top of page
Open Book
Quarto Creative’s publishing expertise has been honed by more than twenty-five years of near-constant magazine production. Reap the benefits of that experience with these time-tested tips.



Types of Type: Using Typography to Support Your Brand
What’s the advantage of serif typography? With any well-designed typeface, it should come down to a question of style.

Scott Oldham
Mar 113 min read


Production Workflow Hell: Why Your Magazine Team Is Burned Out (And How to Fix It)
Production dysfunction isn't a personality problem or a staffing problem. It's a systems problem. And systems problems have systems solutions, if you can first see clearly what's broken and why.

Scott Oldham
Feb 174 min read


When Good Content Fails: Layout Mistakes That Kill Reader Engagement
The design leads your readers both into and through your magazine. A feature article is an investment but it’s also a gamble. The layout determines whether you reap the returns.

Scott Oldham
Jan 234 min read


Beyond Pretty: How Design Decisions Drive Measurable ROI
Every element on a magazine page either facilitates or frustrates a specific reader action. Here are the design decisions that matter most:

Scott Oldham
Jan 154 min read


The 2-Year Redesign Rule: Why Your Magazine Can’t Stay Static
The two-year mark is where reader perception shifts from “consistent” to “stale.” It’s not arbitrary; it’s based on how quickly design trends, reading habits, and competitive publications evolve.

Scott Oldham
Jan 94 min read


The Don’ts of Hyphenation
If you’re using rag text in your magazine layout, be sure to take the following steps to minimize disruptions to the reader’s progress.

Scott Oldham
Oct 17, 20252 min read


Designing for Reading Styles
Magazine publishers must grapple with three distinct reading styles.

Scott Oldham
Sep 17, 20252 min read


Department Branding
Departments form the backbone of any strong magazine. These are the signposts that readers will return to, issue after issue.

Scott Oldham
Aug 18, 20252 min read


Have Your Hed Examined
Why is it called a “headline?”

Scott Oldham
Jul 30, 20252 min read


Pacing Matters
Pacing matters in magazine publishing. We talk a lot about pacing in magazine publishing, but what do we really mean by it? As a publisher, one of your responsibilities is to prioritize your content for your readers. What do you want them to read first? What’s the most important information that they should remember after reading your magazine? How can you entice them to return, issue after issue? Directing them through your publication provides the answers. While few readers

Scott Oldham
Jul 1, 20252 min read
bottom of page