Reinventing Classifieds' Steve Outing speaks to typography guru Jim Parkinson (who's credits include Rolling Stone, Newsweek, Esquire, the Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times) in his article today about how to make the classified section within a newspaper clearer and more appealing.

Outing writes in his article that the average age of a newspaper reader is 50; with this in mind he asks whether newspapers should increase print size to assist the deteriorating vision of the average reader. Such a move would undoubtedly increase costs at any newspaper, as it will take up more newsprint.

Parkinson, however, does not think it is necessary to increase liner point size for most papers. Parkinson advocates selecting the proper type with good readability characteristics, and implementing some smart design changes.

Here are Parkinson's recommendations:

* Select a font with a large "x-height" and smaller ascenders and descenders.

* Redesign the classifieds section to make it look more visually appealing.

* Try and tie in design features from other sections of the newspaper.

* Widen column width for liner sections. He suggests trying 6-column format that is easier for the eye to absorb efficiently.

* Section headers need to be easy to scan, and use bold headings intelligently to help readers scan a page for what they're seeking.

Source: Reinventing Classifieds via IFRA Executive News Service