Technology Learning Activity

The TLA covers the fundamentals of desktop publishing that you will
need to create professional-looking publications for both print and
online. Good design techniques will also be introduced. Using these
techniques will let you create eye-catching publications very quickly.

What You Will Learn About:

desktop publishing then and now
effective/good design
steps to follow for good design
typeface and fonts
logos
calendar
promotional materials
websites

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Desktop
Publishing

Desktop Publishing

Desktop Publishing
It wasnt too many years ago that producing a full-color brochure,
business cards, or a proposal was an expensive, time-consuming task.
The final work had to be prepared out of the office at a commercial
print shop. Today, electronic publishing, also called desktop publishing,
makes it possible to produce high-impact, professional-looking
documents economicallyusing a computer, printer, and page
layout software. Because of desktop publishing capabilities, even the
smallest companies and organizations can produce publications such
as brochures, newsletters, proposals, business cards, and even a web
site.

Desktop
Publishing

Page layout software, such as Adobe InDesign, Microsoft Publisher,

Pages, or iStudio Publisher, lets the user electronically combine text,
pictures, and photographs in publications; view, arrange, and rearrange
them on the computer screen; and finally print them on paper or
publish them online when satisfied with the design. Scanners and
digital cameras, even your cell phone, let you easily use pictures and
other graphics in your publications.
Microsoft Publisher is one of the most popular page layout software for
small and medium-sized businesses. It also has many uses in schools
for both teachers and students. You can use it to produce school
newsletters, catalogs, and flyers. It is also useful for publishing your
reports and other school projects. As you become familiar with this
software, you will find more and more uses for it.
Even though software like Microsoft Publisher is easy-to-use, it is
a powerful, complete desktop publishing software. Adobe InDesign
is one of the leading, commercial desktop publishing products. It is
used to design and create some of todays leading magazines. It is
more complicated to learn because it does so many more things, but
learning Publisher, Pages, or iStudio will be a good introduction to
professional products like Adobe InDesign.
All desktop publishing softwares allow you to build your publications by
adding elements such as text, pictures, and graphics a piece at a time.
These objects can be placed on the page however the user wishes
even overlapped, sideways, or upside down. Each of these objects is
considered a separate piece of the publication; therefore, a publication
is really a group of many different objects arranged on a page.

Effective Design
What makes some publications easy to read, understand, and
remember while other publications are forgotten, ignored, or confusing?
The difference is usually the design of the page.

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Think About This!

Think about commercials and advertisements youve seen
recently. What caught your attention in the ones that you
remember? What made some good and some bad?
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There is an old saying that says one picture is worth a thousand words.
That is something to remember as you plan your publications. Effective
use of pictures will make your publications more effective.
Like most things you do, creating a well-designed publication requires
planning. First you need to identify your purpose. Are you trying to
introduce a company, advertise a product, or send birthday greetings?
Once youve decided this, it is easier to decide the type of publication to
create.
The next step is to identify your audience. You have to decide what
will appeal to the audience you want to attract. For example, if you are
planning flyers for a school dance, you would use a different style than
if you are planning flyers for a sale at an upscale art gallery. Identifying
your audience makes it possible to target your publication to its intended
audience.
The next step is to experiment with different ideas and layouts.
You can look at similar products to get ideas as to what works and what
doesnt work. You can also sketch ideas on paper or play with designs
on the computer. Getting ideas from other peoples designs is a good
way to start, but it is important to remember that you cant copy exactly
what someone else has done.

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Think About This!

Have you ever really liked commercials that your parents
thought were silly? The ad was probably designed to appeal
to someone your age instead of someone your parents
age. How would it be designed differently if it were aimed at
your parents? Remember it is important to design your
publication so that your intended audience will want to
read it.
Briefly describe a commercial or advertisement that you liked
and your parents didnt.
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Desktop
Publishing

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How would you change it to make it more attractive to
people your parents age. Describe the new commercial/ad
below.
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There are several important things to remember as you plan your

publications layout. One of the most important things is that simple is
better than complex because the more complicated your publication is,
the more hidden your message might be.
Effective design includes proper use of visuals, typefaces, groupings,
and alignment. Each plays an important role in the design process.
Implementing the following guidelines will help you create a successful
design. Your design should also be consistent; the elements on the page
need to go together. Fonts, graphics, and the use of white space should
reflect the same style. Dont mix cartoons and serious art; dont mix
many fonts on one page; dont crowd one page and have lots of empty
space on another. Inconsistent designs look cluttered and confused.

