Widow in newspaper production refers to
(A) Isolated word
(B) Useless headline
(C) Bad break
(D) Tie-break
Correct Ans: (A)
Explanation:
In newspaper production, a widow is an isolated word or short phrase that appears at the end of a paragraph or column, separated from the main text. This typographic issue disrupts readability and creates visual imbalance. Therefore, designers and editors aim to eliminate widows to maintain a clean layout.
Moreover, widows make printed text look awkward and unpolished. They often appear due to poor text alignment, improper spacing, or automatic text wrapping. Consequently, they can distract readers and reduce the article’s professional appeal.
In addition, widows differ from orphans, which are single lines left at the beginning of a new column or page. While both are considered bad breaks, widows are particularly disruptive in narrow columns and justified text layouts. As a result, layout editors use various formatting techniques to remove them.
Furthermore, newspapers and magazines use manual line adjustments, hyphenation, and spacing tweaks to avoid widows. By doing so, they enhance visual flow and readability. Therefore, attention to such details improves the overall design of print media.
To conclude, a widow in newspaper production is an isolated word or phrase at the end of a paragraph, disrupting text flow. Editors work to eliminate widows through formatting adjustments, ensuring better readability. Therefore, mastering typography principles is essential for professional publishing.
