Grid Systems Explained

The Golden Ratio

In order to create a Golden Ratio, you must start off with a square, which is then divided in half to create two rectangles which allows you to draw a line in one of the rectangles from one corner to the opposite corner. You then need to rotate the line so that it appears horizontally adjacent to the first rectangle, you then simply create a rectangle using the new horizontal line and original rectangle as the guides. The Golden Ratio is the description of a perfectly symmetrical relationship between two sections; about the same as a 1:1.61 ratio. It is the idea that when you remove a square from a golden rectangle, you get another golden rectangle, this process can be repeated over and over again to create a spiral, it is limitless. The Golden Ratio wasn’t something that only came to light in the 20th and 21st century, the Golden Ratio has been in use for at least 4,000 years in human art and design. It is argued that the Ancient Egyptians used the principle when building the pyramids. It is also found in the proportional dimensions in nature; flowers, sea shells, pineapples, honeycombs etc, this suggests that 4000 years ago the Golden Ratio must have originated from nature and our surroundings. An example of where the Golden Ratio has been used is in Greek architecture

Multicolumn Grid

Multicolumn grids are there to provide adjustable formats for publications that have a complicated hierarchy or that combine the use of text and image. The more columns, the more flexible the grid, you use margins to split the grid. Within a multicolumn grid you can choose to either occupy a single column with text or image or it can be spread out in several ways. You don’t have to fill all the white space. Furthermore, you can have 2 different arrangements that meet in the same grid system. They are useful if you need to compromise with design layouts; there is a lot of freedom within this style of grid.

Designing with a hang line

When elements are lined up to the top of a flow line it’s called a hang line as the segments appear to hang from the line. Designing with a hang line creates clarity and precision within the design. In addition to creating vertical zones with the columns of the grid, you can also divide the page horizontally; it is the idea of stacking either horizontally or vertically. This makes the hang line grid very easy to create; simply arrange the grid lines either vertical or horizontal, as many or as little as you like.

Modular Grid

A modular grid is a technique that consists of horizontal divisions that run from top to bottom; where everything is built using block grids. Each of the elements of the design fit into the modules in rectangular patterns. Modular designs are often used in newspapers where there is a lot of context to pack into one. The 1950s and 1960s were the peak times of when devised modular grid systems began to develop, this was through the work of Swiss graphic designers including Gerstner, Ruder, and Müller Brockmann. Gerstner used the method of creating a square that is split into 58 horizontal and vertical sections, this design was a set of guides that allowed print designers to create a wide range of variations throughout the layouts of their designs than what was possible with the basic grid systems at the time. The result is a 'compound' grid, comprising a number of sets of columns and rows. The modular grid design created by Gerstner displays perfect symmetry which gives the design a sleek, structured look; it follows strict rules.

Baseline Grid

Modular grids are created by positioning horizontal guidelines where as a baseline grid is a grid that is there to govern document as a whole; the grid lines run all the way through. Baseline grids are there to secure all of the layout elements which follow a common rhythm
A baseline grid is most useful in terms of organizing the text. You start by creating a baseline grid by choosing the type size and leading of your text; to style headlines, captions, and other elements, choose line spacing that works with the baseline grid, such as 18/24 for headlines, 14/18 for subheads, and 8/12 for caption. You then need to alter the top or bottom page margins to take up the leftover space by the baseline grid. You then need to control the amount of horizontal page sections to relate to the amount of lines throughout the grid. Count how many lines fit in a full column of text, then choose a number that divides evenly into the line count to create horizontal page divisions. A column with forty-two lines of text divides neatly into seven horizontal modules with six lines each. If your line count is not separated neatly you’ll need to alter the top and/or bottom page margins to take up the leftover lines.

Tschichold Golden Canon

Canons; Principles of page layout design used to measure and describe proportions, margins and print area. Jan Tschichold refers to the grid structure as “Golden Canon of book page construction”, it was in founded by him in the mid to late twentieth century, based on the work of J. A. van de Graaf. Jan Tschicholds way of defining the key properties of the golden canon consist of many different elements; the quantity of the text in the area and the page are always kept the same, the outer margin next to the text is twice the width of the inner margin and the bottom margin in double the height of the top. The Golden Canon Grid system works best in context when used to develop book spreads and publications such as magazines, articles etc. Furthermore, this is why typographers and book designers still continue to apply these principles to their designs to this day, with variations related to the availability of standardized paper sizes, and the diverse types of printed books.

Van De Graaf

The Van de Graaf canon originates from a grid system that is also known as the "secret canon" used in several medieval manuscripts, before 1501. It is the historical reconstruction of a technique that may have been used in book design in order to split a page into a satisfying proportion. The Van De Graaf system is made from lines within a double page spread that connect to the corners symmetrically; creating triangle and star like shapes. The “secret canon” then appears within these grid lines. This method then developed when Tschichold began to use it, Tschichold wrote "For purposes of better comparison I have based his figure on a page proportion of 2:3, which Van de Graaf does not use”. The Van De Graaf is still used today for the layout of editorial design; double page spreads, magazines, books etc.

Muller Brockmann

Brockmann was an architecture, design and history of art student in Zurich and worked as a graphic designer and teacher. His work is recognized for its simple designs and his clean use of fonts, shapes and colors, his work still inspires many graphic designers to this day. Since the 1950s grid systems help the designer to organize the graphic elements and have become a world wide standard. “The grid system is an aid, not a guarantee. It permits a number of possible uses and each designer can look for a solution appropriate to his personal style.”