Repetition

The **Principle of Repetition** states, "**Repeat some aspect of the design throughout the entire piece**." The repetitive element may be a bold font, a thick rule (line), a certain bullet, color, design element, particular format, the spatial relationships, etc. It can be anything that a reader will visually recognize.

In the examples below, which one catches your attention, and visually tells your eyes where to land? **The repetition on the bold type ties the card on the left together.**


 * [[image:rep1.jpg]] || [[image:rep2.jpg]] ||

You already use repetition in your work. - -When you make headlines all the same size and weight, - -when you add a page number a half-inch from the bottom of each page, - -when you use the same bullet in each list throughout the project **- these are all examples of repetition. What beginners often need to do is push this idea further - turn that inconspicuous repetition into a visual key that ties the publication together.** Repetition can be thought of as **consistency**: As you look through a sixteen-page newsletter, it is the repetition of certain elements, their consistency, that makes each of those eight pages appear to belong to the same newsletter. If page 7 has no repetitive elements carried over from page 4, then the entire newsletter loses its cohesive look and feel. **Repetition goes beyond just being naturally consistent - it is a conscious effort to unify all parts of a design.**

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