Keep Your Stories Short A newsletter should be a quick read. Readers expect to finish reading it in four to five minutes. Short articles increase the probability that your reader will find something of interest to them.  Headlines Use headlines as a means to summarize the article.  Graphics Use graphics that print well on your printer. Using a good mix of photographs and art work makes for interesting copy. Too many graphics can leave the newsletter looking cluttered.

Print Make sure your newsletter is physically readable. Avoid anything less than 12 point fonts for the article text. Fancy fonts may look good but can be hard to read when printed. Heading and text fonts should be consistent throughout the newsletter.  Paper Newsletters look best in black or dark blue ink, stay away from colored ink for text. Also use easy-to-read paper such as white, off-white, light gray, biege, etc. Spelling and Grammar Check Sending out copy with numerous errors creates a negative image to your readers. Aside from using a spell checker, have an outsider edit your final copy for readability, grammar and content.  Don't Wait Till the Last Minute Begin compiling newsletter information in advance. Ask other teachers, support staff and students to contribute articles. Collect articles and put on a disk to be cut and pasted into the newsletter.