Aspects of Graphic Design: Book and Magazine Design

Book and magazine design, which is often referred to as “page layout” or even “desktop publishing”, involves the arrangement and styling of words and images on a printed page by using a system of rows and columns which provide structure and order. It is only those who can manage to master design and production successfully who are able to succeed in this technical aspect of graphic design. It’s about grids, gutters, columns, binding margins and running headers; rules that are often pushed and only effectively broken by the masters.

Thanks to the digital revolution, book and magazine page layout can easily be standardised and maintained using on-screen page layout grids, reducing the need for repetitive manual object alignment which helps to speed up workflow. These grids can then also be adjusted individually for each page if and when needed. The type of book or magazine being published will determine the style used and amount of design flexibility.

The final stage of book and magazine design involves pre-press proof creation, which is a printout showing precisely what the final publication will look like and gives the final opportunity for any corrections and alterations to be made. Once the design has been approved, it is sent off to the printers where the physical production of the book or magazine begins.

As you can see from this and previous blog posts, there are many aspects of graphic design. If Book and Magazine Design is not for you, have you thought about advertising, illustration, logo design, typography or packaging? When you choose graphic designs as a career, there are many avenues waiting – you won’t be disappointed!