# Portrait Fill Rules

3:4 social images have much more vertical space than a horizontal PPT slide. A layout that works in 16:9 often becomes a thin strip in 3:4. Solve that at the planning stage.

## Vertical Zones

Think of a 1080x1440 Rednote image as five zones:

| Zone | Typical Height | Role |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Header/meta | 56-90px | issue label, category, page |
| Title/lead | 240-420px | hook and claim |
| Evidence/body | 520-760px | image, ledger, diagram, comparison |
| Bottom strip | 90-180px | captions, checklist, summary |
| Footer | 52-86px | issue/page metadata |

Not every page needs all five, but every page needs an intentional vertical composition.

## Underfilled Page Smells

Revise if:

- A table or ledger occupies less than 45% of the canvas height.
- The lower 25% of the page is empty without being an atmospheric hero page.
- Four list items are rendered as short rows with large blank space below.
- A screenshot is small even though it is the evidence.
- Body copy is centered in the middle with no top/bottom rhythm.

## Fixes For Thin Tables

When a table is too short:

1. Increase row height to 118-170px.
2. Add a left marginal column with large numbers, keywords, or category labels.
3. Add a pull quote column beside the table.
4. Add a top or bottom issue strip with 2-3 consequences.
5. Convert the table to M08 Tall Ledger.
6. If there are only 2-3 points, use M04 Pull Quote or M09 Atmospheric Thesis instead of a table.

## Fixes For Sparse Text

If a page has only one core sentence:

- Use M09 Atmospheric Thesis with visible WebGL/ink background.
- Make the sentence the hero, not a small paragraph.
- Add one small source/context row.
- Use dark/ink page if the package needs rhythm.

## Fixes For Screenshot Pages

If screenshot content matters:

- Give it 45%-65% of the page height.
- Put only one key sentence above it.
- Use a bottom caption band instead of a side paragraph.
- Crop carefully; preserve readable UI labels.

## Page Rhythm

For a 7-page Rednote set, use at least 5 distinct shapes:

- Cover / feature image.
- Essay split.
- Tall ledger.
- Evidence screenshot.
- Pull quote or atmospheric thesis.
- Checklist/comparison.
- Closing note.

Avoid repeating `title + lead + 3 rows` more than twice in one set.

## Minimum Occupancy

As a rough rule, the active composition should occupy at least 78% of the page height.

This can include:

- Large type.
- Images/screenshots.
- Ledger rows.
- Background atmosphere on hero pages.
- Caption bands.
- Marginalia columns.

Whitespace is good only when it is designed. Empty leftover space is not.