The following list contains physical requirements for articles submitted to the SPMA Swimming News. These guidelines are meant to help with email articles, disc articles, fax articles, because we need to make sure that they fit correctly in the space allotted for each page. If you would like additional information about publication requirements, please contact the Editor.

Please leave .5 on each side and the bottom. The top is also .5 but you have to figure another .3 for the page heading. So make the top margin .8. The biggest problem here has been in entry blanks. We have received several that are just outside the margins. If sending hard copy for the Editor to put in as a cut and paste, please observe these minimum margins also.

The SPMA Swimming News is printed in Times New Roman font. We use 11-point size for almost all of the articles. The font size varies for the headings, etc. If you type your article in Times New Roman at 11-point size, you will get an idea of whether your article or entry blank will fit on one page in the SPMA Swimming News. On entry blanks we also use Times New Roman but we vary the size in certain areas. For example, we make the waiver a much smaller size. If you send an attachment (article or entry blank) we will change it into Times New Roman. If you send a hard copy entry blank it will go in just as you sent it. We don’t alter the hard copies. The majority of entry blanks go in as hard copies from our Meet Director.

When taking the course on Quark we were told that in computer typing you do not double space after a period. You only use a single space after a period. Please try to observe this new typing procedure in your articles. In most articles, we have gone through them and eliminated the extra space after the period.

If you look closely at the SPMA Swimming News you will notice that we usually haven't left a space between paragraphs. When you send articles please do not space between paragraphs. We also do not indent paragraphs. We just use the business model which is to begin each
new paragraph on a new line. In a recent training session, the Editor learned how to increase the spacing slightly between paragraphs. This really helps to distinguish between each paragraph. This spacing is done automatically by the computer program. So please do not skip a line. The program also reacts each time you hit return, so please hit return only when you want to start a new paragraph. Other than starting a new paragraph, please just use the word wrap around which should be a standard part of your word processor.

Word works very well. We have a translator, and so far, we have been able to translate almost any type of word processor format.

Send your text as part of the email message or as an attachment. If you send it as part of the email don’t worry about font or size because it is changed to the default net setting, which for the Editor's computer is Times New Roman.

If you would like to fax something to the Editor, please call first. Her fax machine only
works when she answers the phone and presses start. If you fax an article please make it one page column wide. Do not try and send two column articles. Her scanner doesn’t handle multi columns. After scanning when he inputs it into Quark for the SPMA Swimming News, she puts it in as a two column format. It really helps to fax articles as full page and not divided up. If you want special boxes, etc. let her know that over the phone.

We have used several digital pictures in that have been received over the net. The vast majority of pictures are sent as hard copy and are scanned as black and white and put in. Either form will work fine.