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Newspaper Specifications

Welcome to the new Globe and Mail newspaper specifications. Here, you’ll find complete information to help build, prepare and upload your advertising for our Redesigned newspaper.

Newspaper Advertising Specifications

Need creative inspiration?

Check our ad formats gallery for high-impact page layout ideas.

Ready to begin? Let’s go!

Please make sure you read our most frequently asked questions section, designed to give you the most essential information our clients need, before you begin.

Once you’ve read all of this, and if you’re still scratching your head, reach out and let’s chat!

Build your advertising

Ready to build great ads? Here are the sizing details for preparing your creative to match our newspaper page dimensions.

Newspaper Broadsheet size

ColumnsWidth (mm)Width (inches)
243 mm1.69"
489.25 mm3.51"
6135.5 mm5.33"
8181.75 mm7.15"
10228 mm8.97"

Classified Pages

ColumnsWidth (mm)Width (inches)
143 mm1.69"
289.25 mm3.51"
3135.5 mm5.33"
4181.75 mm7.15"
5228 mm8.97"

Quick Size Conversions

INCHES TO MMINCHES X 25.4
MM TO INCHESMM ÷ 25.4
AGATES TO INCHESAGATES ÷ 14
INCHES TO AGATESINCHES X 14

Standard ad sizes

Col x AgatesAd TypeInchesMM
21 x 280FP DPS18.97” x 20.00”481.84 x 508
10 x 280FP8.97” x 20.00”228 x 508
10 x 2103/4 Page8.97” x 15.00”228 x 381
10 x 1872/3Page8.97” x 13.36”228 x 339.34
10 x 163Pg Dom 18.97” x 11.64”228 x 295.66
10 x 1401/2 Page8.97” x 10.00”228 x 254
10 x 1172/5 Page8.97” x 8.36”228 x 212.34
10 x 931/3 Page8.97” x 6.64”228 x 168.66
10 x 701/4 Page8.97” x 5.00”228 x 127
10 x 471/6 Page8.97” x 3.36”228 x 85.34
8 x 210Pg Dom 27.15” x 15.00”181.75 x 381
8 x 187Pg Dom 37.15” x 13.36”181.75 x 339.34
8 x 163Pg Dom 47.15” x 11.64”181.75 x 295.66
8 x 140Pg Dom 57.15” x 10.00”181.75 x 254
6 x 210Pg Dom 65.33” x 15.00”135.5 x 381
6 x 1872/5Page5.33” x 13.36”135.5 x 339.34
6 x 1631/3 Page5.33” x 11.64”135.5 x 295.66
6 x 1405.33” x 10.00”135.5 x 254
6 x 1285.33” x 9.14”135.5 x 232.16
6 x 1171/4 Page5.33” x 8.36”135.5 x 212.34
6 x 1055.33” x 7.50”135.5 x 190.5
6 x 931/5 Page5.33” x 6.64”135.5 x 168.66
6 x 821/6 Page5.33” x 5.86”135.5 x 148.84
6 x 705.33” x 5.00”135.5 x 127
6 x 581/8 Page5.33” x 4.14”135.5 x 105.16
6 x 471/10 Page5.33” x 3.36”135.5 x 85.34
6 x 351/13 5.33” x 2.50”135.5 x 63.5
4 x 1401/5 Page3.51” x 10.00”89.25 x 254
4 x 1283.51” x 9.14”89.25 x 232.16
4 x 1171/6 Page3.51” x 8.36”89.25 x 212.34
4 x 1053.51” x 7.50”89.25 x 190.5
4 x 933.51” x 6.64”89.25 x 168.66
4 x 823.51” x 5.86”89.25 x 148.84
4 x 701/10 Page3.51” x 5.00”89.25 x 127
4 x 581/12 Page3.51” x 4.14”89.25 x 105.16
4 x 471/15Page3.51” x 3.36”89.25 x 85.34
4 x 351/20 Page3.51” x 2.50”89.25 x 63.5
2 x 351/35 Page1.69” x 2.50”43 x 63.5

