Prepress Preparation, Continued
Format shape
The shape the printed image makes on a page is a facet of format. Some
rectangular forms are more visually pleasing than others. The three popular
rectangular formats are the regular rectangle, the golden mean rectangle, and
the hypotenuse rectangle. The dimensions of rectangles vary according to
page size.
REGULAR RECTANGLE: The regular rectangle is two-thirds wide as it is
long, such as 6 by 9 inches or 4 by 6 inches. These are common sizes for
booklets and phamplets. The regular rectangle has a ratio of 2:3.
GOLDEN MEAN RECTANGLE: The golden mean rectangle has a ratio of
3:5.
HYPOTENUSE RECTANGLE: The hypotenuse rectangle has a ratio of
5:7.
Figure 1-9 shows proportional rectangles.
Figure 1-9.—Proportional rectangles.
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