OUGD404 - Construction of Grids

• Before you can apply a grid you must understand the requirement of the grid for work to be produced.
• Typeface, text & illustrations, print method and paper quality must be confirmed beforehand.
• Thumbnail sketches will make your job of final layouts easier and productive - should be proportionate to final layouts
• Before drawing your sketches, consider the number of columns needed

For example: 

• 1 column only for text and illustration gives little freedom of layout - restrictions of making illustrations small, medium or large. 
• 2 columns, logically, gives more scope; column for text, column for illustration. 
• 2 column division can be subdivided to create a 4 column layout.

Three columns

• Opportunities for arranging and accommodating text and illustration in numerous sizes. Can be subdivided into 6 columns.
• Distadvantages of 6 column system - lines of text will be narrow. Small typeface will have to be used. But this solely rests on the function that is to be performed.

• For statistics, figures, graphs and trend line publication use 4 columns per page.
• 4 columns can be subdivided into 8, 16 + columns - convenient for representing stats.

• The width of the column dictates the size of typeface used.
• The rule" The narrower a column is, the smaller the typeface.

Thumbnails & development

• Make a variety of thumbnails of layouts/design.
• Don't rely on one set of thumbnails.
• Enlarge a small selection of thumbnails to size.
• Compare them and select and repeat process until you are confident with the design

Apply type to columns

• The first line must fit the flush to the top limit of the column grid.
• The last line must stand on the bottom of the limit.
• It is difficult to find the final solution the first time round.
• It could mean that your grid field is too high or too low.
• To know you have the right point size, there will be an even amount of lines in each field - a field is the layout split into three.

Example

• Column length - 15 cm.
• Loosely means using 15 point leading.
• At this length there must be 10 lines per box.
• Meaning 30 lines every per 15cm.
• The depth of my fields ascertains how many 1-point type lines I have.

Font Heights

Type & Picture - 8 field grid

• A4+ Format.
• 8 & 20 grids.
• 8 field grids are used frequently for advertising material and brochures.
• If using 8 field grids, you can subdivide into 16 grid fields.
• 8 & 16 grid fields gives you a range of possibilities.
• 8 Grid fields allow various sizes of illustrations to be portrayed.
• You can use with out without text.
• You need to have a good perception of composition.

The grid is only an instrument in which you can make interesting and balanced designs.

Creating Grids in InDesign

Way 1 - Using margins, columns & guides

Original page

Original margins & columns

Changed margins & columns

Changes on page

Making guides

Setting guides to the page

Setting guides to the margins

Way 2 - Using Scripts

Original page 

Utilities - Scripts

Scripts page

Adding guides

Making a grid of frames

Final boxes on page

Working with image & text

Guides

Adding frames

Text frames filled with dummy text

Layout 1

Layout 2

Layout 3

Layout 4

Using the layouts I designed before

Task - Find various layouts & grid them

5x3

9x9

6x3

14x8

6x9

6x5

8x8

10x20

8x8