Planning
Your Newsletter
Developing
an effective plan is a vital part of the newsletter creation process.
The plan provides direction for what needs to be done and when
it needs to be done. Below is an example of steps that should
be followed when creating a newsletter. This unit also covers
the steps presented in
As
you develop the plan for your newsletter layout and content, you
should:
- Select
a name for your newsletter
- Develop
an outline of content
- List
possible story themes
- Collect
information
- Select
the fonts you will use
Newsletter
Names
The name will
influence the appearance of you newsletter. Try to select a name
with strong symbolic value that will convey some idea of the content
to the targeted audience.
The number
and the length of the words in a newsletter name greatly impacts
the design of the newsletter. It is best to select newsletter
names consisting of 2 to 3 words. Long words require smaller type
than a title made up of short words. Short titles with only a
single short word or two have far more impact than long titles.
Try to edit out unnecessary or empty words from the name.
Below is a
list of commonly used words in newsletter names. Review this list
for inspiration. Try adding one or two words that describe the
content of your newletter to these words. Jot down good possibilities.
Key
Words in Newsletter Names
| |
accents |
guide |
post |
| |
advisory |
highlights |
profile |
| |
advocate |
horizons |
report |
| |
alert |
hotline |
reporter |
| |
almanac |
ink |
resources |
| |
briefs |
insider |
review |
| |
briefing |
interchange |
scene |
| |
bulletin |
intercom |
scope |
| |
channel |
journal |
spotlight |
| |
connection |
keynote |
survey |
| |
context |
letter |
tab |
| |
digest |
light |
times |
| |
dimensions |
line |
topics |
| |
eye |
link |
trends |
| |
examiner |
list |
update |
| |
facts |
log |
viewpoint |
| |
file |
monthly |
views |
| |
focus |
news |
voice |
| |
forecast |
notes |
weekly |
| |
forum |
outlook |
wire |
| |
gram |
perspective |
world |
Types of
Newsletter Content
Many different
types of content can be used in newsletters. You should create
a list of the content you want to include in your newsletter.
The number of articles and types of content that will be needed
will vary. It will depend on the length of your newsletter and
the length of individual articles. Below is a list of types of
content to consider.
Types of
Newsletter Content
- News articles
- News briefs
- Announcements
- Profiles
- Letters
- Table of
contents
- Helpful
information
- Editorials
- Calendars
- Sidebars
- Charts
and graphs
- Fast facts
lists
- Bio boxes
- Lists (top
ten, indexes, glossaries, etc.)
- Checklists
- Q and As
- Quizzes
- Surveys
and polls
- Tables
- Ratings
- Timelines
- Step-by-step
guides
- Diagrams
- Maps
Story
Themes for Newsletters
You will also
need to select story thems for your news articles. Ideas for newsletter
articles come from hundreds of sources. Below is a list of possible
story themes that can be used for inspiration.
Story Themes
Ask the
expert - Interviews with authors/teachers/consultants/designers/executives/
editors/alums/athletes/speakers/researchers.
Awards
- Competitions/awards in your school/county/state/district.
What/who entered/won. Who got honors/prizes.
School
Board - Who are directors/trustees/members. How people
get on the board. How often board meets/where/for what reasons.
Computers
- What "computerized" means to various the school/classroom.
Who is wizard/in-house expert. New equipment/new technology.
Construction
- Who's building what: roads/buildings/other structures. Major
features/events. Completion schedules.
Cutting
costs - What administrators view as waste/chances to be
more efficient. Student/ teacher ideas/methods to cut costs.
Economic pressures faced/how to respond.
Departments/services
- Features on academic departments/food service/maintenance/planning/public
relations/clerical/others.
Drugs
- Symptoms of drug/alcohol abuse in students/self. How drugs
related to safety/quality/productivity. What help available.
Seeking help in non-threatening ways. Rewards for getting help.
Emergencies
- Types of emergencies possible. Preparation to handle. Hotlines/other
information sources. Response to community emergencies.
Energy
savings - Results of energy audit. Who's doing what to save
energy. How much energy you spend in what form. Plans to use
less energy.
Ethics
- Issues in education. Proper use of school phones/vehicles/computers/tools.
