Narrower format, cleaner look newspaper will debut Monday

To our readers:

Today’s paper is the last large-format edition of The Spokesman-Review. Beginning tomorrow, the newspaper will be produced in a 50-inch-wide format instead of the current 55 (for a double-page spread). The new size is easier to handle and has become the standard for daily newspapers in the United States.

The smaller size means a completely new design for the paper, including new typefaces and fonts. The new faces, custom-built for The Spokesman-Review, should make the paper far more readable.

While the size and look will be different, the content remains largely unchanged. Familiar bylines and features remain, though a few have moved to new locations. And there are a few additions. We’ve renamed two of our sections. InLife becomes Today. And the Region section becomes Northwest.

A more complete explanation of the changes can be found inside today’s newspaper on Pages A6 and B7.

Reader comments are welcome. E-mail editorforum@spokesman.com. Or call (509) 744-5650 and leave a message.

Steven A. Smith, Editor