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diff --git a/usergrps/uktug/baskervi/6_4/lack.tex b/usergrps/uktug/baskervi/6_4/lack.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..7eeaeb69d2 --- /dev/null +++ b/usergrps/uktug/baskervi/6_4/lack.tex @@ -0,0 +1,138 @@ +%% Submission for Baskerville +%% +\author[Andrew Lack]{Andrew F. Lack\\City University} +\title{Newsletters with \LaTeX} +\begin{Article} +%% +\begin{abstract} + I have typeset newsletters for 4 different organisations over the + past three years using \LaTeX. This article outlines some of my + experiences of using \LaTeX{} to produce them. +\end{abstract} +\LaTeX\ and \TeX\ were never designed to produce artwork for newsletters. +And yet their flexibility, together with some clever minor style files, +means that a very acceptable product can be produced. Just take a look +at \textit{Baskerville} to see this. + +For the last three years I have typeset the newsletter of City +University's Computing Services department. Prior to my involvement +the usual mixture of software---and consequent styles---were tried. +Packages like MicroSoft Word and Ventura Publisher were used. + +I was convinced that, despite its rather formal page layout, \LaTeX\ +could be used to produce a good newsletter and after eight issues I'm +still convinced. Besides, when I took the newsletter on I was \textit{only} +going to use \LaTeX. + +\section{Text Columns} +A newsletter, particularly one printed on A4 paper, is going to require +multiple columns---probably 2 or~3. Because of the necessity to mix +multi and single +columnar styles on a page (single column for article headings), +the minor style file \textsf{multicol} is +more-or-less an essential starting point. +However, the \textsf{multicol} style does have some limitations, most +notable only allowing full textwidth floats. This complicates +the placement of items such as tables and illustrations +which are column-width, and these must be defined in the document +at a fixed position. + +With \acro{DTP} packages, boxes or frames are defined where +illustrations are to appear on the page, the text automagically +flowing around them. This design not only simplifies the placement of +illustrations, but also allows illustrations to be placed +\textit{between} columns---a popular way of including a photograph of +the author, for example, at the start of an article. This isn't possible +with \LaTeX. + +However, given these limitations typesetting articles with column-width +illustrations is quite straight forward. The placement of these is +probably best left to near the end of the typesetting process, adding +them to the file starting at the beginning and working towards the end, +checking page breaks as you go. + +\section{Short Articles} +Using the rather formal full-width heading above a short article (perhaps +using only one quarter of the page depth) looks rather odd. For short +articles consider setting them in a box of width 0.75 or 0.8 of the +full text width. Using box styles from the minor style file +\textsf{fancybox} adds emphasis to the design. Another useful technique +is to place a 5\% or 10\% gray tint behind the box using the +\textsf{psboxit} minor style. If you do this avoid the fancy box +styles and stick to the good old plain \texttt{fbox}, +as the background PostScript shading extends beyond the box boundaries +for \texttt{shadowbox} and \texttt{doublebox} and this look rather odd. + +\section{Graphics} +Despite the fact that I produce final artwork using PostScript, I +prefer working with graphics using the \textsf{bm2font} system, +which converts graphics to \TeX\ fonts. This has the advantage of +producing images which are viewable using standard \texttt{dvi} previewers and they +print much faster than encapsulated PostScript versions do. + +\textsf{Bm2font} handles a wide variety of popular (\acro{PC}) bitmap +formats, including \acro{PCX} and \acro{GIF}. + +If you are looking for copyright-free clip art, then take a look +at the publications of \textit{The Dover Press}. These US publications are +available from stockists in the UK and are priced at around +\pounds 5--6 per book. + +\section{Starting Articles} +With ideal copy new articles will start at the top of a new page, with +minimal wastage on the previous. However this rarely happens. +The heading for an article is a key part of the typographic design of +the newsletter. When the reader reaches the bottom of a column, below +which a new article begins, the typography must make it clear that the +reader should move up to the top of the page to continue. + +A clear break under the previous article is required, together with +a device which extends across the page. I leave a gap of 3em before +printing the new article's heading. Under the heading I like to use textwidth +\textit{shaded face rule} (a rule of 0.2pt, gap of 2pt and a rule of 1pt) +underneath the new article's title. + +Deciding where to start a new article can be tricky. Luckily the +\textsf{multicols} environment takes some optional arguments, one +of which allows you to specify the minimum space which must remain +on the page before starting the new environment. The other optional +argument is text which is set full-width. This is where the article's +heading can be set. + +A typographic embellishment for the start of the article is common. Two +are often employed; a large initial capital, possibly a dropcap, or +setting the first three of four words in small caps. I like using +dropcaps (which can be typeset using \TeX's \verb+\hangindent+ and +\verb+\hangafter+). However, this has the disadvantage of making the +entire first paragraph an unbreakable box, so only use this technique if +you have sufficient vertical space on the page. + +\section{Page Breaks} +This is without doubt the most difficult aspect of newsletter construction. +Due to the rather `lumpy' nature of the copy, (particularly if your +articles have many illustrations), \LaTeX\ will occasionally +have problems finding good page breaks. \LaTeX2e's \verb+\enlargethispage+ +helps a little here. [Well, being a 2.09 user I assume so.] + +Sometimes bad page breaks can be avoided by making the copy slightly +longer. This can be neatly achieved by the command +\verb+\looseness=1+ within a longish paragraph. It'll cause \TeX\ to +increase the length of the paragraph by one line by loosening the +glue. Do this a couple of times in an article and this may just be +enough. Of course you could even do some copy-editing. + +\section{Typefaces} +Computer Modern for a newsletter? No. Computer Modern has too much +of a technical look about it and here in Britain we tend not to like +Modern book faces, preferring the Oldstyle instead\Dash faces like, well +Baskerville and Garamond. + +However for City University's newsletter I use \textit{Lucida Bright}. +I find +it renders well on a 300dpi \acro{HP}3\acro{S}i laser printer, giving a clean black +copy which our Print Room can work with. Computer Modern is too +spidery on the 3\acro{S}i. For display work (such as the article titles) +I like New Century Schoolbook italic, and Bookman bold italic makes +a good mast-head face. + +\end{Article} |