mario garcia
Type on photographs If there was ever a subject that could get the emotions soaring in a newsroom, it is the dilemma of whether to put type (headlines) over a photograph or not. Photographers do not want anything to come between their photo and the reader; designers want “freedom” to express themselves; editors either love the practice or hate it. Some publishers I know ban the procedure entirely in their newspapers, sometimes for such trivial, but understandable, reasons such as: “My wife hates that.” (True story!) I have seen type over a photo make everyone look great: the photo, the story, the writer, and the designer, with readers smiling all the way. I have seen it used poorly, especially when a type-happy designer mistakes the photograph as a drawing pad. As with everything else in design: make it pure, make it simple. If the photo lends itself to it, put type on it, discreetly and as a secondary touch to the photo. And fewer words work best. If a designer decides to put type on a photo, a conversation with the photographer will be appreciated. He or she may think the integrity of the image is being compromised. But tread easily when proposing it, and be ready to scratch your concept, since this is one of those battles that, in most cases, is not worth fighting. Save your energy for real issues, like writing a good headline that does not land on the great photo. 64
pure design
Numbers and pictures: In an unusual variation, John Miller designed simple infographcis to be used over photographs for Charles Schwab’s investor magazine. The effect achieved an editorial goal: a strong link between the relationships depicted in the images and the company’s success, depicted in the portfolio charts.
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mario garcia
Not just for magazines: The placement of a headline or other type element over a photograph comes naturally to magazine designers but is more carefully calculated among newspaper editors. However, a large headline that is easy to read can complement a photograph, as we see on this front page of Germany’s Morgen Post, the popular Hamburg daily. The image and the headline form a “mini poster� or magazine cover to separate the lead story from the rest.
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pure design
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