We get creative for print and web

Tips on upgrading a newsletter to a magazine

Penn State Abington wanted a publication that would make a big impression on alumni and encourage them to strengthen their ties to the campus.

The school already had a two-color newsletter, but when it was ready to upgrade to a splashy full-color alumni magazine, the college development and alumni relations office came to Hollister Creative for help.

To transform a newsletter into a magazine involves more than higher grade paper. Here are three specific things that separate a magazine from a newsletter:

  1. Energy. Energize your design with a sense of movement. Get away from strict grids of columns and boxes. Silhouette some photos (cut out the background).
     
  2. Art. Obtain lots of great photos and use them liberally. Make sure that a professional photographer is on hand at important events, especially those that might yield the cover photo.
     
  3. Organization. Consuming a magazine should be a delicious experience, like sitting down to a full-course meal. Put some "appetizers" up front (a short opening column, a contents page with tasty teasers). Serve the "main course" in the middle (your hearty, satisfying feature articles). Add lots of tempting side dishes (your regular departments). Finish with a dessert tray (a few yummy items that are fun, like a caption contest, or pretty, like a colorful calendar of coming events).