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Ad Layout - Principles and Stages

The document discusses advertisement layout, which refers to the arrangement of elements in an ad, including headlines, copy, images, logos, and white space. A good layout follows principles like balance, proportion, contrast/emphasis, eye movement, and unity. The layout process involves initial thumbnail sketches, followed by rough layouts, finished layouts, and sometimes comprehensive layouts. Layouts provide specifications to estimate costs and guide production.

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Avinash Supkar
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2K views

Ad Layout - Principles and Stages

The document discusses advertisement layout, which refers to the arrangement of elements in an ad, including headlines, copy, images, logos, and white space. A good layout follows principles like balance, proportion, contrast/emphasis, eye movement, and unity. The layout process involves initial thumbnail sketches, followed by rough layouts, finished layouts, and sometimes comprehensive layouts. Layouts provide specifications to estimate costs and guide production.

Uploaded by

Avinash Supkar
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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layout

According to Sandage and Fryburger, “The plan of an advertisement, detailing the


arrangement of various parts and relative spatial importance of each is referred to as layout”.

Layout is the logical arrangement of components of an advertisement in the copy. It refers to


the overall structure, the position assigned to the various elements of the copy and
illustrations. It is deciding on the placement of headlines, copy, illustrations, marketer‟s
name, logo and the amount of free space in an advertisement copy. Thus, the physical
arrangement of all the elements of advertisement is called layout. It is concerned with
placing all the elements of the advertisement more attractively within the allotted space and
time. The pattern of layout varies according to the medium to be used.

A layout is a miniature sketch or the proposed advertisement. A rough layout is first prepared
in which the headline and subheads are lettered in artwork and photographs are drawn or
provided, and the4 position of the copy is indicated. The rough layout is tested and modified
to prepare the final layout. The final layout is appended with many explanations and
mechanical designs to give a comprehensive view. It refers to specifications for estimating
costs, guidance for engravers and blueprints for advertisers.

Layout‘ means two things; in one sense, it means the total appearance of the advertisement
– its design and the composition of its elements; in another sense, it means physical
rendering of the design for the advertisement – its blueprint for production purposes.
Functions of the Layout:

• It Organizes all the Elements: The main function of layout is to assemble and arrange the
different parts or elements of an advertisement illustration, headline sub headlines,
slogans, body text and the identification mark etc. And boarder and other graphic
materials – into a unified presentation of the sales message. In all the layouts present
these elements in the same size, form, shape, position and proportion as desired by the
advertiser in the final ad, proof , Thus layout gives both creative personals (copywriter
and artists ) and the advertiser who pays for it a good idea of how the finished ad will
finally appear.

• Opportunity of Modification - The layout offers an opportunity to the creative teams,


agency management and the advertiser to suggest modification before its final approval
and actual construction and production begins.

• Specification for Costs – The layout provides specification for estimating costs and it is a
guide for engravers typographers and other craft workers to follow in producing the
advertisement.
Ad layout Principles
It is not necessary that all elements of advertisement copy must form part of the copy.
They appear in today‟s ads with varying degree of frequency. The components of the copy
must be decorated or positioned on the basis of certain basic principals regardless of the
number of elements in an add. The following five principles of good composition are
important to anyone who creates or evaluates the advertisement - (1) Balance ; (2)
Proportion (3) Contrast and emphasis, (4) Eye –movement , and (5) Unity.

Balance – A layout may be called balanced if equal weight or forces are equidistant from a
reference point or a light weight is placed at a greater distance from the reference point
than a heavy weight. Balance is the law of nature. The reference point or fulcrum is the
optical centre of the advertisement. The artists with a given area or space, are to place all
the elements with in this space. Optical centre of fulcrum of the ad is often a point
approximately two – thirds of the distance forms the bottom. It is the reference of the
layout.
Symmetrical balance tends to have
the same visual weight on each half
(length or width) of the page.

Asymmetrical balance doesn't


create neatly divided or identical
page halves
Proportion- Proportion is closely related to balance since it refers to the division of space
among layout elements for a pleasing optical effect. Good proportion in an advertisement
requires a desired emphasis on each element in terms of size and position. If the major
appeal in an advertisement is product‟s price. The price should be displayed in
proportionate space position.

