WHITE SPACE IN MAGAZINE LAYOUT DESIGN

WHITE SPACE - WHAT DO YOU MEAN?

 

As the wording suggests, white space is the white or "empty" space between pictures, graphics or text. However, white space in editorial design is so much more than that. It is an important design element that is often underestimated. But it has becoming more and more popular over the past few years.

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ADVANTAGES

 

ROOM TO BREATHE

 

White space gives the content room to breathe, thus more power and weight, it makes the content more credible. It gives the content more authority, if you want.

 

A MORE PLEASANT READING EXPERIENCE

 

The reader is not overwhelmed by cluttered pages. The reading experience is much more pleasant with white space.

 

CREATE FOCUS POINTS

 

You can make the readers focus on specific elements in a layout. Readers are subtly navigated through the article. The white space steers the reading flow so to speak.

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REQUIREMENTS

 

GUTS

 

Working with white space requires guts. There are still people who consider white space as a useless waste of space. So you have to be brave to give your content more space to breathe.

 

EXTRA BUDGET?

 

Working with white space can maybe cost more money. Meaning: You have less space for text and pictures, so you might need more paper. This costs extra money when printing and as regards postage.

 

GOOD PAPER

 

What is very important in print editorial designs: You must have a good paper with very good opacity. That means the paper has to be dense enough so the text from the backside of the page does not shine through and destroy your white space.

 

STRUCTURE

 

You need a good grid and a structure or a concept of how to use white space. Leaving something blank here, then there, would look like an accident rather than a professional editorial design. So you must have a kind of concept where and how to use white space.