Ten Tips for Orders of Service

How much do you suppose it costs to put an ad in the inside cover spread of Sports Illustrated magazine? And how long do you think people peruse that front cover spread ad on their way to the Table of Contents? It isn't that long, according to research. In that light, think about that order of service handed to a worshiper by an attentive greeter. The worshiper will hold it in her or his hands for the next hour or so. It is also the piece of paper that has the greatest likelihood of going home with a worshiper. Let good art and design make the most of that opportunity.

10. Find the right size paper. Don't put novel-length liturgy on a 5 x 7 card. If the paper isn't big enough, you'll be breaking tip #7 to deal with that.

9. Fold the paper the most appropriate way. 8 1/2" x 11" - folded "hot dog" or "hamburger" style? Maybe a triple-fold. Or maybe 8 1/2" x 14" - folded in half or in a triple fold? Perhaps it is ledger-sized paper that would best suit your liturgy. That 11" x 17" paper can also be folded in halves or thirds.

8. Find the right color paper. Though the congregation may wear red for Pentecost, using red paper to print your order of service can make it more difficult for folks to see. Make sure there is good contrast between paper color and ink color.

7. Use a large enough font size. Remember the older worshipers in your congregation whose eyesight may not be what it used to and the younger ones who have trouble moving easily from line to line. If you need bigger paper to accommodate a larger font, use it.

6. Use the proper number of fonts. Two is usually sufficient: one for headings and one for body copy. Often using a serif font (Times New Roman and Book Antiqua are both serif fonts - they have the little tag or tail on letters (the little tag is called a 'serif') in partnership with a sans serif font (Arial or Helvetica...no little tag). Stick with a package of fonts for all church communications. This way members and visitors will come to recognize the "look" of your print pieces. You can alternate the fonts and change their weights and formats to create interest in multiple pieces.

5. Fight the urge to use all caps - especially with a flourish-y font that swoops and dips all over the page. They are beautiful fonts; they just are harder to read, especially in all caps.

4. Use a visual. As a rule, reproducing a work of art somewhere on the bulletin is considered fair use. See the U.S. Copyright Code (section 106ff.) for more information on copyright.

3. Always give credit to the artist, if known. We don't know who painted the catacomb image of the Good Shepherd, but even with ancient work, you can identify where the work is, and perhaps list a website where additional views might be found. Give as much credit to whomever you can.

2. Reduce visual clutter. This may seem oxymoronic in light of injunctions to choose bigger-paper-and-bigger-font-size. Another way to say this might be "have white space and organize it". Take out all the little drop-in graphic files, the clip art, anything that isn't the order of service. You may set up your bulletin so that there is room for a back page to have prayer requests or announcements or some other congregational business.

1.Proofread and edit. And then proofread and edit again. Then have someone else proofread and edit.