Page 30 - 1912 May - To Dragma

TO DRAG MA OF ALPHA OMICRON PI 149

very seriously. Remember that no man considers the loss of his hair
a merry jest. Put yourself in the reader's place. I t is very simple
psychology.

That is all. Simply know what you have to say, know to whom
you will be speaking, say it as simply as you can.

2 and 3—the writers often have to plan their "layouts" or type
effects and should always be able to do so. This is a special training
that comes best by experience, but can be helped by a careful perusal
of compositor's text bQoks and the great and beautiful magazines
issued by the printing trades, by frequent visits to large printing
plants, engraving houses and artists' studios, by studying the type-
founder's catalogues, by dissecting effective advertisements, hunting
up and marking the type sizes in them and the names of the type
faces, measuring the proportion of white space and generally analyz-
ing the method. I found it useful to learn to set type at the case so
that printers' difficulties with my copy might be better understood.
J went to newspaper offices at make-up time, and finally made up a
small paper myself right "on the stone."

Here too superficiality is the danger. Women come to our office
applying for advertising jobs, calling themselves qualified, without
any knowledge of type whatever.

Booklets and catalogues have to be made. Usually the writer
of them makes out a dummy,—a little, blank book, just the size
of the proposed booklet; marked to indicate the exact position
of everything on every page, showing just how many pages are to
be printed and what pictures and designs are to appear,—and the
like. Then artists have to be dealt with and printers, who will pre-
sent properly made, more precise dummies with their estimate of cost.
A l l of this work is sometimes undertaken by one person. Some-
times one decides upon text and appearances and general plan, and
another, called a "manufacturer", shops for paper and makes terms
with printers and engravers. A good catalogue "manufacturer" in an
office can save the house much expense. For this work it is necessary
to know how paper cuts without waste and what inks will serve best
and the process of engraving.

A wise girl who takes her profession seriously will endeavor to
learn these points as far as she can, even i f there is a "manufacturer"
in the office.

A—Anyone with ambition to extend her field beyond mere hack
writing must become familiar with the work of the advertising art-
ists, must even learn how to make crude sketches clear enough to
indicate to them her intention as to the designs required.