also designing web or magazine ads, please contact your sales person for additional information specific to your needs. For a list of contact numbers, please see page 12 of this booklet.

LINE SCREENINGWithout getting too technical, the line screen is how many tiny dots it takes to create or print an image. It’s the biggest difference between web, newspaper, and glossy product printing. What may look fine on a website or in a word processing program will almost certainly reproduce poorly in a newspaper, and will be completely unacceptable in a magazine. It’s the number one novice design mistake. (see page 11)

OFFSET PRINTING Newspapers are printed very quickly. Finished product often appear on newsstands within an hour of the editor finishing the last story. This is accomplished with offset inks that do not require any special dryers or coating during the printing process. It can, however, result in the inks rubbing off or offsetting onto other pages. Designers who understand total ink limits and dot gain can avoid any issues with offsetting. (see page 11)

GRAYISH TINTNewsprint is not a bright white color, it tends to look a little gray. When choosing photos or creating graphics, it is very important to choose high contrast images. These will show up the best on newsprint. Images with a lot of gray or midtone color tend to look muddy on newsprint. For the environmentally conscious, standard newsprint is typically produced with 30% to 50% recycled fiber, which contributes to the sheet’s darker color. (see page 11)

HIGHLY ABSORPTIVE PAPER Unlike the glossy stock used on magazines or postcards, ink readily absorbs into newsprint stock. Similar to a magic marker writing on a paper towel, the ink tends to spread on contact. In newspaper-speak, this is called “dot gain” and you will need to consider this during the design process. (see page 11)

SOME KEY DIFFERENCES:

From Your Desk to the PressAfter an ad is ordered through one of our sales consultants, it is designed using desktop publishing software. (This can be your designer or ours.) When the ad is complete, the designer creates a properly formatted PDF file. This PDF file is sent to our Prepress Department (see page 11).

Our Digital Imaging Operator runs the file through PDF flight-checking software to ensure specifications are met.

The operator also goes through an additional multi-point inspection before saving the ad in our ad production database. This includes ensuring the ad has passed flightcheck, and is the correct size & color(s). He or she checks that the ad is the proper file type & resolution and separates accurately. Also that it has been entered under the correct ad number and for the correct publish date. If there are any production concerns the designer is contacted.

An editor using desktop publishing software places the ad file on a predetermined newspaper page.

The completed page is sent to a computer called a RIP (Raster Image Processor) that converts the page into a printable postscript file. This file is sent to a plate-making device to create a press-ready plate.

The plate is hung on the press and is used to produce printed copies of the newspaper. The press operators carefully control the ink densities and registration.

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DESIGN

PREFLIGHT

PLATE MAKING

PRESS

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Design an Effective AdThe most effective print advertisements follow the same simple formula. Make sure your ad contains these seven elements.

5 Logo & Complete AddressBrand awareness is critically important, and your logo becomes a symbol that represents the value, quality, and service of your company. Your logo helps establish your identity in the marketplace, and will help your customers immediately recognize your ads when they see them. Along with your logo, be sure to include your complete address so that consumers new to the marketplace will know where to find you.

7 Hours of OperationNothing is more frustrating than responding to an ad by going to a store or restaurant and finding out it is closed. If you are closed on Mondays, or open at 9:00 a.m., be sure to let customers know before they head out to your place of business. Likewise, if you open earlier or later on a particular day, this could be a great benefit to potential customers.

*See page 10 for an example of a good ad vs a bad ad.

6 Telephone Number, Email or Web AddressJust in case you leave something out of your ad, or if there are other questions about your merchandise, always give the consumer a way to contact you for more buying information.3 Complete Copy

Whether you are selling lawnmowers, houses, cars, or curling irons provide as many relevant details as possible to inform the consumer. Consider including brand names, color, size, materials, price, etc. You’ll provide a shopper service and draw targeted customers to your company.

4 PriceStudies show that readers are less likely to respond to advertising that fails to include a price. They may think the item is out of their price range, think they can find it cheaper elsewhere, or have unrealistic expectations of the price. Listing a price will build trust with readers and allow them to make a purchasing decision they can act upon quickly. The price may be in the range they are willing to pay and they will buy your item today!

