Editorial design deals with drafting and laying out publications such as magazines, books and newspapers as well as certain brochures, advertisements or any other chiefly textual design. This type of design deals with the lay out of the information as from the text containing it. The aim of the treatment done to the text and the material containing it is to produce certain communicative effect, a particular way of transmitting and organizing the information. For instance, it will not be the same to organize the information of an academic book and that of a child’s book. In the first one the text is displayed continuously and the designer will merely undertake to make it the most easily legible.

On the other hand, in a child’s book what is essential is to highlight through different elements what is more important in order to make reading flow.

The elements employed in editorial design are quite diverse. In order to give this presentation a more precise approach, we will provide some examples pertaining to the most well known materials.

We will begin with work done specifically on the text and we will continue with the different parts that create a publication.

TEXT

Titles: provide the name of the articles or chapters within a publication. These are the elements that most strongly order the information. A standard form is chosen, which is generally previously regulated, as to font body, type and diacritics composing it.

Subtitles: divide topics within what is embraced by the title. A standard form is chosen, that is generally previously regulated, as to font body, type and diacritics composing it.

Body text: where the information is laid out. It is worked out through different font types, sizes and diacritics for the presentation to be clear and easy to follow and in order to identify the different parts.

Images: they add information or exemplify the information furnished in the text. In order to adapt images, just like what is done with texts within frames, a mock-up is made before assembling the publication. The mock-up bears the lay out of the text, the frames and the images.

Epigraph: confers information about the author, date, source, name and description. It should be written in an adequate way in order to keep a coherent criterion which can be set by the editorial itself or by some orthographic regulations.

PARTS OF A BOOK

(OUTSIDE)

Cover: commonly known as top, bears the name of the book, author and editorial and a possible cover art. It also serves as protection.

Dustcover: it is not always present. It is more common among hard cover books. It consists of a book protection made of a good quality paper in which the book is also identified. The dustcover has two flaps which embrace the cover.

Spine: joins front and back covers, and it is where pages are stuck. It bears the name of the author, book, editorial and collection. According to its lay out it can be called: “ Latin” that is written from bottom to top; “English” that is written from top to bottom or horizontally.

Back cover: usually bears a book review.

Inside cover: it is the inner part of the front and back covers. Hard book covers generally take flyleaves.

Flaps: a commentary on the book and the author are included together with the names of others books from the same author or collection.

(INSIDE)

Courtesy pages: are white pages that protect the book.

Title page: shows the title of the book and probably of the collection.

Verso of the title page : in white or with some information.

Cover page: shows the title, subtitle, collection, author, editorial, date and place of publication, translator and editor.

Technical credits and legal page: copyright, owner and other credits to the professionals that contributed with the edition. It is here that the name of the editorial designer will luckily appear.

Dedication: may or may not be included it’s at authors discretion.

Index: though it may seem trivial, the index is a very complex phase of book editing, especially for technical books.

Prologue

Preface

(Technical books have other sections within the above mentioned. Some of them are: table of contents, list of illustrations, list of tables and list of abbreviations.