07.07.16: Nah…let’s not
DURING SOME RECENT design evaluations, I noticed occasional type wraps like the one above.
I immediately tell those showing me their pages that this practice is unacceptable. It’s just not what we do. It takes the page off the grid, it makes the text more difficult to read and it can create poor wordspacing.
When they ask me to show them a fix, I always recommend something like the illustration below. Trim the story, put in a filler ad…and let it go.
For those who may argue that trimming the story is a difficult choice, I remind them of a newsroom truth: “You’re editors first. Edit!”
I like your solution. I often adjust the column size, too.
Adjusting the column size can work well, too. Anything but running skinny type next to an ad as in the illustration.
Would it be acceptable if the copy was wrapped around an element of the story, say … a photo?
Yep. Absolutely. I do it myself on most feature pages——or in a feature package on Page 1 or a Sports front.
Totally agree with this. Have seen a ton of papers do this and it just makes it very awkward.
Yeah. It’s just uneducated design.