Evaluation
- How students/teachers/programs evaluated.
Growth
- Plans for growth/new classes/services. Update progress toward
specific goal. How school fits growth rate of city/state/region.
Health
- Wellness/fitness programs school supports/endorses. Health
issues in education. Nutrition in school.
Legislation
- Laws/proposals affecting the school: health/zoning/environment/traffic/taxation/
education.
Neighbors
- Businesses/organizations near you: who owns/manages. Common
interests of neighbors: zoning, traffic, protection, services.
New administrators/teachers/other
leaders - Long-range hopes/goals. Effect of new role on
relations with old friends. Best part of new job.
New technology
- Equipment/hardware/software that is new.
Organizations
- Student groups in the school. What benefits/costs. When they
meet. Who can attend.
Profiles
- Students/teachers/administrators/alums/other employees/volunteers/local
business leaders. People who retired/promoted/moved. Where/how
are they.
Resources
- Newsletters/magazines/journals/books/tapes/software in the
library. Information about the school web site.
Safety
- Who plans and how. Floor plans for safe traffic patterns.
Signs/other visual aids. Protective devices/clothing needed
for specific areas such as the science lab.
Scholarships
- College grants/loans/other financial aid for students. How
to apply.
Stress
- Symptoms of stress. How stress related to health/safety/quality/productivity.
What help available/how to seek it.
Students
- Who they are. How administrators/teachers learn their needs/satisfactions/complaints.
Training
- Opportunities/support for workshops/courses. How training
benefits students/teachers. Developments/trends that may require
more training.
Tours
- Tours of what to whom. Why offer. Who's in charge/how arrangements
are made. Tours for parents, including visits to various departments
in the school.
Typography
Typography
is the selection and arrangement of typefaces, sizes, and spacing
on a printed publication or web page. Typography has a major impact
on the overall look and image of your newsletter and its overall
quality. This unit of the course covers typography because you
will use this information as you work through the other units
of this short course.
In choosing
typography for a newsletter, you must:
- Select
a font (or typeface)
- Choose
a font size
- Decide
how much space to allow between lines of type
- Determine
how much contrast to add between headlines and text
Typography
should be readable and legible. Readability refers to whether
a long block of text, such as an article or book, is easy to read.
Typefaces are readable when they are basically invisible to the
reader. This happens when the reader doesn't stop to think about
the typeface instead of the message when reading. Legibility refers
to whether a short amount of text, such as a headline or subhead,
is easily recognizable.
Typography
can be used to create personality and feeling on a page:
- Formal
or informal
- Modern
or classic
- Dense or
open
- Light or
dramatic
A typeface
refers to an entire family of letters of a particular design.
Literally thousands are available. An example of a typeface is
the Arial font family, including: Arial, Arial Light, Arial Narrow,
and Arial Black. Fonts are a specific member of the family. An
example of a font is Arial. Usually, a computer has a set of built-in
fonts that have come with its software. Additional fonts can be
downloaded from font sites on the Internet or purchased on CD
in a typeface software library.
Kinds of
Typefaces
- Sans
Serif Typefaces - San Serif typefaces do not have finishing
strokes at the ends of the letterforms. The name comes from
the French word sans, which mean "without." Sans Serif typefaces
are also referred to as Gothic. Avante Garde, Helvetica, and
Arial are the most common Sans Serif typefaces.
- Serf
Typefaces - Serifs are lines or curves projecting from the
end of a letterform. Typefaces with these additional strokes
are called Serif typefaces. They are also referred to as Oldstyle
typefaces. Times Roman, Palatino, Bookman, and New Century Schoolbook
are common Serif typefaces.
- Script
Typefaces - Script typefaces simulate handwriting, with
one letter connected to another visually, if not physically.
Script typefaces emulate several different types of hand-lettering,
including calligraphic, drafting, and cartoon. Zaph Chancery
and Brush Script are common Script typefaces.
- Character
Fonts - Character fonts are extended character sets packaged
as fonts. To view the character font sets on a personal computer,
open the Character Map file in the Accessories folder to view
a grid of all of the characters for a specified typeface. Click
on the character you want to use and either note the keystroke
displayed in the box in the lower right corner of the window
or copy and paste it into the publication where you want to
use it. Wingdings and Dingbats are common Character fonts.