Good layout is important for good fliers, advertisements, newsletters,

newspaper and magazine spreads, Web pages, brochures, posters, and
other types of visual documents. The same four design principles of
appropriateness, balance, focus and flow, and consistency apply to
all types of graphic design.
Appropriateness is important in design because it relates to how well
elements match the purpose and audience. You must choose fonts,
graphics, and layout carefully so they are appropriate for the purpose
and audience. The product or service advertised should match the
advertisements appearance.
If you are carrying a heavy bag on one arm and nothing in the
other, your body tends to lean to the direction of the weight. You are
unbalanced. The same goes for design. Balance is how the elements
weigh on the page. Darker, thicker, larger elements are heavier than
lighter, thinner, smaller elements. A mix of large and small elements
helps the reader determine what is more important. Larger graphics
and type indicate they are more important elements than those that are
smaller.
Balance doesnt have to be symmetrical. In fact, symmetrical or perfectly
balanced design is rarely used because it can be boring. Keep the
layout simple, yet interesting.
Contrast can make your layout stand out from others. Make it count. You
can do this by using small and large font, thin and thick lines, dark and
light colors, and vertical and horizontal elements. The size determines

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Why does something catch your attention? Is it the color? Uniqueness?

If youre listening to the radio, what keeps you from changing the
station? Something sparks an interest in you. The same goes for design.
As the designer, you must design the layout in a way that ignites interest
in your audience.

the importance the larger the text or graphic, the more important it
is to the layout. The key to contrast is making items different. If they are
too similar, they create conflict. Be bold in your design.
Picture yourself at a basketball game. Your focus is on the ball,
watching to see where it goes and if it makes it through the hoop. The
flow of the game depends on where the ball goes next. In design,
you must have a focus and flow to keep the layout entertaining and
effective. If you watched a basketball game without a ball, the game
would be worthless. If you dont have a dominant element, or focal
point of the layout, then your design will be worthless. Focus is where
the readers eye goes first. Its what he or she is drawn to on the page.
Use only one dominant element; more than one can be confusing, as
the viewer doesnt know where to look first or what may be the most
important element.

Desktop
Publishing

The path the readers eye travels in the path created by the pages
elements is the flow. White space is the open space in the design. It
is good. Too many elements on the page can be distracting and busy.
White space also can create interest. It can draw the viewers eye to a
certain element on the page and can be used in focusing attention to
the element and increasing the
flow of the content.
A well-designed print layout
must have visual organization. In
basketball, if there is no strategy
or rules, the game would become
chaotic and boring. The same
goes for design there must be
some pattern to the elements.
When reading English, we read
from left to right, top to bottom.
Therefore, the same principle
can be applied when creating the
layout of the design. This may be
referred to as the Z pattern. The
majority of layouts should work
with natural eye movements.
However, layouts that use visual
cues can also be effective.
Advertisements in which the organization and visual path are unclear
dont capture readers attention.
What color do you associate with the word stop? Probably red because
stop signs and stop lights are red. What color do you associate with
the word yield? Do you think of yellow yield signs and yellow lights?
Consistency gives us guidance.

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Consistency is the glue of the design. Repetition causes

expectation and familiarity for the reader. Consistency gives the reader
visual cues and the document consistency and unity. You can do this
by simply using the same font for the headings and subheadings of the
document. Bullets and lines are other simple ways of using repetition to
keep a flow to the design. The more pages to the layout document, the
more important consistency is to keeping it effective.

Typeface
In addition to visuals, text is important to a layout. A typeface includes
a certain style of type that includes all the characters in all sizes. Even
though there are hundreds of typefaces available to designers, certain
typefaces, such as Times Roman, Arial, and Helvetica are more widely
used than others.
All typefaces can be categorized into three areas: serif, sans serif,
and decorative.

The typeface used must reflect the mood or personality presented in

advertising copy and should be appropriate for the product or service
being advertised. Typefaces can convey a specific feeling or emotion
or depict a certain lifestyle. For example, a script typeface may indicate
sophistication, while a font that is bold and heavy may indicate power.

Edwardian Script ITC, 24 point

Impact, 18 point

Mixing too many typefaces can create a feeling of being unorganized.

