Purpose	Matches message Emphasizes important facts
Alignment	Left justified is easiest to read
Balance	(weight = extent eye is pulled toward an object) Heavy elements are in balance with light elements Dark graphic, heavy border, Headlines Symmetrical vs. asymmetrical
Contrast	Use of illustrations, lines, boxes, and large bold headings to add darkness No trapped white space
Color Scheme	Analogous (Opposites) Ex. Red/ Green Complementary (Close) Ex. Red/Orange
Figure-ground Contrast	Stark white background is hard to read.
Consistency	May occur in margins, paragraphs, spacing, column width, and repeat of same graphic elements on each page
Simplicity	One dominant visual element on a page
Lettering Style	No more than four styles per layout (size, fonts, italics, underline, etc.) Serif font for printed, SanSerif for presentations
Presentations	Maximum of six lines per slide and six words per line One-half inch letter height per ten feet to audience

*Contributed by Vicki Beck, Clarks Public Schools, Clarks NE.