The Story Is Ready. But the Printer Needs More Than Just Words.
Last chapter, you learned AP Style basics.
Numbers, dates, time, titles, names, quotes, organizations — you now know the rules that keep every news story consistent and professional.
That's a lot of knowledge in your editorial toolkit.
But here's something a lot of beginners don't know.
A finished news story isn't just words on a page.
Before it goes to the printer — or to the layout team — it needs two very important things attached to it.
The first thing is a slugline — a short header that identifies the story before it's published.
The second thing is a printer's direction — specific instructions that tell the layout artist exactly how the headline should look on the printed page.
Without these two things, the layout team has no idea what to do with your story. And a copyreader who doesn't know sluglines and printer's directions? That's a copyreader who isn't ready for the real newsroom — or for the NSPC.
Let's fix that right now.
Part 1: The Slugline
A slugline is a short identification header placed at the top of a news manuscript — meaning a written news story — that tells editors and layout artists key information about the article before they read it.
Think of the slugline as the story's ID card. Just like your school ID tells people your name, grade level, and school — a slugline tells editors the publication name, type of article, topic, date, and who wrote it. Every manuscript needs one.
The Four Parts of a Slugline
Examples: Mabuhay Express, The Campus Voice
| Balita | News story |
| Editoryal | Editorial |
| Lathalain | Feature |
Examples: School canteen fire, Baha sa Marikina
Format: Month/Day/Year + Initials (e.g., 3/27/23 MT)
Here is what a complete slugline looks like on a manuscript page:
Mabuhay Express - (Line 1: Publication Name)
Lathalain - (Line 2: Article Type)
Baha sa Marikina - (Line 3: Key Words)
5/10/26 JMR - (Line 4: Date & Initials)
Part 2: Printer's Directions for Headlines
Before a headline is printed, the layout artist needs to know exactly what size and column layout to use. To provide those instructions correctly, you must first calculate the unit counts of your headline.
Unit counts — also called character counts — are a way of measuring how long a headline is, based on the width of each letter, space, and punctuation mark. Not all letters take up the exact same space. A capital "B" is wider than a lowercase "i". Unit counts assign a specific value to each character.
| Character Type | Unit Count Value |
|---|---|
| Uppercase / Capital letter | 2 units |
| Lowercase letter | 1 unit |
| Space between words | ½ unit (0.5) |
| Punctuation mark (comma, period, apostrophe) | ½ unit (0.5) |
| Number (0–9) | 1 unit |
How to Count Unit Counts — Step by Step
Let's practice together with this headline: Bulkang Mayon, ibinaba na sa Alert Level 1
- • Bulkang: B(2) + u(1) + l(1) + k(1) + a(1) + n(1) + g(1) = 8
- • Space after word: = 0.5
- • Mayon: M(2) + a(1) + y(1) + o(1) + n(1) = 6
- • Comma + Space after word: 0.5 (comma) + 0.5 (space) = 1.0
- • ibinaba: i(1) + b(1) + i(1) + n(1) + a(1) + b(1) + a(1) = 7
- • Space: 0.5 | na: n(1) + a(1) = 2 | Space: 0.5 | sa: s(1) + a(1) = 2 | Space: 0.5
- • Alert: A(2) + l(1) + e(1) + r(1) + t(1) = 6
- • Space: 0.5
- • Level: L(2) + e(1) + v(1) + e(1) + l(1) = 6
- • Space: 0.5 | Number 1: = 1.0
Total: 8 + 0.5 + 6 + 1.0 + 7 + 0.5 + 2 + 0.5 + 2 + 0.5 + 6 + 0.5 + 6 + 0.5 + 1.0 = 42 unit counts (uc)
The Headline Schedule Guide
Once you have your total unit count, you check the schedule guide to find which font size and column combination it fits in. Your unit count must be equal to or less than the number in the table.
| Font Size | 1 col. | 2 col. | 3 col. | 4 col. | 5 col. | 6 col. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 pt. | 16 | 33 | - | - | - | - |
| 24 pt. | 13 | 27 | 40 | - | - | - |
| 30 pt. | 10.5 | 21.5 | 32 | 43 | - | - |
| 36 pt. | 9 | 18.5 | 28 | 38 | 47.5 | - |
| 42 pt. | 7.5 | 15.5 | 23.5 | 32 | 40 | 48 |
| 48 pt. | - | 13.5 | 20.5 | 28 | 35 | 42.5 |
| 54 pt. | - | 12 | 18 | 24.5 | 30.5 | 37 |
| 60 pt. | - | - | 16 | 21.5 | 27.5 | 33 |
| 72 pt. | - | - | 14 | 18.5 | 23 | 28 |
Applying the Guide to Our Example (42 uc):
- • 30 pt., 4 col. → Max capacity is 43 uc. Does 42 fit? Yes!
- • 36 pt., 5 col. → Max capacity is 47.5 uc. Does 42 fit? Yes!
- • 42 pt., 6 col. → Max capacity is 48 uc. Does 42 fit? Yes!
- • 36 pt., 4 col. → Max capacity is 38 uc. Does 42 fit? No — 42 goes over the limit!
Quick Recap: What You Just Learned
| Concept | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Slugline | A four-part ID header placed at the top of a news manuscript to identify the story. |
| Article Types | Categories of stories (Balita - news, Editoryal - editorial, Lathalain - feature). |
| Unit Counts | A method of measuring a headline's physical width based on character sizes. |
| Schedule Guide | The layout table displaying maximum unit counts allowed for various sizes and columns. |
Fill in the Blank: Layout Basics
Complete each sentence using the correct word: slugline, key words, 2, 0.5, or Headline Schedule Guide. Type your answer and click show answer to verify.
✏️ Practice Time
Practice writing sluglines, counting headline units, and using the Headline Schedule Guide.
Decode and CountAnswer questions about a sample slugline and calculate unit counts.
Mabuhay Express
Lathalain
Baha sa Marikina
5/10/26 JMR
Write a Complete SluglineDraft standard sluglines based on the scenarios provided.
Headline Schedule GuideCount the unit counts and check the standard schedule chart to answer formatting options.
🔍 Self-Check Guide
| What to Check | Done ✅ | Try Again 🔄 |
|---|---|---|
| I can organize all 4 parts of a standard manuscript slugline | ☐ | ☐ |
| I can apply unit count rules for capitals, lowercase, and spaces | ☐ | ☐ |
| I know how to reference maximum limits inside the Headline Schedule Guide | ☐ | ☐ |
📊 Simple Rubric
🧠 Layout Match-It Quiz
Read each description and choose the correct matching part, symbol, or value.