Contrast and Emphasis – Contrast means variety. It gives life to the whole composition and
adds emphasis to selected important elements. An advertiser always looks to
advertisements from completion point of view and desires the policy of the most important
elements to attract the attention of the people. An advertisement with good contrast may
attract the attention of customers Contrast maybe visible in a number of ways. It may be
witnessed through sizes, shapes and colours. Different colours sizes and shapes of elements
in an advertisement add contrast. The varying directions, of design elements (Vertical trees,
horizontal pavements arched rainbows) add contrast; too there must be sales
communication purpose behind every layout decision made.
Eye Movement – Eye movement is the design principle which helps move the eyes of the
readers from element to element in the order given in the hierarchy of effects model for
effective communication of the message in advertising. An effective ad uses movement to
lead its reading audience from initial message awareness through product knowledge and
brand preference, to ultimate action (intent to purchase). Direction and sequence are two
terms for the same element and artists may perform it in many ways. Mechanical eye
direction may be created by devices such as pointing fingers lines arrows or even a bouncing
ball that moves from unit to unit. Planned eye movement should follow the established
reading patterns too, such as the tendency to start to top left corner of a page and read
through to the lower right corner. The eyes also moves naturally from large items to small
from dark to light and from colours to not – colours.
Unity or Harmony – Unity or harmony is another important design principle. Although each
element should be considered as a separate unit in striving for balance, proportion,
contrast and eye movement. The complete layout or design should appear as a unified
composition. Common methods of securing unity in layouts are (i) use of consistent
typographical design. (ii) repetition of the same shapes and motifs, (iii) the overlapping of
elements (iv) use of a boarder to hold elements together and (v) avoidance of too much
which space between various element.

Although unity and contrast seem conflicting but they function quite smoothly together if
they operate at cross purposes – if the artists strive for balance here too as well as in the
layout overall. Unity contributes orderliness to elements – a state of coherence. And if they
are properly placed. Contrasting Size shapes colours and directions can flow together
beautifully.
Ad layout Stages

The several different forms of layout each serve a particular purpose and may not all be
used for any one advertisement. They are as follows:

1) Thumbnail Sketches – They are miniature sketches that


are used by the art directors to convey the basic layout style and treatment without
spelling out small details.

2) Rough Layout – Rough layouts or visuals, are prepared for almost all advertisements.
They are the same size as
the finished advertisements except for outdoor posters.

3) Finished Layouts – The next stage is the preparation of


the finished layout, which is worked more carefully than the
rough layout. They suggest in considerable detail the style of
the illustration and headlines and therefore serve as a guide
to artist and typographer.

4) Comprehensive Layouts – A comprehensive layout is


prepared for a client when they are unable to judge the effect
of the finished advertisements by looking at the finished
layout. These layouts come very close to resembling the
finished advertisements.
Thumbnail Sketches – They are miniature sketches that are used by the art directors to
convey the basic layout style and treatment without spelling out small details.
Rough Layout – Rough layouts or visuals, are prepared for almost all advertisements. They
are the same size as the finished advertisements except for outdoor posters.
Finished Layouts – The next stage is the preparation of the finished layout, which is worked
more carefully than the rough layout. They suggest in considerable detail the style of the
illustration and headlines and therefore serve as a guide to artist and typographer.
Comprehensive Layouts – A comprehensive layout is prepared for a client when they
are unable to judge the effect of the finished advertisements by looking at the finished
layout. These layouts come very close to resembling the finished advertisements.
Working Layouts – Working layouts are not really layouts, but rather a sort of “blueprint”
for production, indicating the exact position of the various elements and appropriate
instructions for the typographer and engraver. They are also known as “mechanicals”.
Mechanics of Layout
Layout artist follow certain general rules in the mechanics of their
production to achieve as nearly as possible the effect of the
finished advertisement. Some of the rules are as follows:

(i) Measuring out the space for the advertisement.

(ii) By, paying a premium charge, the advertiser may use the
white margin around the advertising space.

(iii) In illustrations which are to have tonal values, such as


photographs and wash drawings, the tonal values should be
indicated by shading the drawing on the layout.
(iv) Headlines, subheads and logotypes are lettered in on the
layout to indicate the general type classification to be used
and the weight of the type.

(v) The lettering should be careful enough to suggest the


general type classification that is in keeping with mood of
the layout.

(vi) Body copy, unless it is very large, is not lettered on the


layout.

(vii) A finished layout to be submitted to a client for approval


should contain no extraneous marks.

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