Rookie Mistakes, Part 3: Illustrated and Large-Format Interiors
Background
This third post continues to cover the entries in the children’s picture books, coffee-table books, and other layout-heavy book categories. The “design” and interior layout are often complex, varying from page to page, or structured to convey a clear hierarchy and way-finding.
Generally speaking, in book publishing, we use the Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS) as our primary reference.
I’m breaking the issues of “mainly text” books into two broad categories: structural (Part 1) and implementation (Part 2). And while I present these as individual problem areas, in reality, they are often interrelated. Then, in Part 3, I’ll explore “visual and large format” books, followed by Part 4, “covers.”
Paul working through the 2025 Midwest Book Award finalists.
Introduction
I’m often asked why some books just lookoff, and if it really matters what the interior of a book looks like. Call it what you will—the “self-published look,” “budget design,” “template typography,” or just that hard-to-name feeling that something’s not quite right…
As it turns out, yes, it matters. Even casual readers notice when something feels off, and may turn away from a book, even if they can’t explain why. Layout and typography shape the reading experience more than most people realize.
This summer, I decided to take a deep dive into the finalists and winners of the 2025 Midwest Book Awards to better understand the “why”—examining books from indie publishers across the Midwest, ranging from established academic presses to author-publishers self-publishing for the first time, and everything in between.
Even among the books that otherwise impressed the judges, I kept seeing the same avoidable design issues pop up again and again. Small missteps in design and typesetting that chipped away at a book’s professionalism and polish.
You see, when design is working, it vanishes—it becomes “intuitive” or natural. However, when design stumbles—such as with tight margins, clunky spacing, or misaligned spreads—it draws attention to itself. Once that happens, it’s hard to unsee.
In this four-part series, I’ll walk through the most common design mistakes I found, and explain why they matter. These aren’t arbitrary rules—they’re time-tested guidelines rooted in how people actually read. And most of them are easy to fix, once you know what to look for.
In the third part: I look at books where image and layout play at least as much importance as the textual content—picture books, illustrated stories, and other large-format books, including children’s illustrated books, coffee table and art books, and layout-heavy large-format nonfiction such as cookbooks and guidebooks. This analysis builds upon Part 1 and Part 2’s examination of books that are primarily text in small formats. For each issue area, I’ll include the percentage of books where I saw room for improvement.
Before we get into the details, let me say this: I’m not here to discredit anyone’s work. The books I reviewed were written, edited, and published withheart. But ensuring that none of these baseline issues sneak into your work—what I consider the minimum level of visual clarity and polish any published book should meet—is doing your readers a service by making your book more approachable and appealing, not to mention better received by book professionals, including librarians, book sellers, and reviewers.
Part 3: Image and Large-Format Books
For image- and layout-intensive books, design plays a far more visible role than in our mainly text-based counterparts. Still, the basics remain fundamentally unchanged: The goal is visual harmony and balance in the color, fonts, layout, images, and backgrounds. In reviewing these books, I realize that the overarching theme of the issues that caught my eye had to do with space, or the lack thereof.
For reference, I’ve tried to photograph all of these books at the same scale, with an image width of about 24 inches (to accommodate the largest books in the sample). I will include page and text size references to help set the scale.
#1 Bad Margins / Line Length (57%)
Text shouldn’t be crammed too close to page edges or the gutter.
Large blocks of body text shouldn’t be too long (ideally 55–65, or at most 75 characters)
Line length on larger text pages → columns?
I have a theory: when authors realize the limits of the manuscript boundaries no longer bind them, they over-react by cramming too much into the larger page size. A large-format page doesn’t necessarily mean more content than found on a smaller-format page. In fact, the opposite may be true precisely because the reader now needs space to visually figure out what is going on.
#1 margin to header, line length; #2 insdent after subhead, underlines, caption crowding. 8-1/2×11Another 8-1/2 x 11 book, with a whopping 41p (6.833 inch) text block, at 11/15 results in a 106 character line. The small margins are especially problematic in the gutter of this softcover book, where the text starts to be buried. Large italic block quotes also prove to be problematic with an uneven shape (see #2).Line length and margin problems in this POD hardcover, seen in both the copyright and dedication page. A frequent problem in children’s picture books is text crammed to the page edges because the illustrations were not created to allow for the text. The first, a 10 x 10 inch hardcover with rather loose 16/24 nominal text (and many other sizes). The second is an 8 1/2 x 11-inch hardcover with 20/24 text. Minor changes to either of these illustrations could have solved the problem. But the use of spot art on the right-hand page of the first book does help provide the designer more flexibility in balancing all the demands.
