- A publication such as an annual report,
brochure, or company booklet,
will typically have more varied content than a book.
Trying to fit introductions, letters from the CEO,
diagrams, texts, and all types of images
into a simple grid is challenging.
I don't suggest doing that.
The grid in this instance needs to be more flexible,
and allow for unexpected elements that may only appear once.
In the case of a magazine, or series of publications,
you need a grid structure that anticipates needs
before you know the content.
One approach is a column structure with hang lines.
Set up a grid on the master page with multiple columns.
Rather than adding six columns, double that and make 12.
This gives you more options
without changing the proportions.
The same holds true for the hang lines.
Instead of six, try 12.
You still need to maintain consistency of placement
and style of the content, but this more complex structure
simply makes that easier.
Another approach, if the information is quite complex,
is to work with a modular grid.
The columns and hang lines work together
to create square modules.
This takes a little math
based on the proportions of the page.
The modular structure still contains the columns,
but adds a layer of compositional control
over highly intricate content.
It also works well with multiples of images
at different scale and proportion.
The column and modular grids are more flexible.
Without the rigidity of a simple grid,
the content may seem too disparate and unrelated.
Here it's important to work with a clear typographic system
of consistent typefaces, styles, and sizes.
Unlike the grid structures we've already discussed,
rather than adding more columns if things aren't working,
it can be better to eliminate some.
Once you get up to 24 columns on a page,
you don't really have a grid at all.