Premium Paper Pages - Saturday only

News & ROB:Front Page, Page 2, Page before DPS, DPS, Page after DPS, IBC & OBC
Sports, Opinion & Arts:Front Page, Page 2, IBC & OBC
Pursuits:Front Page, Page 2, Page before DPS, DPS, Page after DPS, IBC & OBC plus additional 4 pages within section

Pursuits Section Sizes - National only

Col x AgatesAd TypeInches
10 x 280Full Page8.97” x 20.00"
10 x 1401/2 Page8.97” x 10.00"
10 x 931/3 Page8.97” x 6.64"
10 x 701/4 Page8.97” x 5.00"
10 x 471/6 Page8.97” x 3.36"
6 x 1171/4 Page5.33” x 8.36"
6 x 931/5 Page5.33” x 6.64"
6 x 581/8 Page5.33” x 4.14”
4 x 1171/6 Page3.51” x 8.36"
4 x 933.51” x 6.64"
Additional Pursuits Ad Sizes Travel advertisers only.
2 x 351.69” x 2.50”
4 x 351/20 Page3.51” x 2.50”
4 x 471/15 Page3.51” x 3.36”
4 x 581/12 Page3.51” x 4.14”
4 x 701/10 Page3.51” x 5.00”
4 x 933.51” x 6.64”

Position Specific Ad Sizes

Col x AgatesAd TypeInches
3 1⁄3 x 92Page 2 News (A2) Sat. only2.9” x 6.58”
3 1⁄3 x 200Page 2 Full-depth News (A2) M to F 2.9” x 20”
10 x 44Front Pg Banners Excl. Drive & R.E.8.97” x 3.14”
10 x 100Front Pg Banners Drive & Real Estate8.97” x 7.14”

Career Ads

  • Career ads do not follow ad formats, but must be even column width
  • Minimum of 100 total lines
  • Anything over 228 lines deep must run full depth

Appointment Notices

  • Must be even column widths
  • Picture must be colour, minimum 300 dpi Creative freedom @ 350 lines

Preparing your advertising

Beautiful ads, ready to go? Please follow our production requirements and checklist to make sure your creative will look its best in our newspaper.

Production specifications

Dot gainMidtone gain, 26%

  • Refer to the chart below for the approximate dot gain in various dot percentages, based on ISO specifications.
  • This chart should be used as a guide for the necessary adjustments of images, for newspaper reproduction.
  • When creating text and tints, the dot gain of the given dot percentage should also be considered, please refer to the Dot Gain Guide, directly below.
  • For instructional PDFs on dot gain and how to adjust images, please refer to our Deliver section, below.
  • To adjust a colour image >240%, download The Globe’s ICC colour profile, also from Deliver.
  • To adjust black and white images, download The Guide to Correcting Greyscale Images, also from Deliver.

Dot gain guide (based on 26% midtone gain)

DOT PERCENTAGEAMOUNT DOT WILL GAIN BYPRINTED DOT SIZE
10%+11%21%
20%+19%39%
30%+24%54%
40%+26%66%
50%+26%76%
60%+24%84%
70%+20%90%
80%+14%94%
90%+7%97%

Front News section: Page A1 standard ad format

  • Our Newspaper is printed on a combination of Coldset and Heatset/UV

Colour Mode:

  • CMYK (colour)
  • Grayscale (B/W)

Note: Ads not supplied in the appropriate colour mode will be converted without notification
e.g. RGB to CMYK

*** The Globe and Mail is not responsible for any colour shift in colour or grayscale. ***

Total ink density: 240%

If total ink density is over 240%, The Globe will profile the ad without notification.

Output Preview Simulation Profile setting: U. S. Sheetfeed Coated V2

Dot Gain: 26% midtone

Resolution:

  • Image above 266 DPI
  • Colour Grayscale line art 2400 DPI

Text:

  • Colour text should be above 24 point.
  • Knockout text: Serif above 14 points. Sans Serif above 12 points
  • Please note: any supplied creative with fonts outside of these specifications, may not reproduce to the highest possible quality – and we cannot guarantee clarity during reproduction.

