How to Design like a S.A.I.N.T.

Once you decide on content, the task of designing your own bulletins can be daunting. We've compiled some basic design principles into the acronym S.A.I.N.T. to give you a simple set of tips to keep in mind.

• Simplicity – Less truly is more! Keep text concise and decoration minimal, so that your message can be as clear as possible
• Absolutes – Contrast is one of the primary principles of design. Including a mix of big and small text, light and dark colors, thin and thick shapes, and so on will guide the readers’ eyes through the different sections
• Importance – Decide what you want readers to notice first, then second, then third, and so forth. Use the types of contrast in the previous point to create a visual hierarchy that makes it obvious where viewers should be looking
• Neatness – Break information into bite-size sections and group related sections together. Use margins and a simple grid to make sure everything is organized and lined up consistently
• Type & Images – Keep text size and font the same across paragraphs and headlines, and try to stick to 1-2 fonts. When incorporating an image, be aware that it will draw a lot of attention, so make sure to choose a clear, quality image that matches the message they are representing

Frequently Asked Questions

• Can I change the text on these templates to fit my church?
  All of the text is editable using Microsoft Word.
• What software do I need to use these templates?
  You don't need any sort of professional design software to use our free bulletin templates, but you will need access to Microsoft Word.
• What sort of content should I include in my bulletins?
  We recommend the S.A.I.N.T. approach to filling out your bulletins (Simplicity, Absolutes, Importance, Neatness, Type & Images). We also recommend using simple, consistent, and easy-to-read font styles and sizes (use only 2-4 throughout the document.
• Do these templates work with all bulletins?
  Our templates work with all of the bulletins that we sell. Note: Make sure you use 11" templates for 11" bulletins and 14" templates for 14" bulletins.