AN LTG’S GUIDE TO
INFORMATIVE DESIGN COLORS | FONTS | PHOTOS | LAYOUTS
PART ONE: One thing that makes Key Club publications unique is their bright, saturated swatches. These popping colors easily grab the attention of current and future members and the community. The energy of a sunny yellow or a dusty pink compliment the attitude of our organization – they make our publications fun, just like us! However, the eye-catching colors provided in the official brand guide can quickly overpower a newsletter or flyer. Not to worry, though! Here are some ways you can pair and tweak swatches whilst still keeping the uniform Key Club look.
If you use Microsoft Word, it might behoove you to create a new set of “Theme Colors” using these swatches. This way, you won’t have to create custom colors all the time – just switch to your Key Club palette.
242 146 0
102 36 133
255 242 0
109 110 113
0 153 255
141 198 63
0 47 95
252 179 37
226 6 18
169 124 80
239 127 177
117 76 41
COLORS Did you know? The color of this box is the same green as the banner at the top of this page, but with lower opacity.
STEP ONE: Draw a snazzy shape.
In Word, here’s how you lower the opacity of a shape:
STEP TWO: Right click on the shape. You should see a menu like this. Click “Format AutoShape.”
STEP THREE: Toggle with your shape’s transparency until you achieve the desired look.
DONE! Layer shapes of lower opacity on top of shapes of higher opacity, like this. You’re still sticking to the brand guide, but your range of colors is greatly expanded, and those bright hues have been subdued. Your readers will thank you.
PART TWO: Unlike
colors, Key Clubbers tend to be
pretty mindful of the fonts they use in their publications. Most of the fonts in the brand guide are programmed into word processors and graphic design programs already. Unfortunately, the brand guide’s accepted list of fonts can be pretty limiting to skilled (and beginning) designers. In addition to being legible, you want your newsletter or flyer to look aesthetically pleasing, and this isn’t always possible. In most cases, Century Gothic is a safe choice for an elegant, readable font. However, it can quickly become redundant to the eye.
FONTS You can remedy this easily. Key Club International allows LTGs and Bulletin Editors to include one accent font (a font not included in the brand guide) in their publications. You can separate sections of your newsletters or simply break up the monotonous look of a page by throwing in a stylish serif or sans-serif font.
What’s the difference between a serif font and a sans-serif font, exactly? Let’s see.
THE CATCH?
The letters of a serif font have small, extraneous lines that make them look more sophisticated. ^ 26 point Garamond
The letters of a sans-serif font lack these lines. They make text seem more fun and chic. ^ 26 point Century Gothic
Not all serif fonts complement one another. Similarly, not all sans-serif fonts complement other sans-serif fonts, and rarely will you see a serif mingling with a sans-serif. So which font should you use for your accent?
BREAK THE RULES. (OR TONE THEM DOWN.)
BE MOODY.
Free font websites like dafont.com house thousands of daring, cute, and festive downloads that can make (or break) your publications.
PART THREE: LTGs are required to include pictures in their newsletters so administrators (or judges) can see proof that you have visited clubs, rallies, conventions, etc. A smattering of group photos or selfies in a newsletter or flyer is fine, but there are many other ways to incorporate pictures in your publications. Sometimes a picture can take the place of a text box to convey the mood or experience that words can’t.
I make heavy use of stock photography in my publications. Simple patterns or gentle landscapes can provide a great backdrop for your content. Resize a photo to fit an entire page, and a newsletter looks more like a magazine.
PHOTOS If you can’t or don’t want to take your own stock photography, sign up for a photo hosting website like Dreamstime (which I highly recommend) to access thousands of full-size, high-resolution images for free.
DO NOT,
UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE, USE AN IMAGE IF YOU AREN’T SURE WHETHER OR NOT IT’S FREE, STOLEN, ETC.
(
Do NOT perform a Google search and snatch whatever image suits your needs. Copyright laws are our friends – but they’re also serious, and shouldn’t be trifled with.
These rules apply to textures and patterns, too!
)
PART FOUR: When designing your publication, it’s best
COVER Announces your division, the month & issue, and the LTG. Spice it up with a photo!
PAGE 2
PAGE 3
to create a layout for every page so you know where you’re going to plug in your content. Some designers will even go so far as to create a template for every newsletter so they don’t have to build each one from scratch. Think of your publications in series of DPSes – Double Page Spreads. For example, you might want to have a stand-alone cover page, followed by adjacent pages 2 and 3, and after that, pages 4 and 5 and so on. Imagining your publication like an open book helps when you upload it to sites like Issuu, which converts PDFs into flip-through documents that read like magazines. Thinking in terms of DPSes helps you spread out content, too.
The newsletter opens like a book.
COVER + PAGE 1
PAGE 2
PAGE 3
LAYOUT OPTION #2 (NO DPSes)
LAYOUTS
Photographs
Text boxes
Secondary
The possibilities for layouts are endless, really. However, like fonts, the layout of a newsletter or flyer can make or break the entire publication. Snug and cozy photos are GOOD – but squished, trapped, or diagonal text is BAD. Ultimately, what pleases your eye might be confusing to another reader. It is always a good idea to have someone else, like your Bulletin Editor, check over your publication before you send it to your clubs.