Keep the number of typefaces used to a minimum, no more than three
in a layout. However, if you want to mix typefaces, choose those that
contrast well. If the body text uses a serif typeface, choose a sans serif
typeface for the headings. An example of this would be to use one for
the headings and sub headings, one for the body text, and one for
the title of the document. Make the size contrast as well. Making the
headings two points larger than the text doesnt make them stand out.
The contrast must be apparent to be effective.
A point is a unit of measurement for the font. Common textbook and
newspaper size is 12 points. Text type is generally no larger than 14
points, but should not be smaller than 8 points, depending on the font
and the nature of the text.
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A serif typeface has small finishing strokes, or feet, at the end of the
main stroke of the letter (such as Bookman or Times Roman). A sans
serif typeface does not have finishing strokes at the end of the main
stroke of a letter (such as Helvetica or Arial). Sans means without;
therefore, sans serif means without feet. A decorative typeface is any
typeface that doesnt fall into the serif or sans serif category. Each style
has a purpose.

WEB ACTIVITY
Go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Desktop_publishing. Remember
that the information on Wikipedia
is submitted by its users and may
not be totally accurate. Read the information, thinking about
what youve learned. Is there anything that you think might be
incorrect? What would you add to the information to make it
more complete.
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Visit two or more of the websites listed below. List some
informtion you learned as you browsed the sites.
http://www.fudgegraphics.com/
http://designm.ag/
http://bestdesignoptions.com/
http://bonfx.com/
http://desktoppublishing.com/
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Activity 1
Identifying good design
What You Will Do:
Look at examples of publications and choose the one you think is the
better designed.

What You Will Need:

paper and pencil

What to Do:

CIMC

News & Updates

Fall 2008

New CIMC Employee

Kathy Wood has joined the staff of the CIMC and has already
demonstrated her versatility. Kathy came to CIMC from the Stillwater
NewsPress and brought her newspaper experience with her. While
her primary job is to create exciting formats for CIMC curriculum,
Kathy also lends her skills to the printing plant as needed.

News & Updates...........1

Product Spotlight....... 3

Projects & People........ 4

About Us........................ 4

Tips & Techniques....... 5

Recipe File..................... 5

Fall 2008

News & Updates

New CIMC Employee

Customer Survey Project

In This Issue:

CIMC Update
Kathy Wood has joined the staff of the CIMC
and has already demonstrated her versatility.
Kathy came to CIMC from the Stillwater
NewsPress and brought her newspaper
experience with her. While her primary
job is to create exciting formats for CIMC
curriculum, Kathy also lends her skills to the
printing plant as needed.

During the week of August 25, CIMC sent a curriculum survey to

all of Oklahomas FACS and Ag Ed instructors. An amazing 299
instructors completed and returned the survey (a response rate
of 33%)! The results gave CIMC feedback about the usefulness
of specific curriculum components, general curriculum features,
packaging options, and other valuable information. We very much
appreciate the time and consideration shown by everyone who
responded to the survey. The results will provide guidance as we
develop new curriculum and revise existing curriculum.

Customer Survey Project

During the week of August 25, CIMC sent
a curriculum survey to all of Oklahomas
FACS and Ag Ed instructors. An amazing
299 instructors completed and returned the
survey (a response rate of 33%)! The results
gave CIMC feedback about the usefulness
of specific curriculum components, general
curriculum features, packaging options,
and other valuable information. We very
much appreciate the time and consideration
shown by everyone who responded to the
survey. The results will provide guidance
as we develop new curriculum and revise
existing curriculum.

CIMC Update

Permission Requests
As you know, CIMC curriculum is protected by copyright. The same
copyright law that safeguards the products from any commercial
publisher also applies to CIMC products, from the very moment that
the content is created. Each year, the CIMC Manager receives some
requests for permission to reproduce content from CIMC curriculum.
Sometimes, it is possible to grant these requests, such as when
parts of a teacher edition are missing (after a change in teachers),
or to allow for a unique classroom activity. Some components are
also meant to be copied, such as the unit written tests, and include
a statement to that effect. Unfortunately, it is not possible to grant
permission to reproduce an entire curriculum or even a large
percentage of the content from any CIMC product. An important
reason is to protect your investment as taxpayers. Copies made at
the local level might help to meet an immediate local need, but
they do not contribute to the return on the investment of state tax
dollars (an investment that out-of-state customers have not made)
to produce curriculum. What CIMC can do is produce products
that respond to identified needs, and print those products at a
cost that no other publisheror copy servicecan match. Simply
let your program specialist know about your need, so he/she can
communicate it to CIMC.

