Xtra has been given an exciting makeover. Starting Nov 1, the look of Canada’s largest gay and lesbian news publication is changing.

Xtra‘s page dimensions have been altered for the first time since 1996. The paper is now smaller, which means it costs less to print in a time of shrinking ad revenue. It’s also square — and that offered a whole new range of possibilities. “It’s allowed us to put full colour on every page,” says Lucinda Wallace, the creative director at Pink Triangle Press.

And it’s easier to pick up. “It will fold up just a little bit better, fit into a bag a bit better,” says Brandon Matheson, publisher and editor-in-chief at Pink Triangle Press.

Both Matheson and Wallace see a future in print despite the challenges posed by a shift to more online publishing. “The other element, which people often don’t factor in, is that our print publications are an amazing marketing device to drive people to our website,” Matheson says.

And, Wallace adds, print has an edge over online publishing. “We do know that people are looking for a more curated experience, and that is something print has given us.”

“When you pick up a newspaper or magazine, it’s a package. It has a beginning, middle and end, and that is something the web can never do,” she says.

Why not judge for yourself? Pick up Xtra across Canada anywhere gays and lesbians congregate — it’s free.

For more on the resizing, check out Wallace’s editorial. And check out the video below.