Ad Layout:

  • Ad size- 100% of booking size.

No Bleed allowance

  • No Trapping, Choke or Spreads

Reproduction of dot size:
Max Dot: 93% (above and will fill in to 100%)
Minimum: 3% (under may blow out during the run)

Minimum line thickness: 0.5pts
Minimum colour line thickness: 2pt

Printing details

Print locations

The Globe prints on coldset web offset presses and heatset/uv web presses, at five print sites across Canada – Vancouver, Calgary, Estevan, Vaughan and Montreal.

Plate production

We produce our newspaper with a completely film-less workflow, using computer-to-plate (CTP) technology at all of our print sites. All production lines are calibrated to compensate for a 26% dot gain.

Printing in sections

On occasion, the amount of newspaper advertising exceeds our section limitations, and we may need your source your creative material a little earlier in the process. If this happens, your Globe representative will notify the booking agency of the new material submission date, to ensure adequate time for the submission of artwork.

Final checklist

Ad layout

The Ad has been created to 100% of the final booking size, with No trim or bleed allowance.
No trapping (chokes and spreads) has been applied.
The Border of the ad is within the live ad area.

Ad specifications

Colour Modes: For colour ads, all ad elements (text, tints, images, logos etc.) have been created using CMYK only. For black and white ads, all ad elements have been created as black and white only or in grayscale colour mode. SPOT or RGB colour must be converted to the equivalent CMYK or BLACK only value.
Total ink Density: All elements within the ad/text, lines images, logos and tints have been created with a maximum ink density of 240%.
Image Resolution: Colour and Grayscale bitmap images are 266 DPI or higher. Monochrome images (Graphics/Line Art) are 2400 DPI.
Black/Colour Text Specification: All Black text has been created as 100% Black only and set to overprint. Four colour black is not recommended, all coloured text should not be any smaller then 24 points.

  • Please note: any supplied creative with fonts outside of these specifications, may not reproduce to the highest possible quality – and we cannot guarantee clarity during reproduction.

Knockout text: Sans Serif fonts should be a minimum of 12 points. Serif fonts should not be any smaller then 14 points.

  • Please note: any supplied creative with fonts outside of these specifications, may not reproduce to the highest possible quality – and we cannot guarantee clarity during reproduction.

Gray Text/Tint/Logo/Line Elements: All gray elements have been created using a percentage of Black Only, 4 colour gray is not recommended.
Black Tint/Logo/Line Elements: All black tints, logos and line elements have been created as black only and set to Overprint. 4 colour black text is not recommended.
Line Elements: All line elements have been created with a minimum thickness of 0.5 points.

Doubletruck: For quality reproduction it is recommended that text and vital images be kept outside of the centre gutter space. To allot for this, 1.03 inch of space should be left free in the center of the ad.

Material submission

The file has been created to The Globe and Mail specifications and will be submitted to a minimum resolution of 266 DPI in PDF format, with fonts embedded in CMYK or Grayscale colour mode.
Files not submitted as a PDF have been collected and compressed into a single archived file such as .ZIP or .SIT including all images and fonts.

Deliver your creative materials

You’re just moments away from an intense feeling of satisfaction.

Read our instructions for uploading your advertising material and submit completed ads via your favourite FTP client, or The Globe’s AdForward system.

Get ready to upload ads

Colour Setting Downloads

Download our ICC Profile to profile your colour images and convert them to the best CMYK profile for newspaper printing.

Download Adobe Acrobat Distiller Job Options to load directly into version 4, 5 and 6 software.

The Globe ICC Profile Acrobat Distiller settings


Uploading Instructions

Here are instructions for submitting ads to The Globe and Mail:
You can use the AdForward panel on the right or we are able to retrieve your material from any common file sharing/hosting services (i.e your FTP site, drop box, Google drive. etc…).

Using the Globe’s AdForward system Go to AdForward now
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