Information and Communication Technology (0417) | Organise page layout

📐 Chapter 13 & 17: Organising Page Layout (Document Production)

Hello future ICT experts! This chapter is all about making your documents look professional, readable, and consistent. When you create documents (whether they are letters, reports, or web pages), the way you arrange the elements on the page—the Layout—is just as important as the information itself.

Think of page layout as the architect's blueprint for your document. Getting this right is essential for high marks in practical exams, as it demonstrates your ability to meet a client's specific requirements (the Corporate House Style!). Let's dive in!

1. Setting Up the Canvas: Page Structure Basics

Before you type a single word, you need to set up the properties of the physical page.

Key Page Layout Properties

These settings define the size and orientation of the paper you are using:

• Page Size: Usually set to A4, but you must be able to change it if required.
• Page Orientation: Defines whether the document is printed vertically or horizontally.
  • Portrait: Taller than it is wide (like a standard sheet of paper).
  • Landscape: Wider than it is tall (useful for charts or wide tables).
• Page Margins: The empty space between the edge of the paper and where the text starts. You must be able to set specific margins (top, bottom, left, right).

Did you know? (Gutter Margin)

The syllabus mentions the Gutter Margin. This is extra space added to the side margin (usually the left or top) to account for binding (like staples or ring binders).
If you don't use a gutter margin, the text might disappear into the spine of the book!

2. Structuring Content: Columns and Breaks

To manage the flow of your text and separate different parts of your document, you use columns and various types of breaks.

Working with Columns

Columns allow you to present text in vertical blocks, similar to a newspaper or magazine.

• Number of Columns: You must be able to change the number of columns (e.g., from one main column to two or three columns).
• Column Width and Spacing: You must be able to set the exact width of each column and the precise spacing (or gap) between them.

Controlling the Flow: Different Types of Breaks

Breaks are invisible markers that tell the software exactly where to stop one element and start the next.

• Page Break: Forces the next text/content to start on a brand-new page. (Simple and common).
• Column Break: Forces the next text to move to the beginning of the next column (often used if you want a heading to start a new column).
• Section Break: This is the most powerful break. It separates a document into different formatting sections.
  Example: You need the first page to be Portrait, but the second page (with a large chart) to be Landscape. You insert a Section Break, and then you can change the orientation of the new section without affecting the first.

Memory Tip: Think of a Section Break as a "Formatting Wall"—it lets you apply different layout rules (like margins, page numbering, or column layouts) to different parts of the same document.

3. Integrating Objects and Text Wrapping (13.1)

Documents rarely contain just text! You need to know how to place objects (like images, screenshots, tables, graphs, charts, or spreadsheet extracts) and control how the text flows around them.

You must be able to Place objects into the document from a variety of sources. Once placed, you need to manage the text wrap:

Text Wrapping Styles

Text wrapping dictates the relationship between the object and the surrounding text:

• Above and Below: The text stops before the object and restarts after it. The object occupies a full line on its own.
• Square: The text wraps around the rectangular boundary box of the object.
• Tight: The text tries to wrap closely around the actual shape of the object (if the object has an irregular outline).

Don't worry if Tight wrapping looks messy; just demonstrate that you know how to apply it when asked!

4. Working with Tables (13.2)

Tables are essential for organising data within a document. You need to master both creation and formatting.

Step-by-Step: Table Creation and Editing

1. Create: Specify the required number of rows (horizontal) and columns (vertical).
2. Edit Structure: You must be able to insert or delete rows and columns as needed.
3. Merge Cells: Combine two or more adjacent cells into a single, larger cell (often used for main headings spanning the top of the table).

Formatting Table Appearance

Formatting ensures the table is readable and adheres to the house style:

• Alignment:
  • Horizontal Alignment: Left, Right, Centre, or Fully Justified (spreading text evenly across the cell width).
  • Vertical Alignment: Top, Middle, or Bottom (useful for ensuring headings look central in tall cells).
• Visuals: You must be able to show or hide gridlines, and apply shading/colouring to specific cells for emphasis.
• Size Control: Adjusting row height and column width (making sure all data is fully visible).
• Text Flow in Cells: You must be able to wrap text within a cell so that long entries do not extend beyond the cell width.

5. Consistency and Structure: Headers and Footers (13.3)

Headers (top of the page) and Footers (bottom of the page) are used to place consistent, repetitive information throughout a document.

Purpose of Headers and Footers

Their main purpose is to maintain consistency and provide essential reference information on every page.

What goes in them? (Automated Objects)

Instead of typing information repeatedly, you insert automated objects which update themselves:

• File Information: File name, file path, author name.
• Page Numbering: Current page number (e.g., '3').
• Total Number of Pages: (e.g., 'of 10').
• Date and Time: Usually inserted as a field that updates automatically.

Alignment in Headers and Footers

You must position the contents correctly within the margins:

• Align to the left margin.
• Align to the right margin.
• Centred within the margins.

6. Text Formatting and Tabs (17)

This focuses on how text blocks are visually presented.

Line Spacing and Paragraph Spacing

This controls the vertical distance between lines of text and between paragraphs.

• Line Spacing: Can be set to Single, 1.5 times, Double, or Multiple (e.g., 1.2 lines).
• Paragraph Spacing: Control the vertical space Before and After each paragraph. This is key for readability and avoiding excessive blank lines.

Tabulation and Indents

Tab stops and indents help align text precisely, often in lists or financial data.

• Left Tab: Text starts at the tab stop and moves to the right.
• Right Tab: Text ends at the tab stop and moves to the left (useful for aligning totals).
• Centred Tab: Text is centred on the tab stop.
• Decimal Tab: Essential for aligning columns of numbers (like currency) precisely on the decimal point.
• Indented Paragraphs: Moving the entire block of text inwards from the margin.
• Hanging Paragraphs: The first line is left-aligned, but subsequent lines of the paragraph are indented.

7. Final Review: Essential Terminology

Make sure you understand the purpose of these terms, as they often appear in theory questions related to layout:

1. Pagination
The process of adding sequential page numbers to a document. Its purpose is to help the reader navigate and cross-reference information easily.

2. Gutter Margin
The extra space set on one side of the page (usually left or top) to allow for binding the document without obscuring the text.

3. Breaks (Page, Section, Column)
As discussed, the purpose of setting breaks is to control exactly how content flows and to apply different formatting rules (like orientation or column settings) to different parts of the document.