Graphic Designers: Avoid These 3 Mistakes When Designing for Newspaper Printing

In the fast-paced world of graphic design, where digital platforms dominate the landscape, the timeless art of preparing visuals for newspaper printing often takes a back seat. Whether you’re a seasoned pro looking to refresh your knowledge or a newcomer stepping into the realm of print, here are 3 mistakes to avoid to ensure your designs translate seamlessly to the newspaper page.

Not Calibrating Your CMYK Values
Newspapers are printed using the traditional web-offset press method. During printing, colours are separated into four ‘plates/sheets’: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key (Black). The four plates are aligned and ‘stamped’ onto the same page to form the whole image.

Due to the speed of news printing, misalignment of the plates tends to happen, causing ‘misregistration’, which is this blurry look.

Therefore, it’s essential to check your colours and manually calibrate them to reduce the number of plates used, especially black/dark elements and small text and icons. Simply changing from RGB to CMYK mode is not sufficient.

QR Codes That Are Too Small

Misregistration is worse on fine details like QR codes. So allocate sufficient space for them (recommended min. size: 2cm x 2cm) and check the colours. If your QR code comes out misregistered, readers may not even be able to scan it.

Font Sizes That Are Too Big Or Too Small

The body text in most news stories is printed at a size of 8.5. For print ads, sizing the body around 9 – 11 will ensure it’s sufficiently legible. If the text happens to be white against a coloured background, it’s recommended to increase the font size to around 11 – 13. Font sizes around 7 – 8 are usually reserved for fine print and T&Cs. Reducing the font size any further will risk legibility. Larger font sizes around 15 – 18 are usually too big for body text. We recommend using these sizes for subheadings instead.

In conclusion, avoiding these 3 key mistakes in newspaper design is crucial for graphic designers aiming for impactful print visuals and avoiding costly mistakes for the client. By staying mindful of these nuances, designers can ensure that their creations shine on the pages of newspapers, capturing attention and making a lasting impression on news readers.

FORMAT	–	Tabloid
TYPE AREA	–	Full Page	:	37cm (h) x 26.1cm (w)
		Column Per Page	:	8 Columns
		*Centrespread	:	37cm (h) x 54cm (w)
		**Broadsheet	:	54cm (h) x 36cm (w)

Column	One	Two	Three	Four	Five	Six	Seven	Eight	Ten**	Sixteen*
Width	3cm	6.3cm	9.6cm	12.9cm	16.2cm	19.5cm	22.8cm	26.1cm	36cm	54cm

1. Base material	Newsprint – neutral in colour Newsprint characteristics with standard Lab value Backing L* a* b* Black 82 0 3 White (85) (1) (5) Max tolerance in production: L4 a2 b*2
2. Newsprint	42 g/m2
3. Ink densities	Cyan 0.90 Magenta 0.90 Yellow 0.90 Black 1.10 Tolerence ± 0.05 for all colours , above zero paper base.
4. Colour sequence	Cyan – Magenta – Yellow – Black
5. Screen ruling	100 lines per inch
6. Dot shape	Eliptical P dot.
7. Screen angles	Cyan 15º Magenta 75º Yellow 0º Black 135º
8. Scanning resolution	300 dpi
9. Maximum ink density	220% for 4 colour printing & only 1 colour may be solid 160% for 2 colour printing & only 1 colour may be solid This is to improve trapping and reduce set-off, lost details and smudging.
10. Proofing standard	IFRA standard profile for newspaper printing – ISO 12647-3 ISOnewspaper26v4.icc for colour profile ISOnewspaper26v4_gr.icc for grey scale profile
11. Dot gain	Dot gain of 26% at the 50% dot area.
12. All line copies	Minimum 7 points, except for legal & proclamation ads (minimum 5.5 points) Recommend sans serif typeface for greater clarity & readability
13. Reversed text on colour	Minimum 12 points for BW sans serif typeface is recommended. Minimum 14 points for 4 colour printing Not to be positioned within screen areas less than 70% nor in yellow / light colour background
14. All rules & character strokes	Minimum 0.5 points Thin rules & small light typeface lettering/text should be restricted to single colour solid printing
15. Point to check	Overprint & Knockout trapping
16. Colour ads	Do not contain Spot, LAB or RGB colours. Please convert Spot / Pantone colours to CMYK
17. Format & Compatibility	Acrobat 6 and above (PDF 1.5) without crop marks and bleed. Ensure file can be separated correctly.
18. For Grayscale images	Highlight 7% to 9% Shadow 85% to 90%
19. The background	On which the text is to be printed on should be hollowed out. Text should be boldface sans serif typeface.

Life At Work Awards 2023

Are You Raya-ready?

ESG Sustainability Reporting Workshop 2023

Hopping Into the Year of the Rabbit