A modular grid allows for quicker organization and greater clarity. It also ensures that all contextual information is proportional. A magazine layout/grid is based on a master page (or template) that can be applied to all pages for consistency.
Grid magazines before computers were created by hand. strips of text were printed and the whole magazine was assembled manually. I think it is interesting how you can see the influence that manual assembly has on modern pay print design in both newspapers and magazines.
Later magazine designers would come up with a 12-column system that all important elements could snap to. It was also convenient because all pages could be divided easily by 2,3,4, and 6. This system provided just the right amount of consistent structure to keep layouts concise and clean while also giving designers more freedom. Designers were able to create more interesting designs with greater harmony across the page while still working within a set of rules to ensure good design.
Comments