On the left, a photo with a traditional half-point frame. On the right, a photo with a soft drop shadow.
By: Ed Henninger
During the past few years—and only for certain clients—I’ve been suggesting they get away from the traditional half-point frame for photos.
The option I recommend is a photo frame with a soft drop shadow.
Why?
A few reasons:
IT’S DIFFERENT: Not many other newspapers use this approach, so the new look makes you stand out—especially if you’re in a community where you’re competing against another paper. It’s certainly an idea to consider if you want to redesign.
IT’S APPEALING: Readers may not be able to articulate the difference, but the soft shadow tends to make your photos just a bit more friendly, more comfortable to look at.
IT’S MORE “FEATURISH”: Some editors may think the soft shadow takes away from the impact of a hard news photo, such as a fire or an auto accident (or the mug shot of a serial killer!). That’s OK—you can drop the soft shadow on such photos if you wish. But for most photos in community newspapers, a soft shadow frame will do just fine.
IT’S THREE-DIMENSIONAL: The soft shadow helps push the photo off the surface of the page, giving the photo a bit more impact. The half-point frame doesn’t do that.
Here’s a suggestion: Try the drop shadow look on an upcoming photo page or in a special section. See how it looks to you. Does it give you a feel you’d like to see throughout your entire publication? If so, you know what to do.
And another suggestion: Don’t use the InDesign default specifications for the shadow. Those specs create a shadow that’s too dark, too big.
Here are the specs for the shadow on the photo at right:
Blending mode: Multiply
Opacity: 50%
Distance: Ignore. Offsets will create distance.
X Offset: 0p3
Y Offset: 0p3
Angle: 135º
Size: 0p5
Disregard other options.
One last detail: If you’re placing a photo with a soft shadow at the right edge of the page, be sure to nudge it left about a pica. Otherwise, the shadow may fall out of the print area, leaving you with no shadow at all.
The soft shadow photo frame can give your newspaper a more comfortable, more friendly design. It’s worth a look.
…………
IF THIS COLUMN has been helpful, you may be interested in Ed’s books: Henninger on Design and 101 Henninger Helpful Hints. With the help of Ed’s books, you’ll immediately have a better idea how to design for your readers. Find out more about Henninger on Design and 101 Henninger Helpful Hints by visiting Ed’s web site: www.henningerconsulting.com