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Jul 2017

What is the best format for comic book layouts?

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    Jul '17
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    Jul '17
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There is no best format, layouts can be anything the artist wants it to be. The way I see it, the best thing is to experimant with the medium and try different things.

But, if you want to start and find laying out the page a little bit troubling you can try the 3x3 grid that is preatty common in old american comics and can be a good point to start with the experiments because it allows a lot of variations
204

This is a good thread on the topic:

when it comes to layouts don't get too confusing , think jedi "the story must flow with the box"

seconding the link to the nitty gritty tips thread, those threads are really great.

also, you may have noticed vertical format comics are very popular on tapas; where you have one panel for the width of the page, and then you scroll for the next one. theres lots of pros to this, its easier to control the pacing and easier to keep things clear, and people certainly wont complain. however, traditional page formatting (rows of panels like you see in most comics) might leave more space for fun, and have more references out there on how to do interesting and effective things.

A couple things I like to keep in mind are.
1. is the reader able to follow whats happening?
SO MANY TIMES I have picked up a comic, and I'm a seasoned reader, and i was unable to follow what was happening in the book because of the page layouts. I think a good flow over the page is important, keep the eye moving along. Someone who has never read a comic before should be able to read your comic.
2. gutter spaces, i think a lot of times people neglect these because they seem unimportant but the gaps between panels really help make the comic BREATHE.

One thing i do is I always have a stack of comics on my desk with my favorite page layouts. when I get stumped I pick it back up. My Go to is "Seconds" by Bryan Lee O'malley. its crisp and fun and a pleasure to look at!