Creating
Newsletters
Basic
Design Techniques
Word Art
The title of this particular "newsletter"
was created with WordArt (copies of the Newsletter are available
from the Carrollton Public Library and the Carrollton High School
Library- they could not be reproduced on this page). This
is a feature in Microsoft Word® that applies eye-catching
art treatment to text. To create a WordArt image, choose Insert/Picture/WordArt.
At this point, you should see the WordArt Gallery.
The WordArt Gallery shows the 30 WordArt
styles that you can choose from. However, every one of these
styles can be altered. For each of these styles the color, shape,
shadow settings, font, and position can be changed. So, when
choosing your style, take that into consideration.
When you have made a selection, double
click on it and you will see a box that allows you to enter your
text. At this point, you should enter your text (which will most
likely be your newsletter's title) and you have the option to
change the font style. When you have finished entering and editing
your text, click OK. Your WordArt image will now appear on your
screen and you can use the corner arrows to click, drag, and
resize the object. When the WordArt is "selected" it
will have six white boxes around it. It is at this point that
you may alter its appearance.
You can "play" with this WordArt
toolbar and its options to learn how to customize your WordArt.
- Drop Caps
- An interesting and bold way to begin
a paragraph is to use a drop cap. This is when the first letter
of a paragraph is made large and bold. This is often used in
newspapers, magazines, reports or newsletters.
-
- To create this design, simply type
your first paragraph. When you are finished, click anywhere inside
that paragraph and then choose Format/Drop Cap and select one
of the two options.
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- Clip Art
- Newsletters are often "spiced
up" with fun graphics that are relevant to the subject matter.
A graphic (picture) can be inserted anywhere in your document
at any time. To do this, choose Insert/Picture/ClipArt.
At this point you will see an Insert ClipArt dialog box and you
can choose any image that you want to insert. When you have found
your image, either double click on it to insert or single click
on the image and click OK or Insert.
-
- Your picture can be moved or resized
once it is in your document by using the selection arrows. Also,
by right-clicking on the picture you can alter its colors, alignment,
etc.
-
- Columns
- As you have probably noticed, most
newsletters, along with newspapers, magazines, flyers and brochures,
are formatted using multiple columns. This is very easy to do
in Microsoft Word® or any similar word processing software,
i.e. Microsoft Works® or Word Perfect. To create columns
in Word, simply choose Format/Columns.
-
- At this point you may choose to have
two or three columns. You may also check to have a line between
the columns (as I have in this handout). In addition, you may
APPLY this feature to your WHOLE DOCUMENT or just to THIS SECTION
or THIS POINT FORWARD. Be sure to practice each of these. They
all give a different effect.
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- Text Boxes
- Text boxes provide an opportunity to
place certain text apart from the rest of the document and make
it stand out.
-
- To add a text box, choose Insert/Text
Box. At this point, your cursor will turn into a cross and
by clicking once anywhere on your page, a text box is created
that can be resized by using the selection arrows.
- When using a text box, the following
items can be customized:
- The color of the fill (inside) of the
box
- The color of the text in the box
- The style, color, width, and/or pattern
of the line around the box
- Double clicking on the outline of the
box itself will produce the a dialog box that can accomplish
all of this.
Some Final Thoughts
Color can certainly enhance a newsletter.
However, when used in abundance it can also detract from the
subject matter. When using color, try to develop a "scheme"
and stick with it. At the beginning of your newsletter choose
two to four coordinating colors and use only those colors. When
a document is too overloaded with color, it begins to look more
like an Easter egg! That is only appropriate once a year.
Don't be afraid to try anything! Most
people learn more from 30 minutes of experimentation than two
hours in class. It is vital that you take some time to simply
make yourself familiar with the computer, Microsoft Word®
and its features.
Finally, remember that newsletters are a fun and exciting way
to create correspondence. They are not just for businesses anymore!
If your annual Christmas letter is a bit dull, a family newsletter
might just become your new tradition.
Questions, Comments and
Suggestions
- Please feel free to contact me if you
ever have questions. I realize that an hour and a half is not
quite enough time to familiarize you with a computer program.
You can reach me at Carrollton High School by telephone or by
e-mail at:
- tamdor@midwest.net
- I would also appreciate any feedback
or comments you might have about this workshop. Thank you and
good luck!
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