Re: AIS Bulletin - color layout (a long explanation)

In a message dated 2/2/2003 5:21:08 AM Mountain Standard Time, 
bfilardi@attbi.com writes:


> Printing in color is a different process and much more expensive than 
> printing 
> in black and white.  For reasons of budget, we can only have one signature 
> that 
> is printed in color.  That means that each Bulletin can have a maximum of 
> 16 
> color pages.  And these pages are normally the exact same pages in each 
> issue:  
> pages 33, 36-37, 40-41, 44-45, 48-49, 52-53, 56-57, 60-61, and 64.  If we 
> have 
> too many text pages, we sometimes print b&w on a color page.  In the 
> October 
> issue, all 16 pages were color; in the recent January issue, 14 were color, 
> and 
> two pages from the color signature were printed in b&w because we needed 
> the 
> space.
> 
> Regarding setting up the color section:  We have to give first priority to 
> placing the ads, because those are helping to pay for the cost of the 
> Bulletin.  So:  Paul Black had a two-page color ad; Keith Keppel and Eureka 
> garden books had ads that required a color page with a b&w page right next 
> to 
> it; and Sutton's, Lowell Baumunk, and Aitken's each had a single color 
> page.  
> Then we gave one color page each to the AIS calendar ad and the Siberian 
> Convention invitation.  I wanted to give a two-page spread to the 
> "flatties" 
> pictures, one page to the dark irises pictures, one page to the median poll 
> winners, and a page to the pictures to accompany the short articles about 
> the 
> Morgan-Wood and Caparne-Welch medals.  And all that had to be worked in to 
> the 
> 16 pages that can be color....

With this much information I think everyone can see the constraints involved 
-- but I'd like to show our members how they can contribute to the solution 
of this problem.

Consider:  
32 B&W pages at the front
16 color pages, at most, in fixed position
16 B&W pages interspersed with the color pages
64 B&W pages at the back

It may seem like the editor has plenty of choices.  Not so!

The first 32 pages aren't constrained by color considerations, but by items 
traditionally included in the front matter.  Sometimes there's room for an 
illustrated article at the back of this section -- but not always, and even 
if there is room for such an article the need to accommodate ads may preclude 
following it immediately with the appropriate photos.

The last 64 pages aren't constrained by color considerations either, but by 
items traditionally printed in the back of the book -- like the minutes and 
Shopping Section.  This is where longer articles fit best, but that means 
they must be physically separated from any color illustrations.

All of which brings us back to that 32 pages of interspersed color and B&W.  
If you look at Bruce's list or examine a recent bulletin, you'll see that it 
includes 8 two-page spreads of B&W printing.  That's 8 two-page articles, or 
7 two-page and 2 one-page articles, or 6 two-page articles and 4 one-page 
ones, or....   Well, you get the picture....

Of course, ads need to appear between articles whenever possible.  
Advertisers don't like to see them in the middle of an article because a 
reader who is interested in the article is apt to skip over the ad.  Authors 
don't like to see their handiwork interrupted by an ad because it may 
distract the reader.  Readers don't like to encounter an ad in the middle of 
an article because it is jarring.  So this layout calls for a number of short 
articles, some of which are illustrated with color photos.  

BUT BRUCE CAN'T PRINT THEM IF NO ONE CONTRIBUTES THEM!!!!!

Yes, I'm shouting.  I want your attention.  If you don't like the way ads 
have broken into articles in recent issues, do something about it.  Fire up 
your word processor & start writing.  Put your digital camera or scanner to 
work.  Send Bruce so much material that his problem is deciding what to use 
in the next issue, not how to make up the shortage.

Sharon McAllister
Notoriously long-winded, who admits she can only write a one-page article if 
a filler is needed at deadline  

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