The arguments for and against binding two distinct alumni publications together are outlined, and techniques for making the effort a success are provided. Logical combinations of publications with the same intended audience and complementary themes are recommended. Some examples are discussed. (MSE)

Users of desktop publishing may be distracted from clear communication by the advanced features of the technology. Common problems include irregularly-shaped blocks of copy, angled type, excessive underlining, widows and orphans, unequal spacing, excessive hyphenation, exaggerated tabs and indents, grammatical errors, cramped logos and addresses,…

Guidelines for selecting the most appropriate typeface for school publication needs include determine the intended audience; decide which typefaces convey the goal, theme, or message; and select typeface for the time period the piece is meant to reflect. (MLW)

Publications consultants picked three student recruitment brochures that were the best search pieces they had seen and described why they worked. The three brochures and their designers included: University of Pennsylvania and North Charles Street Design Organization; Carleton College and George Dehne; and DePaul University and Stein Educational…

Special section includes "True to Format," an editor's guide to periodicals (Robin Goldman); "The Move to Magazine," focusing on format (Patricia Ann LaSalle); "The Fast-paced Alternative," about timely tabloids (Janis D. Gleason, Lynn Donham); and also about tabloids, "Why Don't We Have a Magazine?" (Marsha…

Graphic design expert Jan White presents five principles to make alumni magazines more dynamic and more relevant to readers: (1) reach the reader; (2) write better captions; (3) pack photographs with power; (4) keep the design consistent; and (5) effectively integrate visual material and text. (MDM)

As a college alumni organization designs a World Wide Web site for communication, it should consider why it is creating the site; features that will appeal to its audience; the effort it will take to keep information timely; adding to the site's value by offering useful, interesting information not available anywhere else; and touring other sites…

Effective fund-raising letters balance an eye-catching appearance with an action-getting appeal. Some helpful hints to consider when planning direct mail letters are discussed including: making the letter attractive, using language skillfully, planning the text, considering copy formulas, etc. (MLW)

Fund-raising campaign experience at the University of Iowa Foundation suggests that attention to three planning areas (the intended audience, budget, and project requirements) and seven kinds of materials (campaign name and logo, case statement, letterhead, pledge form, return envelope, folder, and carrier envelope) facilitate program…

College and university student recruitment offices are encouraged to use graphic illustrations and other artwork, in addition to photographs, to enhance the individuality of their viewbooks, and are offered suggestions for selecting, combining, and commissioning such artwork. (MSE)

Principles for producing well-written college alumni newsletters include keeping reader needs foremost; obtaining strong material; monitoring overall quality and quality of details; devoting time to coming up with bright headlines; using varied formats; having a policy about coverage of subjects; and considering many means of self-evaluation. (MSE)

Marketing professionals offer these suggestions to college communicators: segment audiences; convey the campus' position on issues; express the same theme in various communications; frame the message in the context of meeting the audience's needs; let editorial content guide design; use sophisticated but cost-effective design; solicit opinions;…

In college publications programs, computer technology makes it possible to maintain editor-designer teamwork across long distances. However, although computers can cut expenses and boost cooperation, the editor and designer must still have basic skills for collaboration, understand each other's work, and focus on the desired product. (MSE)

It is proposed that developing a new institutional image can be 95 percent politics and 5 percent design but that a well-managed program can amplify and unify thousands of visual contacts with the college's publics. Eight steps are offered to guide development of a meaningful and effective identity program. (MSE)

College alumni association mailings can be made more successful by targeting the audiences, delivering a strong proposition to readers, choosing a forceful format, and creating impressive copy. Efforts of the University of Minnesota, University of Iowa, and Southern Methodist University illustrate these principles. (MSE)