Designing a Newsletter

When creating a newsletter remember to keep the audience in mind. If you are designing a newsletter for the Army, dark bold colors and strong lines should be considered, but if you audience is a Daycare, soft pastels and more pictures would be added.

*You may not think colors and design are as important as the information, but when someone picks up your newsletter the design is what keeps them reading or not. Make sure your newsletter is easy to read and navigate, with a goal of a clean, user-friendly format.

Most newsletters will have at least a nameplate, body text, and headlines, however there are many more parts to a newsletter design. Below are the elements contained in newsletters:

1. Nameplate - Name, Date, Logo

2. Body - Everything you want your audience to know

3. Table of Contents- If your newsletter exceeds four pages this should be considered

4. Masthead - Information about who the publisher is

5. Heads, Titles - Introduces different topics, usually bold and larger font
   a. Running Head - On the top corners of every page
   b. Kicker - Above the subhead
   c. Subhead - Breaks up the articles for an easier read

6. Page numbers - Use if you have 3 or more pages

7. Bylines - Title of a person which gives credit to who wrote which article

8. Continuation lines - helps the reader find the rest of the article
   a. Jumplines - Added at the bottom of article
   b. Continuation Heads - Added to the next part of the article at the top

9. End signs - Symbol stating the end of the story

10. Pull Quotes - Taking a quote out of the article and using it in design

11. Photos - Used to balance words and add appeal

12. Mailing panel - If you would like audience to send something back

For more information about Newsletter Design Elements!