Non-Designer’s Type Book, The, Second Edition

Alignment

Whether or not you are using a grid, the baseline of your caption should be on the same baseline as the text in the nearest column. The bottom of your photograph or illustration should also be aligned with a baseline in the next column. This arrangement must be consistent throughout your publication!

An even more important alignment is the relationship between the text and the photo or illustration. If your body copy is flush left or justified, then your captions should be flush left with the edge of the photo! Don’t center captions unless everything else on the page is centered! You see, most photos have a strong, hard edge along both sides, yes? Your body text also has a strong hard edge along its side, yes? So don’t weaken those ...