Graphics

A few years ago I came across a fantastic tool for the Graphic Artist. It's called the Graphic Design Cookbook. It contains are a large number of generalized templates that can be used for layout possibilities.

Using dummy text and images, each layout gives you ideas on how a given graphic problem might be solved. I've found this volume irreplaceable and many of the graphic artists I've worked with hadn't even heard of it. Finding this volume was like stumbling on a nugget of graphic art gold.

For example, in this template, several possibilities are shown that might be used for hairline placement in the opening page of a text-only article.

This template shows how various grayscale settings for a lead graphic might establish hierarchy:

And here are some samples of highlighting text within a paragraph:

Here are some of the sample grid layouts:

This book is full of such useful templates. Some of the layout samples include:

• Page Border Devices
• Minimalist Page Border Devices
• Partial Page Border Devices
• Word Page Border Devices
• Pictorial Page Border Devices
• Progressive Page Border Devices
• Gutter Border Devices
• Edge-of-Page Partitioning
• Page Partitioning with Straight Lines
• Page Partitioning into Rectangular Spaces
• Division of Page into Rectilinear Boxes
• Division of Page into Eccentric Boxes
• Division of Page into Spherical Forms
• Division of Page into Spherical and
• Rectilinear Forms
• Overlapping Spaces
• Page Division with Illusionary Devices
• Comic Book Layout Schemes
• Comic Captioning Systems
• Text Blocks Interspersed with Other Elements
• Text Blocks Defining Shapes
• Grids
• Establishing Hierarchy with Gray Tones
• Hairline Placement Variations
• Diagrammatic Layouts
• Images on Fields
• Edges of Images