#2 Poor Typography (38%) / Bad Envelope (14%)
Spacing in type still follows the gestalt principle of relations: object space > line space > word space > letter space.
Shape of the text, its “envelope,” is a visual element, too
Indents or paragraph space? Pick one, there isn’t ever a need for both.
Problems with excessive use of “centered” text on longer passages or narrow columns; leading-edge problems
Short last lines (runts) are still a problem.
If the book has page numbers, remember that they become part of the page’s composition.
Text that is too large feels choppy and “loud.” However, this depends on the age of the target reader and the size of the page (and therefore how far away the book is held).
Text needs to flow to be easily read. This was the gist of Parts 1 and 2 of this blog series. Integral to the placement of text is the space within and around the type. Too much space, or space in an unexpected place, is just as challenging to read as too little space or crowding. In a book that is primarily images, where the text is often floating on the page, the envelope surrounding the text becomes a visual object that must be considered as part of the composition of the page.
This 6 x 9 POD hardcover illustrated chapter book offers a good example of several spacing problems. Likely designed with the intention of making it easy on young readers, the excessive spacing actually makes it harder. The large indents create visible runts (and an orphaned line). The excessive 14/32 (2.3) line spacing makes extra work as the eye tries to find the next line to read. And topping it all off, the poor justification has left huge rivers of white space inside the lines.This oddly sized 8 x 9 softcover, also an illustrated chapter book, likely has similar intentions—and problems—with the readability for young readers. An oversized 14/24 (1.7) type, with oversized indents, creates a broken feel. And the double-line chapter heading is oddly spaced, further enhancing the fractured feel, despite the well-done initial drop-capital letter. The back matter of this book, in addition to pushing the line length in the acknowledgments section, seems to have some contrast issues with white on a relatively light background. I can imagine the designers attempting to solve it with this chunky 14/17, but the result feels unresolved—unlike the rest of the book, which is quite beautifully done. An afterthought? At least the brain character is nicely aligned with the text area, but too bad that right page margin is too small.The excessive type size on this jacket flap—overlaying an otherwise beautiful end sheet—is a whopping 24/28 point type, appearing looser than the ratio would suggest due to the very low x-height of the font used in this book. Reducing this down to a more reasonable 16-point might have helped the choppy right-rag. This problem can show up when designing a large book—8 x 10 hardcover in this case—on a small screen.There are many things to like in this 9 x 11 hardcover, especially the use of a 2/3 column to avoid excessive line length in the Note, and the clear visual hierarchy of section heading, the 14/18 story text, and the 12/16 “adult” note text. Unfortunately, the designer also chose to use both paragraph spacing with paragraph indents—including the first paragraph. Removing the indents would make this near perfect. A little more space on the well-captioned image (see #3), especially given the variations in the right rag, would be appreciated. This 8-1/2 x 11 hardcover book should also be commended for making the wise decision to use two well-spaced columns of text. The book offers an unusual stylistic choice of a display font appropriate to the era of the subject, as the 10/18 body text. But where the really layout falls apart is the mix of spacing: block quotes are double-indented and set tighter at 9/13, with bold 8/10 centered captions. This mishmash of spacing comes to a climax with the unfortunate choice of centered images on the right-hand page, spaced too tight to the very narrow justified type. Visual chaos instead of a pleasurable read on an otherwise fascinating book.This 11 x 8-1/2 landscape book is lavishly illustrated, well set 9/13 with medium-weight sans serif 9/12 captions, and color-coordinated drop caps. There is a nice mix of 1-, 2-, 3-, and 4-column layouts, all with generous margins befitting a book that sits over 22 inches wide when opened. I only wish the columns had been given a little more space—instead of a rule (line)—although I confess it did nicely solve the problem of the otherwise unruly right rag. The only real stumper for me is why the book has these enormous 22-point page numbers.Visual balance is the issue here, as this book demonstrates some visual clutter (see #5) along with margins that are too tight. But most curious to me is why four different font sizes are used: 14, 16, 20, and 28. I’m all for mixing things up, but I think the designer of this wonderful book forgot that size implies a hierarchy, and while the big swooshing line in the lower right might deserve accentuation, I wonder why the text on the top of the page is so much smaller? It was whispered in the story, but that isn’t consistent with the corresponding image. The problem of centering columns of text is seen in this 11 x 8-1/2 POD hardcover book. I used a red line to show the exhausting path the eye has to take to try to figure out where the next line starts. The margin between text and image (see #3) and the outside margins are also too small.
#3 Bad Image Margins (33%) / Visual contrast issues (19%)
Images need space, too: bleeds and the gutter safety zone around page edges and text; white space is breathing room.