1 Benefit HeadlineYour headline should immediately tell the reader why he or she should read the rest of your ad. The headline should let them know why they should go to your location. For example, you could write an ad headline that reads, “Visit John’s Hardware Store.” However, it would be better to write a headline announcing the benefits of shopping there. A headline saying, “Best Paint Prices in Town” will drive readership and response.

2 Eye-Catching ElementInclude a large graphic or very bold headline, preferably set off with some white space, that will make your ad leap off the page and attract the reader’s eye. Ads containing too much text tend to blend into the page. Headlines and photographs draw attention to your ad.

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Newspaper Color Sells!Color adds a dimension to advertising that attracts extra attention to an ad, generates excitement, and enhances the appeal of an ad. Studies have consistently shown that, on average, adding color to an advertisement sells more merchandise.

There are two types of color usage in advertising to choose from: spot color and process color. Process color allows you to create nearly all other possible colors using a combination of Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black inks. Spot colors are premixed inks that are less common in newspaper printing.

Please check with your sales consultant on color availability, rates, and minimum sizes.

Remember It's CMYK:C = CyanM = MagentaY = YellowK = Black

The Numbers0 = 0%1= 10%2= 20% 3= 30%4 = 40%5 = 50%6 = 60%7 = 70%8 = 80%9 = 90%A = 100%HOW TO READ THE CHART

Cyan: The first color in the code. The 1 calls for 10% CyanMagenta: The second color in the code. The 5 calls for 50% MagentaYellow: The third color in the code. The A calls for 100% YellowBlack: The fourth color in the code. The 0 calls for 0% Black

= 1 5 A 015A0Maple

Important Note: Color samples shown here closely represent actual printed colors but may vary due to fluctuations from ink and newsprint manufacturers.

OUR RECOMMENDED COLORS FOR NEWSPAPERS

A000Cyan

0A00Magenta

00A0Yellow

3A00Cerise

AA00Deep

Purple

0AA0Special

Red

02A0E-T Gold

15A0Maple

0335Cocoa Brown

06A0Copper

04A0Orange

A600Reflex Blue

A0A0Shamrock

Green

03A0Bright Orange

0A30Apple Red

1AA0Burgundy

A200Flag Blue

70A0Kelly Green

20A0Lime Green

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Design Tips & TricksREVERSE TYPE smaller than 12 points may become diffi-cult to read when printed on newsprint. Serif and thin-typefaces 10 points or smaller may become choppy.

10 Point Reverse Helvetica plain

10 Point Reverse Goudy (Old Style)

FONT MENU STYLES such as bold and italics may be lost when sent to a professional imagesetter. To guarantee best results select the font family and style from your font list instead of using the “B” or “i” buttons in your program.

HAIRLINE RULES will disappear - they may look good on your laser printer, but will likely be invisible in the newspaper. If you want a thin line, use a 1 point rule instead.

Avoid TYPE SIZES BELOW 6 POINTS. You may be able to read it on a laser print, but it will be less readable on newsprint.

This 6 point type was readable on the computer screen and laser print out. But not very readable on newsprint.

Don't use TOO MANY FONTS in your ad. It's considered poor or amateur design, because it looks too busy. And it can make your ad more difficult to accurately print.

There are too many fonts in this paragraph. It is distracting to the eye and just looks too busy.

It is best to stick to just one or two fonts. This will make your ads look simple and clean.

Don't Build Ads in WORD PROCESSING PROGRAMS. Microsoft Word, Microsoft Works, WordPerfect, and other writing programs don't handle graphics, fonts, and page layout well. What you see on the screen is often not what appears on press because these programs often have trouble printing graphics and fonts consistently to PostScript printers.

TOO MANY CAPITAL LETTERS make it difficult for people to read your ad. The human mind is trained to recognize words more quickly using lower case letters. DO YOU SEE HOW MUCH MORE DIFFICULT THIS IS TO READ WHEN YOU HAVE A LOT OF CAPITAL LETTERS IN A ROW? USE CAPITAL LETTERS SPARINGLY.

