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Course 134 · Create course 14

Design a Clear Two-Page Newsletter

Use editorial hierarchy, text styles, columns and careful export to make a small publication from supplied copy.

Before you start

Install free LibreOffice Writer on a supported desktop. No paid fonts, printer, account or real event is needed. Setup/video time is additional.

See everything you’ll need

Practice materials and a worked example · Free download. Download the starter pack

What you’ll leave with

A two-page fictional newsletter with reusable styles, a checked PDF, editable source and correction log.

Start course Start without an account. Sign in to save lesson progress across devices.

Your project

Start with the practice files. Build your project one lesson at a time.

Practice files are free without an account. Sign in to save your project record in My Proof: a description, checklist, and optional work link. Keep the original files in your own app or notebook; saving a project record does not upload them.

  1. Get your materialsDownload practice filesStart with the supplied materials, follow the lessons, and compare your work with the annotated example.
  2. Make your projectView the project checklist Work in your own notebook, document, or software. Use the supplied practice examples when you prefer.
  3. Keep a private recordSave a project record Sign in to save a description and checklist, then return to update them.
Optional course overview

Watch an introduction.

This overview from Spoken-Tutorial IIT Bombay introduces ideas you’ll practice in the lessons.

Watch directly on YouTube
Spoken-Tutorial IIT BombayCreating Newsletters-EnglishYouTube
Course handbook

Know the route before you begin.

Here’s what you’ll need and what you’ll make. You can return to this guide during any lesson.

Who this is for

Learners ages 14+ who want practical creative and technical skills.

Prepare before lesson one
  • Install free LibreOffice Writer on a supported desktop. No paid fonts, printer, account or real event is needed. Setup/video time is additional.
  • Be comfortable editing paragraphs and saving files. The complete original copy is supplied.
Your final project

Finish with proof you can use.

A two-page fictional newsletter with reusable styles, a checked PDF, editable source and correction log.

Save a project record in My Proof
See project checklist and review criteria

Keep your working files in your own notebook or software. Save a private description, checklist, and work link in My Proof.

What to include

  • Six supplied sections arranged across two pages with visible fictional status.
  • Reusable title, heading and body styles.
  • Two-column section, aligned details table and automatic page numbers.
  • A content/layout proof and correction log.
  • ODT source, a checked two-page PDF and plain-text copy.

Review and revise

Use these criteria to check your work and choose what to improve.

  • Readers can identify the title, sections and event details.
  • Layout uses styles, sections and page controls consistently.
  • Facts agree with the supplied brief.
  • The exported PDF is readable and agrees with the source.
Three ideas to help you along the way
Three useful ideas

The rules behind the steps.

01

Make hierarchy visible

Separate title, section headings and body copy.

02

Use structural controls

Styles, sections and breaks make revisions predictable.

03

Check the export

Proof the file readers receive, not only the editor view.

What do these words mean?
Key words

Key terms worth knowing.

Paragraph style
A named set of text and spacing rules.
Page style
Rules for paper size, margins, headers and footers.
Section
A document region that can have its own column layout.
Gutter
The space between columns.
Tagged PDF
A PDF carrying structural information for assistive reading tools.
Your route

6 lessons.
One useful project.

Work in order the first time. Each lesson makes something the next lesson can use.

  1. 1
    Up next

    Plan an issue people can scan

    Turn supplied copy into a two-page content map.

  2. 2
    36 min

    Build reusable text styles

    Apply consistent title, heading and body formats.

  3. 3
    36 min

    Arrange pages and columns

    Create a stable two-page layout with real page and section controls.

  4. 4
    36 min

    Add navigation without clutter

    Make details and page order easy to locate.

  5. 5
    36 min

    Proof content and layout separately

    Find a planted inconsistency and inspect the final pages.

  6. 6
    36 min

    Export a readable publication

    Make and inspect a PDF while retaining the source.

Use the tools

Tools to help you practice.

See all tools
ZIP · practice files

Design a Clear Two-Page Newsletter practice files

Start with the supplied materials, follow the lessons, and compare your work with the annotated example.

Text worksheet

Your course project worksheet

A downloadable text worksheet with each lesson’s working output, space for your answers, and the shared final-project checklist. Save your own copy.

Source transparency

Sources and further study.

Explore the references behind the lessons and take your learning further. Source notes explain access and reuse.

LibreOffice: Creating and Applying Page Styles
Source & access notes · checked 2026-09-12

Read substantive page text and examples.

Access: Public reading without a paid account; reviewed September 12, 2026.

Reuse: Link only. Lessons and practice assets are original; free access does not grant permission to copy the provider's material.

LibreOffice: Creating New Styles From Selections
Source & access notes · checked 2026-09-12

Read substantive page text and examples.

Access: Public reading without a paid account; reviewed September 12, 2026.

Reuse: Link only. Lessons and practice assets are original; free access does not grant permission to copy the provider's material.

LibreOffice: Columns
Source & access notes · checked 2026-09-12

Read substantive page text and examples.

Access: Public reading without a paid account; reviewed September 12, 2026.

Reuse: Link only. Lessons and practice assets are original; free access does not grant permission to copy the provider's material.

LibreOffice: PDF Export General
Source & access notes · checked 2026-09-12

Read substantive page text and examples.

Access: Public reading without a paid account; reviewed September 12, 2026.

Reuse: Link only. Lessons and practice assets are original; free access does not grant permission to copy the provider's material.

LibreOffice Licenses
Source & access notes · checked 2026-09-12

Read official free-software/MPL2.0 statement.

Access: Public reading without a paid account; reviewed September 12, 2026.

Reuse: Software is free under stated licenses; official Help text states MPL2.0. Link only; original newsletter copy supplied.

Ready when you are

Start with the first useful move.

You’ll always know what to do, what to make, and where to go next.

Start lesson one