Since the DZN had a reputable self-image, it oriented itself to the high standards of the German papers Das Reich and Frankfurter Zeitung regarding layout and variety of columns.Sauer, p. 200 The latter were divided into the usual sections politics, economy, feuilleton, sports and advertisements, but adjusted to the local competitors. According to the first editor-in-chief Emil Frotscher the paper emphasized on a "clean layout, stringent organization, good mixture of news and opinion section [and] a very extensive amount of illustration." In the case that no current photos were available the DZN adopted the Dutch method of illustrating the paper with archived ones. This concept was completed by the frequent use of map sketches.Emil Frotscher: Bilanz einer jungen Zeitung. Vier Monate „Deutsche Zeitung in den Niederlanden“, in: Zeitungs-Verlag, volume 41, No. 42 from October 19, 1940, p. 361 et sqq., quoted by Hoffmann p. 85 et sqq. Another concession was made by the use of Antiqua instead of a "German" font.