New Designs
Redesign is a word that describes a lot of
the activity at the CIMC over the past few
months! The CIMC has a new design for its
curriculum covers. We wanted a design that
everyone could recognize as a CIMC product.
Look for the new design, shown here, on
both new and reprinted products. Kathleen
Kincaid, CIMC Marketing Specialist, has
worked with the agencys artists to redesign

the popular CIMC Catalog. In addition to a

new look, the catalog includes streamlined
product offerings and a spotlight on new
and most popular products.

Permission Requests
As you know, CIMC curriculum is protected
by copyright. The same copyright law that
safeguards the products from any commercial
publisher also applies to CIMC products, from
the very moment that the content is created.
Each year, the CIMC Manager receives
some requests for permission to reproduce
content from CIMC curriculum. Sometimes,
it is possible to grant these requests, such as
when parts of a teacher edition are missing
(after a change in teachers), or to allow for a
unique classroom activity. Some components
are also meant to be copied, such as the unit
written tests, and include a statement to
that effect. Unfortunately, it is not possible
to grant permission to reproduce an entire
curriculum or even a large percentage of
the content from any CIMC product. Copies
made at the local level might help to meet
an immediate local need, but they do not
contribute to the return on the investment
of state tax dollars (an investment that
out-of-state customers have not made) to
produce curriculum. What CIMC can do is
produce products that respond to identified
needs, and print those products at a cost that
no other publisheror copy servicecan
match. Simply let your program specialist
know about your need, so he/she can
communicate it to CIMC.

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1. Look at the examples below and decide which is better designed.

Explain why you think so.

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Publishing

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2. Think of a magazine, newsletter, or newspaper you have read or
looked at lately. Describe one that is well-designed and tell why.
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Activity 2
Create a logo
What You Will Do:
When you hear the words Golden Arches what do you think of?
Most people will say McDonalds; in fact, even very small children
recognize the golden arches. There are many other well-known logos
such as the Nike Swoosh and the Coca Cola script.

What You Will Need:

computer with Publisher, Pages, iStudio, or other desktop publishing
software

What to Do:
1. If you are unfamiliar with the desktop publishing software you will be
using, take a few minutes to work through tutorials. Tutorials can be
found on the softwares website.
2. Today you will design a logo for your school
or for a business or a team. Decide whether
you want to design a logo for your school or
for a company or a team. Sketch some ideas
on paper.
3. Thinking about the design principles you just
read about, choose your favorite logo design.
Think about the font or fonts you might use.
Decide what artwork to use.
4. Create your logo. Use any features of the software you need to use.
Save and/or print it for your teacher.

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paper, pencil, and other art supplies to create a design for a logo

Desktop
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Activity 3
Create a calendar
What You Will Do:
You will create a calendar customizing Publishers template design or
creating your own calendar from scratch.

What You Will Need:

computer with Publisher, Pages, iStudio, or other desktop publishing
software

What to Do:

2. Open Publisher and scan through the calendars template designs.

As you do, think about the kind of calendar you want to create.
Do you want to use it to keep track of homework assignments
and school events? Do you want to list family birthdays and
celebrations? After you decide what you want to do with your
calendar, choose a calendar to create. Remember you will be
customizing the look of your calendar
3. Thinking about the design principles you just read about, choose
your favorite calendar design. Think about the font or fonts you
might use. Decide what artwork to use.
4. Complete your calendar by experimenting with the calendar
elements and by replacing text and graphics to make the calendar
your own. Fill in any information, such as homework or events. Use
any features of the software you need to use. Save and/or print it for
your teacher.

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Desktop
Publishing

1. If you are unfamiliar with the desktop publishing software you will be
using, take a few minutes to work through tutorials. Tutorials can be
found on the softwares website.