10 Point Reverse Helvetica plain

10 Point Reverse Goudy (Old Style)

FINE PROCESS COLOR TYPE can be difficult to read because it requires perfect registration. Even the slightest registration issue, which is common of all newspaper presses, will make the text unreadable. It's acceptable to use color text on headlines and other large type, but avoid using process color text smaller than 12 pt. for best results.

10 Point Type with slight misregistration

18 Point Type with slight misregistration

Avoid Small Color TextAvoid Small Color Text

Avoid Small Color TextAvoid Small Color Text

TEXT OVER IMAGES can sometimes be unreadable. Be sure the photo or image is VERY light because it will darken on press and become unreadable. When in doubt, it's better to over lighten than not lighten enough.

PROCESS COLOR BLACK is created when a file contains a combination of 100% Cyan, 100% Magenta, 100% Yellow, and 100% Black. This can create blurry or muddy text and graphics. With offset newspaper print-ing, you’ll get better results converting this artwork to 100% black only.

Process Black Graphic 100% Black Graphic

Process Black TextProcess Black TextProcess Black TextProcess Black Text 100% Black Text

Text over photos

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Digital PhotosWith the advent of the digital camera, it has never been easier to capture excellent artwork for your advertisement. However, it's important to read your owner’s manual to get the most of out of your equipment. Some things to remember:

1. Set your camera to the highest resolution possible. This is sometimes called super-high quality or largest file size.

2. Make sure to always use your flash. This option typically looks like a lightening bolt symbol on the camera.

3. Include enough of the background to allow for cropping later.

4. Headshots are always more flattering with professional lighting.

If you don't have special lights, consider taking the picture outdoors. Natural light works very well.

5. Your final output should be a high resolution JPEG. Check to make sure that is what you are using.

6. Take several photos and choose the best one when you get back to your computer. It's a lot easier than retaking photos later.

THINGS TO AVOID:1. Don't print the photo or ad to your printer and send that to the newspaper. For best results send us copies of your original digital files. (It's cheaper, faster, and prints much better.)

2. “Soft” photos or Glamour-Shot type photos do not reproduce well in the newspaper. The higher the contrast the better.

3. Don't take photos from web sites; these will print blurry in the newspaper because they are low resolution. See examples on this page.

PHOTO RESOLUTIONThe simplest definition of resolution is that it is the number of tiny little dots it takes to produce an image. On a computer screen it takes 72 dots per inch or 72 dpi. For printed products it requires a lot more information and detail to create the photo. For the newspaper it is recommended that you use 200 dpi. For magazines and glossy products it can be as much as 300 dpi. 00 dpi looks the same as 200 dpi in the newspaper, so bigger isn't always better.

If you don't have a high enough resolution, the photo may look good on your computer screen but will look blurry in print. Below is an example of how different resolutions will print in the newspaper. All three of these photos looked almost identical on the computer, but notice the differences in print quality.

72 dpi looks blurry when printed. Web graphics use this resolution.

200 dpi is perfect for newspapers. Look at the fine detail that is reproduced.

300 dpi is good for magazines, but prints the same as 200 dpi in the newspaper. These file sizes are also very large.

A NOTE ABOUT CHANGING RESOLUTION:Do not force change the resolution in Photoshop and expect the photo to be better. A photo only has a given amount of information. Image size & resolution are mutually dependent: as resolution increases, size must decrease, and vice versa. When you force change reso-lution without changing the size, the extra information is filled in with generic pixels, causing blurriness.

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Graphics and ArtworkGRAPHICS AND LOGO RESOLUTIONSimilar to photos, resolution refers to the number of tiny little dots it takes to produce an image. With line art (single color graphics) it's important to have higher resolutions so that the graphic looks clean and crisp. For newspaper printing the resolution should be at least 600 dpi for line art.

