Rolling Stone is changing shape

Rolling Stone Magazine is cutting down from it's approximately 10" by 12" to a more standard 8.5" by 11". In a refreshing twist, it's not a cost-cutting measure. They are going to heavier paper with a glossy finish, adding 16 to 20 pages and changing from a saddle-stitched binding to a glued perfect bound format.

Why?

The New York Times reports that magazines are becoming increasingly standardized and Rolling Stone's shape doesn't fit in standard racks. It gets pushed up, down or off to the side of displays -- away from eye level. Also, advertisers have to revise ads to fit the format, and insert ads, with scent samples for example, are especially troublesome.

Word is, the new shape with come with a redesign.

SunSentinal gets radical overhaul

Charles Apple has more images from the redesign.

He also made a funny, "Yes, that’s one word: SunSentinel. Looks like Tribune company cutbacks have finally affected punctuation. The folks in Fort Lauderdale laid off a hyphen."

this is too much

Comic Sans is an unlikely hero in this CollegeHumor original: Font Conference.

My favorite character is Futura. What's yours?

A nice 'one year later' page

Sacramento to launch redesign

Here's a peek at the new look. And here, is what the editor has to say about it.

Late page of the week

I loved this Fresno page from July 8, but failed to post it until now. But here it is:

Newspaper cuts: a visual representation

Erica Smith, an excellent news designer at the St. Louis Dispatch has mapped 2008 newspaper cuts, totally nearly 6,000 layoffs and buyouts. CHECK IT OUT

This is a grim report, but it has a lot more impact than listing buyout and layoff announcements one at a time. It appears she updates the map ... well, frequently.

As Andrew Zahler of the Spokesman-Review points out:

"First, this map is more affecting than the daily reports on Romanesko or a simple number. Which is another example of why multimedia just makes information crackle."