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Activity 4
Create promotional
materials
What You Will Do:

What You Will Need:

computer with Publisher, Pages, iStudio, or other desktop publishing
software
paper, pencil, and other art supplies, if needed, for designing

What to Do:
1. If you are unfamiliar with the desktop publishing software you will be
using, take a few minutes to work through tutorials. Tutorials can be
found on the softwares website.
2. Decide on an event or business and think about the types of
publications you could create. Open Publisher and scan through the
different template designs for the items you want to create. Decide
specifically what you will create.
3. Thinking about the design principles you just read about, choose
your favorite design. Think about the font or fonts you might use.
Decide what artwork or photos to use.
4, Decide what you want to create. You can use the templates or make
your own products. Remember, as you look at the publications, that
your all your publications should have common design themes and/
or color schemes.
5. Complete your publications either by experimenting with the
template elements and by replacing text and graphics to make the
publications your own or by creating your own designs. Use any
features of the software you need to use. Save and/or print it for
your teacher.
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Desktop
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You will create materials such as flyers, tickets, signs, and

announcements for a school or business event. Before you begin,
decide what event or thing you want to promote. It can be an actual
event or one you make up. Possible events are a school carnival,
dance, homecoming, or a big game. You can also use a business,
either real or imaginary. The thing to remember is that you must create
three or four items for the event you chose. For example, if you choose
a school dance, you could create tickets, signs, flyers, and banners.
The choice is up to you.

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Publishing
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Activity 5
Create a website
What You Will Do:
You will create a web site for your school, a business, or a team. You
will be customizing one of the web templates or creating your own.

What You Will Need:

computer with Publisher, Pages, iStudio, or other desktop publishing
software
paper, pencil, and other art supplies, if needed, for designing

1. If you are unfamiliar with the desktop publishing software you will be
using, take a few minutes to work through tutorials. Tutorials can be
found on the softwares website.
2. Decide on the theme for your web site. Open Publisher and
scan through the different template designs for websites. Decide
specifically what you will create.
3. Thinking about the design principles you just read about, choose
your favorite design. Think about the font or fonts you might use.
Decide what artwork or photos to use.
4, Decide what you want to create. You can use the templates or make
your own products. Remember, as you look at the publications, that
your all your publications should have common design themes and/
or color schemes.
5. Complete your publications either by experimenting with the
template elements and by replacing text and graphics to make the
publications your own or by creating your own designs. Use any
features of the software you need to use. Save and/or print it for
your teacher.

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Desktop
Publishing

What to Do:

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Activity 6
Create an original project
What You Will Do:
You will choose a project to create using your own design and
graphics.

What You Will Need:

computer with Publisher, Pages, iStudio, or other desktop publishing
software
paper, pencil, and other art supplies, if needed, for designing

1. If you are unfamiliar with the desktop publishing software you will be
using, take a few minutes to work through tutorials. Tutorials can be
found on the softwares website.
2. Decide on a project you would like to create. Use the experiences
you have had working on the activities in this TLA. If you dont have
an idea, ask your teacher for help.
3. Thinking about the design principles you just read about, choose
your favorite logo design. Think about the font or fonts you might
use. Decide what artwork or photos to use.
4, Remember, as you look at your project, that it should have common
design themes and/or color schemes.
5. Complete your project. Use any features of the software you need to
use. Save and/or print it for your teacher.

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Desktop
Publishing

What to Do:

Desktop
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Review/Quiz
Desktop Publishing
Instructions: Answer the questions by filling in the circle beside the
best possible answer.
The first step in the planning process is
a. identify audience
b. identify purpose
c. experiment with design ideas
d. practice layout techniques

2.

True or false? Creating business publications is still a costly,

time-consuming process.
a. true
b. false

3.

True or false? Simple is almost always better than complex is

an important thing to remember when planning.
a. true
b. false

4.

Which of the following is not one of the four design principles.

a. appropriateness
b. balance
c. variability
d. focus and flow

5.

How many dominant elements should be on a page?

a. one
b. two
c. three
d. however many you want

6.

True or false? The less white apace you can plan on a page is
better.
a. true
b. false

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1.

Desktop
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7.

What is the glue of the design?

a. z-pattern
b. flow
c. consistency
d. balance

8.

Which of the following is a sans serif font?

a. is this sans serif?
b. is this sans serif?
c. is this sans serif?
d. is this sans serif?

9.

Which of the following is a common text type size?

a. 2 point
b. 56 point
c. 12 point
d. 24 point

10. True or false? Balance doesnt have to be symmetrical.

a. true
b. false

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