![[grids.png|A view of the various grids I use for all poster projects.]]
I love grids and grid systems. There is an invisible order—like the framing of a house or like the eggs in your pancakes. They provide structure and much-needed constraint. It's an opportunity to inject math and numbers into my creative work.
A reliance on grids isn't inflexible. A 6- or 12-column system can emphasize symmetry and balance. An odd-numbered grid allows for movement, for something more dynamic.
Then there are other kinds: a document grid, rigid and uniform, and the baseline grid for guiding the flow—the color—of the text. I can set up a grid based on other things as well, such as the clock tower of my workplace.[^1]
I rarely, if ever, use the document grid. It is busy and unyielding. Its unit of measurement is somewhat out of my control.
[^1]: A great resource for this type of grid system is Christoph Grünberger’s book, *Analog Algorithm*.