How big is an ad?
Specifically, how big is a 1/8-page ad?
I create sponsor ads for a large corporation, as well as ads for charity program books and other publications. One thing I’ve learned over the years: never assume you know what “1/8-page” means.
A client recently asked me to create a 1/8-page ad for a charity program book, but the request came without any specific information.
This happens all the time!
I immediately replied to both the client and the charity:
“What size does 1/8-page mean? Please reply with WIDTH × HEIGHT (INCHES). Do you want B&W or COLOR? Thank you!”
Size matters!
Ad dimensions can vary depending on the size of the publication.
A typical page size is 8.5 × 11 inches. If you divide the page by eight, you’ll end up with eight small spaces, approximately the size of business cards.
Other organizations print a half-sheet publication, 5.5 × 8.5 inches. That makes for a smaller and more economical book, but a 1/8-page ad would be tiny!
Here’s what your designer needs to know
Does the charity or organization have ad requirements or a spec sheet? If so, ask for one and send it to your designer.
A spec sheet should tell you:
Advertisement sizes (width × height in inches)
Color requirements
File format
Where and how to send the artwork
Artwork deadline
Whether the ad can bleed (extend beyond the trim edge of the paper)
Don’t guess at the size. “1/8-page” can mean different things depending on the publication.
When things go wrong—and they’re out of our control
Last year, we submitted an ad according to the charity’s specifications.
Unfortunately, the ad requirements were reversed. Instead of listing width × height (horizontal), they were actually height × width (vertical).
Our horizontal ad was reduced to fit into a vertical space.
The charity’s printer didn’t call us to let us know about the discrepancy. We discovered the error when we saw the printed program.
Don't let this happen to you!
Recommendations
Will you use the ad again next year? Have your designer set up the artwork so it can be easily updated. One of my corporate clients has me refresh its sponsor ads every year. The size stays the same, but the photo and text are updated for the new event or publication.
And this is one reason it helps to work with the same designer: I keep the working files. When my clients come back the following year, I already have the original artwork. We don't have to start from scratch. We update the photo and text, make sure everything still meets the publication's specifications, and the ad is ready to go.
Ask your designer to create a template. The same basic artwork can then be resized for different publications and charities, or updated from year to year without starting from scratch.
Know your target audience. Your ad should make sense for the charity and its audience. For example, you probably wouldn’t want to use a picture of a child for an event focused on aging.
Finally…
Ask your designer to copy you when she sends the ad to the charity.
Request confirmation from the charity that it received the ad and that there are no technical problems.
Keep the charity’s specifications with your project files in case you need them again next year.
And, finally, the reply to my original question arrived:
“A 1/8-page ad is 3.8125 inches wide and 2.4063 inches tall. Color is included.”
Gotta go. It’s time to do the layout.