A simple theatre programme for a school production will typically consist of a single sheet of A4 folded along either the long axis for a tall, narrow design or along the short axis to produce an A5 design. The latter is probably the best option here.
The design requirements are to produce a simple and elegant programme that is easy to read in dark conditions. There is little point in creating a programme that is hard to read due to the use of dark paper, small text, blotchy graphics, excessive use of 'Word Art' and poor layout.
Open Publisher with a blank page (skip the templates at the beginning by clicking 'Blank Print Publication').
For an A5 design:
Choose File/Page Setup and choose Booklet from the list and Landscape as the layout mode
Publisher will ask you to confirm that you require extra pages - click Yes.
This sets up a 4-page booklet that will print onto 2 sides of A4. Publisher arranges the pages for printing with 1 & 4 on one sheet and pages 2 & 3 on another, exactly what you need for a folded sheet.
Note that the size of each page is now A5 - 14.85cm x 21 cm.
The margins of the page can be changed by choosing Arrange/Layout Guides and the Margins tab. The default setting is 2.5cm which is probably too great for a programme printed on A5. Most laser printers will not print to the edge of the page (known as a 'bleed', look at any modern magazine for examples) so leave at least 1cm all round. Lower the current settings, therefore, to 1cm.
Note that printing will almost certainly be monochrome (black and white), colour is too expensive. Coloured paper is available (yellow, green, blue, red, purple) so bear this in mind when choosing images.
The four pages should contain the following information:
Page 1: Summary Information: school names, title, authors, venue, dates, image or graphic. Use a text box expanded to the margins for this and simply write in the details (no Word Art!)
Page 2: Synopsis: . Add background information on the 'West Side' and the racial gangs - use the material you produced earlier and add images to fill the space. This can be continuous text in a single column.
Page 3: Cast list and other credits (data in K:\IT). Use two columns (choose Format/Text Box/Text Box/Columns) or a table (table tool in Toolbox).
Page 4: Other credits if no room on page 3. Advert if possible or other factual information (about New York, for example).
Use the Text Box tool in the Objects toolbar to set up areas to place your text. Don't use Word Art! Use the Picture Frame tool to set up areas for images.
Use the Image box tool to allow inclusion of pictures. Note that this tool has a 'fly-out' that includes the four possible options. For copying and pasting use 'Empty picture frame'.
The Objects toolbar
Further details of text techniques.
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