Newsletter: Virginia Association of Museums (cont'd)
Original nameplate
Input from VAM members
suggests that
its newsletter lacks
graphic appeal and
needs an updated,
professional look.
Color
Barrett suggests
switching to a bright
green color, as the
original is too dark
and tends to blend in
with the black. VAM’s
budget allows only
for white paper with
black and green ink.
Fonts
Designer Mandy
Barrett selected Arial
for the cover and
nameplate because it
offers many variations.
She prefers a readable
serif such as Adobe
Garamond for copy
since the newsletter
relies heavily on it.
New nameplate
“I tried to make it look
like a magazine that
might catch your eye
on the newsstand,”
says Barrett.
Personal images
Using images of
people on the cover
draws readers in. The
original cover image is too
dark and doesn’t easily
attract attention.
Tip: When dealing
with images of people,
never use a green or
blue halftone. The
result? People tend
to look like aliens.
Additional focus
Black is a bold change
from the original, and
green lends unique
focus to quotes.
Image tweaking
Instead of using the
whole image, crop in
and enlarge it. “This is
a museum organization,
so they should
be able to get some
great photography,”
suggests Barrett.
Sidebars
“You don’t always
have to fade your
color back,” says
the designer. “Think
reverse and make the
type white so you
have an extra punch
of color when your
options are limited.”
