Editorial Design · Page 3 of 7

Grids: anatomy & types

A grid is the invisible structure under every page. Learn its parts, then the four main kinds.

Anatomy of a grid

A grid is the invisible structure under every page. It decides where things can go, so you can make decisions faster and every page feels related.

Anatomy of a magazine gridA two-page spread showing bleed, margins, six columns, gutters, four rows, one highlighted module, the baseline grid and the folio.24 PULSEPULSE 25123456789
A six-column, four-row modular grid on a 7.5″ × 9.75″ spread. Blue lines are the baseline grid.
  1. Bleed – the 0.125″ area outside the trim. Anything that touches the page edge must extend here.
  2. Margins – the space around the live area. Margins frame the content and hold the folios.
  3. Inside margin – the margin at the spine. Make it a bit larger so text doesn’t disappear into the fold.
  4. Column – a vertical division for text and images.
  5. Gutter – the space between columns. It usually equals one line of body leading.
  6. Row & flowline – horizontal divisions. Flowlines are where elements “hang” from, like a line of headlines across a spread.
  7. Module – one unit where a column and a row cross. Elements fill one module or several.
  8. Baseline grid – the lines that body text sits on. It keeps text aligned across columns.
  9. Folio – page number and publication name, always in the same place.

Types of grids

Manuscript gridOne large text block. Best for book pages and long, uninterrupted reading.
ManuscriptOne large text block. Best for books and long, uninterrupted reading, like a single poem.
Column gridText and images line up on vertical columns. Flexible and common in magazines.
ColumnVertical columns. Common, but a plain 2- or 3-column grid gets repetitive across many pages.
Modular gridColumns plus rows create modules. The most flexible system for magazines.
ModularColumns plus rows make modules. The most flexible choice for magazines.
Hierarchical gridZones sized to the content instead of a regular pattern. Common for web and posters.
HierarchicalZones sized to the content rather than a pattern. Common for posters and the web.
Why six or twelve columns?

More columns give you more options, not more columns of text. A 6-column grid can hold text in 1, 2, 3 or 6 columns, and images can span any number of them. A 12-column grid adds 4-column layouts. You might set text in 3 columns on one spread and 2 wide columns with a narrow caption column on the next, and the pages still belong together because they share the same grid.

Apply it: Pulse magazine

The brief asks for a creative, flexible, modular grid, not just a typical 2-column grid. Start from 6 or 12 columns with 3 to 6 rows.

© Created by Sara Rosenstock, Marietta College Graphic Design.