Pretty as a Picture

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Newsletter Design

Pretty as a Picture
Three Things to Avoid When Using Graphics

There is nothing like a picture to liven up your message. Everyone responds well to having illustrations alongside text. They can be as straightforward as graphs and charts, or as elaborate as photographs or hand drawings. In your newsletter, clipart will probably be used most often. There are literally hundreds of places to find clipart—with millions of images to choose from. Don’t fall into these three traps when using graphics in your newsletter.

The most common mistake people make when using clipart is overdoing it. It is nice to have so many images to choose from, but you don’t need to use more than a few to convey your message effectively. Don’t use graphics just to fill up space. Your readers will find your newsletter more useful if it is filled with interesting, informative articles, rather than full of illustrations with little meaning.
The second most common mistake is making the graphics you use in your newsletter too small. Choose the best clipart for the story you’d like to illustrate. Make it as large as the space allows. You will find that your page looks neat and uncluttered. Your message will be clearer and more straightforward. If you do use a small graphic to illustrate a story, make sure its size is proportional to the story itself. In general, the larger the story, the larger the graphic should be. And vary the size of your graphics to make your layout more interesting.
Thirdly, using too many different styles of clipart can make your newsletter look sloppy. Clipart comes in a variety of styles. Be consistent in choosing the illustrations for your newsletter. Too many styles can make it seem disconnected and poorly planned.

As with all design rules, these are also made to be broken. Graphics can be used in a number of different styles and still look great. But these basic rules of thumb can help to make your pages look their best.

Want to learn more about using clipart effectively in your newsletter? Need more clipart for your collection? Visit the All About Clipart section of our Bookstore!