Text-over-image or text inside an image should be handled with care. Rules of necessary visual contrast depend on type size and type shape (thicks and thins).
As described in #1, image-crowded text is as problematic as text-crowded margins. The key to spotting this is to view the text as an object, which is part of the page composition. Viewing thumbnails, or even squinting, actually helps you see the text as a shape, rather than reading the words. However, it is also essential to view the images, or discrete characters or objects within the images, as objects in their own right and determine if anything on the page is interacting in a way that is not intended. It can be subtle, but addressing these issues differentiates a clean layout from a sloppy one.
I’ve mentioned this book earlier, but the tight spacing between the images and the surrounding text is an example of an unintended—and unfortunate—interaction. The fact that the captions are centered, leaving extra space (good space!) exacerbates the issue.The issue of crowding the text can show up even when there is seemingly generous white space. All three text blocks are too close to their images (and to the gutter, in the case of the lower block on the right page). But the images have their own unintended interactions, too—the mother with the left page edge, the ballerina picture with the gutter, and even the blue shirt with the right page. Parting thought: In Part 1, I discussed visual alignment and the fact that things look better aligned if the punctuation actually extends into the margin a bit.Crowding and unintended interactions can sneak in anywhere. High contrast points near the edge of the page, the feather and the text, or between the words an the trees and buildings. How much space to leave depends on how much other space there is … in this case, more space between the words and objects should exist than between the lines of text.In this image, we see an unintended interaction between the words and the leaves inside the image. This book also shows problems of poor contrast (dark text on dark background) and centered blocks of text. Why make your reader work so hard?The interaction of text with the background—even this large 24-point white text—is problematic. As fun as it is to put text over an image, it must always be done with care. In this case, a coffee table book such as this might likely be read in low-light situations, making overlay-contrast issues even worse.Black text on a dark green textured background will be a challenge for most readers … and nearly impossible for the intended audience of kids (and grandparents). Ideally, the grass should have been much lighter in this area.
#4 Front Matter / Back Matter (structural) problems (19%)
Avoid excess line length on wide-format books and visual clutter.
Placement too prominent (especially in children’s books) or inconsistent with the remainder of the book.
Often neglected, especially in picture books, the front- and back matter are the bookends to your content. They contain the supporting information. They are the first and last things a reader likely sees, and second only to the cover, they inform the reader of “how this book is going to go.”
First things first. And placing the copyright page as the opening page of a book is always a no-no. Like any book, a children’s picture book should open with a title page on the right-hand side. Personally, I always design children’s books with the copyright page at the end of the book—figuring kids don’t care, so get it out of the way. That is a style choice. But we can all agree not to open with one.Unnecessary indents and line length actually discourage reading this text. Please appreciate that this book is 10 x 10, so the text on the left-hand page, set in 14/24, is 7-1/4 inches wide! It is a slog to read. But better than the bibliography set tight at 10/11, with a 128-character line that screams, “Don’t bother reading this, it isn’t worth the effort!”I mentioned this example before and how the text pushes the margins too close to the page edges for no reason, as there is plenty of space to work with on the page. Although this represents a good traditional sequencing of title page (p. 1), followed by the copyright page on the left and a dedication on the right, the shape of the copyright page is a problem. Contrast that with the following example.In this book, first look to the left at the lovely shape that is intentionally created by the envelope of the text. Despite the density of the PCIP data, none of the lines are too long, and the page offers a pleasing visual shape to open this 9 x 9 book. Unfortunately, the arrangement is somewhat unusual: this book begins with a half-title (as is common with text-heavy, small-format books discussed in Part 1), followed by the copyright page, then the full title page, and finally the story. Odd. The layout of this title page could also benefit from some improvement, particularly with the unnecessary vertical crowding caused by an oversized 36-point subtitle.The same 9 x 9 book of the previous example closes with this framed back matter. Framing was used effectively throughout the interior of the book, but here the 14/16 type feels crowded, and the line length makes it uninviting to read. The opening indents and the tight margin on the image caption in the lower-left are unfortunate mistakes as well, but ultimately, smaller (and possibly less) type and more white space are needed.
#5 Visual Clutter (14%)
Develop a rhythm in page layout for the reader, so they know where to expect to find the text; but mix it up with a few layout variations in longer books.
Too much stuff (and corresponding crowding) makes it difficult to follow/navigate the flow.
The design of a image-oriented book is a much heavier lift than a text-oriented book, because each page needs to be designed. Still, done well, there is an underlying structure there to help support the reader, bringing order to the chaos of colors and images. Even in a children’s picture book. For me, visual clutter is what happens when a book tries to cram too much into a page.
