Lumina

Manuals / Graphic Design / Ch 7

C · Grid & LayoutIntermediate50 min read

7. Grids, spacing & rhythm

Graphic Design · 52 pages source format

Invisible grids and consistent spacing beat decoration. Learn column grids, margins, gutters, and 8pt spacing systems that scale from poster to social to print.

What you'll learn

  • Column grids
  • Margins & gutters
  • 8pt spacing
  • Baseline rhythm lite

Lay a 12-column grid

Margins define safe zone. Columns + gutters align content. Most marketing layouts use 4, 6, or 12 columns.

Do this now

Rebuild your poster on a 12-column grid in Figma. Snap text and images to columns.

Clear?

8pt spacing system

Use multiples of 4 or 8 for padding and gaps: 8, 16, 24, 32, 48, 64. Random 13px gaps look accidental.

Spacing scale:
4  — hairline gaps
8  — tight
16 — default padding
24 — section gap
32 — major section
48 — hero breathing room

Do this now

Audit spacing on your poster. Replace odd values with 8pt multiples.

Clear?

Responsive thinking (print + social)

Same grid logic applies to IG story (9:16) and poster (A3). Reflow, do not squash.

Do this now

Duplicate poster to 1080×1920 story format. Reflow using same grid logic.

Clear?

Checklist