- Decorative
Fonts - Decorative fonts are fonts that do not fit into
any other group. These typefaces are reserved for novelty, for
special effect, or a special approach. Because they are different,
they are usually harder to read than standard fonts, so use
them sparingly and always as display type - never as text. Beesknees,
Curlz, and Snap are examples of decorative fonts.
Principles
of Typography
- Type
Size - Type is measured by its vertical height, in points.
There are approximately 72 points in an inch, so 72 point-type
is approximately 1 inch in height on a printed page. 36 point-type
is approximately ½ inch in height, and 18 point-type is approximately
¼ inch in height. Text on a printed page usually 10 -12 points
in size. Any type below 9 points in size is very hard to read.
- Weight
- Weight refers to the density of letters, the lightness or
heaviness of the strokes in a typeface. It is described as a
continuum: light, regular, book, demi, bold, heavy, black, and
extra bold. These weight descriptions are used in font names
to describe the thickness of their lines. Light fonts are composed
of the thinnest lines and extra bold fonts are composed of the
thickest lines. Not all weights are available for all typefaces
and the continuum occasionally varies in some typefaces.
- Style
- Style refers to options such as bold, italic, underline, and
reverse, that you can choose as part of your type specifications.
- Leading
- Leading is the vertical space between lines of type. It is
measured in points and is expressed as the sum of the type size
and the space between the two lines. Generally, it is at least
the size of the type. Type with a generous amount of space between
lines is said to have open leading and type with relatively
little space between lines is said to have tight leading. Some
software programs, including all desktop publishing programs,
allow users to adjust leading.
- Alignment
- Alignment refers to the shape of the text block in relation
to the margins. Most software programs allow left alignment
(sometimes called flush left), right alignment (sometimes called
flush right), center alignment, justified alignment, and force
justify alignment.
- The
Color of Type - Even when printed in black and white, all
type has a color on the page. Color here means the overall tone
or texture of the type and the lightness or darkness that varies
among typefaces and spacing of type.
Typography
Tips and Techniques
- Determine
the image you want to project with your publication and choose
fonts with personalities that will fit that image.
- Limit the
number of typefaces you use in a publication. Many experts say
to use a limit of two typefaces, but occasionally this will
vary. Too many typefaces can create an unprofessional, jumbled
image.
- Look at
various publications for ideas about which typefaces work well
together and the images they project.
- When using
two typefaces, make sure they are very different. One typeface
will probably be used for display type, such as headings, and
the other for text. Strive for definite contrast between the
two.
- When choosing
only one typeface family, choose one with a lot of variations,
so you will have some flexibility with your text design. The
typeface Helvetica has many variations such as Helvetica Bold,
Light, Regular, Condensed or Narrow, Outline, and Black.
- If you
are unsure about which typeface to select, choose a common and
reliable one such as Garamond, Palatino, Helvetica, Goudy, or
Times Roman.
- When using
a display type that has very strong characters (type that is
bigger and bolder than regular type), use a typeface for text
that looks more neutral. Very elaborate typefaces can be hard
to read. Limit their use to only a few words and make sure the
words are legible.
- All caps
are harder to read than upper and lower case letters. Try to
limit the use of all caps to two or three words. Some typefaces,
such as Old English, are not designed to be used for all caps.
- Use bold
and italic type for just a few words.
- Avoid setting
large blocks of text in bold or italic type. Both styles are
generally more difficult to read than regular type. A block
of bold type tends to darken a page.
- Typeface
weight will have a large impact on the color or darkness of
your page. Thin lines will create a light and airy appearance,
while thick lines will create a dark and heavy appearance. Weight
can be very important to the image of a publication.
- Different
typefaces take up different amounts of space. Some fonts are
larger and take up more space per letter. This can greatly affect
the length of a publication.
- The reader's
eye is attracted by white space. It gives the eye a rest and
calls attention to what it surrounds.
- Break multi-line
headings by phrase (where a spoken pause would occur). Place
more white space above heading than below. This signals the
reader that the heading goes with the text below it.
- Increase
the spacing between lines or leading to crate a lighter-looking
page.