I’ve already talked about the crowding in this book. However, I also want to discuss the general haphazardness of the image placement—proof again that columns or a more structured page layout would have benefited this book. Another cluttering element is that every page features a background image. It has a subtle texture, and I concede it is an interesting effect when used occasionally (say, chapter openers). But here it is identical on every page. Or nearly identical: because the background bleeds to the page edges, we end up with what looks like a smudge across the edge—a problem worsened by the fact that there clearly was some slight drift in the printing of these pages, so through the course of the book, the smudge moves.I’ve shown images from this book before as well, and I don’t want to give the impression that I’m picking on it. It is a fantastic collection of information and ephemera about this old theater. Unfortunately, design decisions made this book feel more like rummaging through the old prop shop in the back of the theater. The first image shows a mix of bleeds and tight margins, overlapping imagery, and crowded captions. The second example presents a nice chronology, but the years are unnecessarily large at 34-point, and they become disassociated from the corresponding text due to the unfortunate choice of centering. On the right page, this dark caption block overwhelms and crowds the visuals. In this trio of clutter, we see the contrast between balanced pages on one side, with crowded pages on the other. Missed alignment opportunities, centered text that makes reading difficult, and too much in too little space. In all three examples, it appears each page was designed separately, without considering the overall effect of the two-page spread.
I want to mention alignment, which in design we call the grid. Non-designers imagine that designers love of the grid is about control or a particular style or aesthetic. Quite the contrary, like most ”rules” of visual design, the align of keeping things close to alignment in alignment is because that is how our mind-eye visual system works. Alignment is harmonious. Misalignment represents disruption.
Said another way, if two visual elements are close to being aligned, then just help the reader out and go ahead and align them. If they aren’t, or they aren’t supposed to be aligned, then make sure they really aren’t, by moving them further out of alignment.
This is the same visual principle that underlies my concern about things that are too close to the page edge, or text too close to an image or object edge. Mentally, we group and collect things that are close to each other. It is all part of the gestalt principles of visual composition.
#6 Inconsistent Visuals (14%)
Make sure the image/illustration line of vision leads into the story, not out of it.
Images (photos, especially) should be color-balanced. Harmonize if using multiple sources.
Eliminate poor quality art, low resolution, or obviously/distractingly articial elements.
Maps, illustrations, diagrams (and the text they contain) need to be tailored to the size they will appear in the book, with fonts and sizing consistent with the other text of the book.
Always label your axes in graphs! And generally don’t suppress the zero point without visual indication.
This final category is a catch-all of visual fine-tuning that truly differentiates a ”meh” book from a well-crafted masterpiece. It is also one of the areas in book building that can consume the most time, with the seemingly smallest reward. I urge you to reconsider the inclination to settle for “good enough.” If a book includes a chart, map, or other informational graphic, then make that image count. Including photographs from multiple sources, then take the time to make sure they look like a consistent, coherent set.
AI? With how this field is changing rapidly, it can be hard to tell. And using AI art, like stock art, is not necessarily a bad thing. But regardless of how an image is created, when you have obvious artifacts—the strange melting pie topping, the woman’s hand—that no illustrator would have drawn, then it is time to go in and fix the images. As an additional point, in the final image of this example, the boys hand should not have crossed the gutter—we prefer not to cut limbs off at page edges or the gutter break.A pair of unrelated examples of visual inconsistency. In the case of the ”About” pages, aside of the problems mentioned previously, it would have been more consistent if the photos were framed similarly. In the second example, the visual ”moon” circle wanders around, across several pages its position is approximately the same, but the close proximity to the framing circle shows its placement to be random. Are either of these deal breakers? Certainly no. But could they have been a little more polished? Certainly yes.Line of sight is an interesting problem. In the first two examples, the characters look to the right—to the next page, in the case of the raven, and beyond the end of the story to the end sheet, in the case of the dinosaurs. Both of these encourage the reader to move forward, but perhaps not in the way intended, away from the story. By contrast, in the third example, it is very clear who is speaking in this text, as all the smaller dinosaurs on the right (even the stuffed animal) are looking toward the prominent orange dinosaur on the left. Well done.
Space, alignment, consistency … these are the foundations to good book design, the kind that lets the content shine in the best possible light. In all of these examples, a little more work could elevate these books from good to great.
Adding visuals to a book can elevate the message and story, but only so long as the layout doesn’t detract from the polished appearance. As a professional designer, I begin every illustrated or large-format book with a solid foundation of typography, then take things further—bringing in hierarchy, voice, and aesthetic nuance to enhance the visual storytelling even further.Learn more about Paul and Illustrada Design.
