Column inch
Encyclopedia
A column inch is a measurement
of the amount of content in published works that use multiple columns per page. A column inch is a unit of space one column wide by one inch high.
pages are laid out on a grid that consists of a margin on 4 sides, a number of vertical columns and space between columns (called gutters). Broadsheet
newspaper pages in the United States
usually have 6 columns, while tabloid sized publications have 5 columns.
space on a page to retail advertisers, advertising agencies and other media buyers. Newspapers publish a "per column inch" rate based on their circulation and demographic figures. Generally, the more readers the higher the column inch rate is. Newspapers with more affluent readers may be able to command an even higher column inch rate. For most newspapers, however, the published rate is just a starting point. Sales representatives generally negotiate lower rates for frequent advertisers.
Advertisements are measured using column inches. An advertisement that is 1 column inch square is 11 picas wide by 1 inch high. The column inch size for advertisements that spread over more than one column is determined by multiplying the number of inches high by number of columns. For example, an advertisement that is 3 columns wide by 6 inches high takes up 18 column inches (3 columns wide multiplied by 6 inches high).
To determine the cost of the advertisement, multiply the number of column inches by the newspaper's rate. so , if a newspaper charges $10 per column inch, the cost for the advertisement discussed above would be $180.00 (18 column inches multiplied by $10.00). Advertisements that span over more than one column also gain a small amount of extra space in between columns because they stretch across the gutters. Gutters are the empty space between columns. Gutters range from about 10 points to about 1 pica wide. In addition, most newspapers charge for an extra column if an advertisement is a double truck
.
Recently, some newspapers have converted to a "modular" system that simplifies ad size and eliminates the need to figure out column inches. In a modular system ad sizes are represented by the amount of the total page the ad takes up. For example 1/2 page, 1/4 page, 1/8 page, etc. This has been a popular system among some newspapers because it simplifies the layout process (i.e. less ad sizes to fit in newspaper) and makes pricing much easier for an advertiser to understand.
days, when in fact newspaper stories used to be printed on long strips of paper that were 1 column wide. The length would vary based on how long the story was.
The software used in most present-day newsrooms still measures column inches to give reporters and editors an estimate on how much space a story will take up on a page. Reporters usually refer to story lengths in inches, which actually refers to how many column inches a story takes up. Although it varies, it is generally agreed upon that there are 25-35 words in a column inch.
Newsroom staffers also measure items such as photograph
s and infographics using column inches.
Measurement
Measurement is the process or the result of determining the ratio of a physical quantity, such as a length, time, temperature etc., to a unit of measurement, such as the metre, second or degree Celsius...
of the amount of content in published works that use multiple columns per page. A column inch is a unit of space one column wide by one inch high.
A newspaper page
NewspaperNewspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
pages are laid out on a grid that consists of a margin on 4 sides, a number of vertical columns and space between columns (called gutters). Broadsheet
Broadsheet
Broadsheet is the largest of the various newspaper formats and is characterized by long vertical pages . The term derives from types of popular prints usually just of a single sheet, sold on the streets and containing various types of material, from ballads to political satire. The first broadsheet...
newspaper pages in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
usually have 6 columns, while tabloid sized publications have 5 columns.
Column width
In the United States, a common newspaper column measurement is about 11 picas wide (or about 1.83 inches), though this measure varies from paper to paper and in other countries. The examples in this article follow this assumption for illustration purposes only.Column inches and advertising
Newspapers sell advertisingAdvertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
space on a page to retail advertisers, advertising agencies and other media buyers. Newspapers publish a "per column inch" rate based on their circulation and demographic figures. Generally, the more readers the higher the column inch rate is. Newspapers with more affluent readers may be able to command an even higher column inch rate. For most newspapers, however, the published rate is just a starting point. Sales representatives generally negotiate lower rates for frequent advertisers.
Advertisements are measured using column inches. An advertisement that is 1 column inch square is 11 picas wide by 1 inch high. The column inch size for advertisements that spread over more than one column is determined by multiplying the number of inches high by number of columns. For example, an advertisement that is 3 columns wide by 6 inches high takes up 18 column inches (3 columns wide multiplied by 6 inches high).
To determine the cost of the advertisement, multiply the number of column inches by the newspaper's rate. so , if a newspaper charges $10 per column inch, the cost for the advertisement discussed above would be $180.00 (18 column inches multiplied by $10.00). Advertisements that span over more than one column also gain a small amount of extra space in between columns because they stretch across the gutters. Gutters are the empty space between columns. Gutters range from about 10 points to about 1 pica wide. In addition, most newspapers charge for an extra column if an advertisement is a double truck
Double truck
Double truck refers to a pair of facing pages, usually in a newspaper or magazine, with content that stretches over both pages.In most newspapers and magazines, the booklet-like format is accomplished by folding large sheets of paper in half. This allows the pages to be opened like a book...
.
Terminology
In the newspaper industry, ad and newsroom staffers will refer to an advertisement's size by saying "it's a (column width) by (inch height) ad," replacing the words in parentheses with a single figure. This can be confusing because it refers to two distinct measurements as if they were measured with the same unit. Normally one would think a 3 by 6 advertisement would be 3 inches wide by 6 inches high — but in reality it's actually about 5.5 inches wide by 6 inches high. In writing, an "×" is usually used to separate the two figures. Whether written or spoken, most, if not all, newspaper professionals understand the first figure is the column width and the second figure is the inch height.Recently, some newspapers have converted to a "modular" system that simplifies ad size and eliminates the need to figure out column inches. In a modular system ad sizes are represented by the amount of the total page the ad takes up. For example 1/2 page, 1/4 page, 1/8 page, etc. This has been a popular system among some newspapers because it simplifies the layout process (i.e. less ad sizes to fit in newspaper) and makes pricing much easier for an advertiser to understand.
Column inches and editorial content
Column inches are also used as an ad-hoc estimate of the importance of a news story and are also used to tell how much copy a reporter should write. This harks back to the paste upPaste up
Paste up refers to a method of creating or laying out publication pages that predates the use of the now-standard computerized page design desktop publishing programs. Completed, or camera-ready, pages are known as mechanicals or mechanical art...
days, when in fact newspaper stories used to be printed on long strips of paper that were 1 column wide. The length would vary based on how long the story was.
The software used in most present-day newsrooms still measures column inches to give reporters and editors an estimate on how much space a story will take up on a page. Reporters usually refer to story lengths in inches, which actually refers to how many column inches a story takes up. Although it varies, it is generally agreed upon that there are 25-35 words in a column inch.
Newsroom staffers also measure items such as photograph
Photograph
A photograph is an image created by light falling on a light-sensitive surface, usually photographic film or an electronic imager such as a CCD or a CMOS chip. Most photographs are created using a camera, which uses a lens to focus the scene's visible wavelengths of light into a reproduction of...
s and infographics using column inches.