The good news is they still maintain a books page ; )
I know a 5-column format is tough to design around, but sticking with a 6-column format on those narrow 12-inch pages makes for some mightly narrow columns (4 or 5 word lines not at all uncommon). Doesn't that slow reading?
The Globe and Mail stuck with a 6-column format, too, and it creates similarly mini-sized columns. Perhaps that is why the G&M uses so many thick horizontal rules - to visually offset the strong vertical emphasis.
Back to Fort Worth:
The color pages look pretty, but the inside pages are quite gray. Curious that the Daily Ticket page has 4c for the colunmist's head shot but uses no other color on the page.
And what does anyone else think about the big heads stuck in the middle of the page (Daily Ticket, Main Street)?
Overall, it has a nice visual appeal, with a lot of graphics. This is another paper it would be sueful to revisit in a month or so to see if the emphasis on visuals lasts.

Looks like the previous incarnation of the Arizona Daily Star. Sigh. Oh McClatchy.

Hmmm. Maybe I'll get used to it, and perhaps I am in the minority ... but I really like the previous design better -- especially Sports.

Any response from readers?

"Looks like the previous incarnation of the Arizona Daily Star." Really? It does? Maybe if you squint ...

"Any response from readers?" There's a link above Josh.

Not a fan of the "Freight" fonts and I thought the previous design's serif headline font was always excellent.

Lots of chunkified stories, though!

Did I say previous? MY bad. I mean the current one, including that horrible new font they use (swift, I believe), which should've gone the way of the Swatch and Guess jeans.

I agree.. the pdf is great! BUT.. when you pick that MONSTER up.. its the same old Star-Telegram (faded & out of registration).

Off registration is the problem of the printer, right?

Looks fairly nice. The (May 6) Sunday edition has a lot of tightly written story starts, albeit in odd grids, that offer a lot of information in a tiny, tiny space.

It also had a "You responded; we adjusted" story, with some info about the printing problems:

"Although the overwhelming majority of readers felt that the new typefaces make the paper much easier to read, we're looking at increasing the size of the type in some instances -- mainly the type on a color background. Part of the problem has been technical: We've been converting our presses to handle the new page size, and for the first week our production crews had to handle two different page sizes, causing inconsistent inking of the press. That problem should clear up noticeably in the next few weeks."

A1 also sounds like it's due for a change. Wonder what that means specifically...

All I would change is the masthead to an Old English Blackletter style. Everything else is fine.

(As always, we miss you, Mark! Everything okay?)

If the reader's time is so valuable, why is the reader's guide four pages instead of one?

Section names don't always need to be cute. "Sports" is clearer than "Daily Ticket." It also betrays an urban bias -- that sports are things you buy tickets for (fishing, hunting and high school soccer need not apply, apparently).

I wish redesign postings included views of inside pages. Section fronts are pretty, but newspapers aren't effective if readers don't continue inside. If they don't like those pages, the redesign isn't fully successful.

Barbara
There is a plethora of inside pages shown here. In fact, the Daily Ticket page of which you speak is just one example. There's also Books, Critics' Calendar, Your Escape, Loose Change, Live!, Main Street and the U.S. & World pages. Though, I'm sure the folks down in Texas are flattered that you thought these were all section fronts; makes your point about inside pages needing to be as engaging as main pages.

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