The Newspaper Designer's Handbook (ISBN 0697327205)

Practical and useful for the professional:
I am an editor these days. I came on this book quite a few years ago when I was a sub. It was recommended to me by an old hand in the newspaper game. Without doubt, it is the single best aquisition I have made in terms of newspaper design. In the places I have worked, I have been regarded extremely highly for my layout skills. This book, with a little creativity, is the basis of almost everything I do in terms of layout. If you are serious about the newspaper game, get it, study it and then apply what you learn. It will help our career enormously.

A must have:
When I accepted my first "real" job in journalism as a page designer for a local weekly I was struck by a horrifying thought, I really knew nothing about newspaper design. I had done it before for my college paper, sure, but this was the big time. I needed a refresher course and I needed it fast... Tim Harrower and this spiral-bound book came to my rescue. Although it was first published in 1989, this book will be relevant as long as newspapers exist, even in this age of computer design. Harrower explains and shows why certain designs are good and bad and he approaches it in a situational, problem-solving format. For example, he explains what should be done when you have to design a page with no art, when you have butting headlines, or two horizontal photos etc. Harrower says that most page designers stumble into the job and from this point of view he explains what exactly, a good design is. This book will always be on my desk. (I wish my publications professor used this instead of the worthless $105 monstrosity he made us buy (and that we never used by the way).) So, after some mild freaking out followed by a lot of reading, I can start my new job with confidence thanks to this book.

Very helpful in the classroom:
I have taken this book apart and used it in the classroom. I bought it used and didn't receive a CD-ROM with it. My students are able to glean many ideas from it for our school newspaper.

The rules of good newspaper design:
Tim Harrower provides a very practical guide to newspaper design. The art of newspaper design tends to be very subjective, so this book lays down some facts and guidelines to put to rest some of the indecisive elements of design. For a beginner, this is a book that will give you the confidence and understanding to conquer page layout. The CD gives the novice an even more practical guide than the book can deliver. One criticism is that the book is printed on light gloss stock and is spiral bound. I am not sure how it was survive rough treatment. Brian Hurst

Awesome Textbook:
This textbook is awesome. I've never seen a better textbook. It lays everything out, and makes it simple to understand. It tells you what to do and what not to do in simple language and clear pictures. It's one of few textbooks worth keeping for future use in your career (provided you're going into the newspaper industry)!