DOT GAIN AND DARK PHOTOS

Did you know that photos will always print darker in the newspaper than they originally appeared on your computer screen? This is mostly due to the occurrence of dot gain. The tiny dots that make up the photo enlarge as the ink dots absorb into the newsprint.

Professionals use Adobe Photoshop® to compensate for dot gain. This is done under the program’s “Color Settings,” and you can learn more about it using their HELP menu. We will gladly send you our Acrobat and Photoshop settings. Please contact your sales consultant or see page 5 for details.

72 dpi looks jagged or blurry when printed. Web graphics use this resolution.

200 dpi looks a little bit better, but you can still see the jagged edges on the text.

600 dpi is perfect for newspapers. Look at the fine detail that is reproduced.

This is an untoned photo directly from a digital camera. It appears very dark in the newspaper.

This is a toned photo that has been lightened in the midtone area. This looks good when printed.

This photo has been “over lightened” and now appears washed out. Always make sure there is some contrast in your photo.

THINGS TO AVOID: 1. Screened or printed halftone materials from brochures, magazines, books, and newspapers 2. Faxes and photocopies3. Laser or inkjet prints 4. Artwork taken from web sites

5. Blurry or out-of-focus original photos

6. Polaroid or Insta-Matic cameras

EXAMPLE: Screened photo scanned from a

brochure.

GRADIENTS will "plug" or fill in when printed on a newspaper press. You won't be able to distinguish an 85% screen from a 100% screen. You'll get better results going from 10% to 80% instead of 0 to 100%.

Example: 0% to 100%

Example: 5% to 85%

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Design Examples

• Too many fonts & colors • Too busy (ad does not flow) • Improperly knocked out images• Too many design “tricks” (drop shadow, outer glow) • Uses process color black text

• Boxes/items not lined up • Use of poor quality artwork • Text is stretched and/or distorted

• Use of only two font families gives a cleaner look • Better use of defined color scheme• Realistic art (photo vs line art) makes ad look more modern • Bold image grabs eye

• Extraneous information removed makes it more reader-friendly • Text flows better with $5 offer being main focal point• Ad follows rules of Designing Effective Ads (see page 5)

Befo

reAf

ter

Mon.-Fri. 10am-6pmSat. 10am-8pm, Sun. 12-6pm

Open:

WALK-IN ANYTIMENo Appointment Necessary

$5 OFF Any Servicewith this ad

New clients only.Exp. 2/28/09

A F A M I L Y H A I R & N A I L S S A L O N

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More Design ExamplesReverse type in a gradient is tricky because on the screen it looks cool, in a magazine it looks awesome, but in the newspaper it's a bad idea because any misregistration knocks out the type, and makes it difficult to read .

When a magazine ad is picked up for a newspaper, reverse type is problematic . This shows how the ad would appear with just the slightest amount of mis-registration . Newspaper presses often print 30,000 copies per hour or higher, so slight variances in registration is to be expected .

To ensure your text is always clear and readable, make your background a solid color like Black, Magenta, or Cyan . You'll get better results than try-ing to mix colors for a background, and then using reverse white text .

The clearest text to read in a newspaper is a solid color text with a white background .

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Beautifully appointed Colonial style Carmen Meadow unit at end of a cul-de-sac . Features include hardwood floors, updated kitchen, w/granite island, central a/c, fireplaced living room, first floor master suite, with total of three bedrooms and a 3 full baths . A pleasure to show . Just move in and enjoy!

16

Send Us Your Ad

A website just for our advertisers!

1.Go to UploadYourAds.com

and choose your state

2.Fill out the form with your

ad information

3.Attach your file(s)

and submit

Now that you have uploaded this artwork or complete ad, an email has been sent to your sales consultant. He or she can now ensure the uploaded artwork is used in your ad. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your local sales person or sales office.

Thank you.

Having trouble e-mailing that

large file to your sales

representative? Use the

UploadYourAds.com website to submit

camera-ready ads and artwork directly to our

graphic artists . A confirmation email will be sent to you

and your sales representative

when the artwork is received .