analysis of magazine's front covers

1. ANALYSIS OF MAGAZINE FRONT
COVERS
Includes house style, codes and conventions, and target
audience.

2. MASTHEAD: the masthead is written in a serif
font type and also seems to have italic and
styles incorporated within it. The colour is a
simple white for it to contrast with the pink
background. It is definitely conventional since
the masthead is at the top, like most other
magazines would have it.
COVER LINES: the other cover lines included
in this piece are placed around the main image
and toward the bottom of the image. The
colours include red, white, yellow and black to
contrast with the different coloured
backgrounds of blue and pink.
FONT TYPES: there is a small skyline above
the title showing a “coupon” will be on the
inside. The title is using the serif font type
while most of the other cover lines just use
a sans serif with some of them being bold
as well.
COLOUR SCHEME: the main two colours in
this magazine are pink and white since pink
takes up the background and white is most of
the font colours. The yellow is very dominant
and captures the eye as well as the small
section of black and red. The main image
contains darker colours so that it can stand out
from the background too.
MAIN COVER LINE: the main cover line is the
yellow “one direction” writing just below the
main image. It gives the audience an insight
into who is on the main cover or, featured in
the magazine. The colour is also a bright
yellow so it also stands out from the rest of the
writing.
BARCODE/DATELINE: there is a barcode at
the corner of the page placed at an angle to
make it look like a sticker and the dateline is
just above the barcode.
EXAMPLE 1: GRAPHIC ELEMENTS
OTHER: the graphic elements included are the
masthead, cover lines, main image, main cover
line, barcode, flash and a small skyline at the
top of the cover.
OTHER: the composition of this magazine is
very conventional since it has the image in the
centre of the page with the masthead at the
top and cover lines going down the sides. Sine
this magazine is aimed at teenagers, it makes
sense to have a cover less complex to attract
the audience and not push them away with
something complicated.
OTHER: there is a small paragraph of
writing at the bottom which could be a
strap line but most strap lines take up one
line of the whole bottom of the page so this
would be an uncontroversial strap line.
OTHER: you can tell this magazine is aimed at
teenagers, the first give away would be the
masthead being “seventeen”. Another thing to
show this would be the colours which would
stereotypically make it attract girls. One
direction was also a band that had a target
audience of teenagers (particularly girls).

3. MASTHEAD: the masthead on this magazine
cover is much less conventional than the
because the masthead takes place in the
of the magazine and not along the top. it is
in a red box which most mastheads wouldn’t
have, they would just be the masthead without
a background colour.
COVER LINES: this magazine cover has a lot
of cover lines going round the sides of the
main image. It has a lot more cover lines than
the last magazine. From the colours (pink,
white and black) we can tell this magazine is
aimed at women interested in fashion and
health. It looks as though none of the cover
lines have the same font either.
COLOUR SCHEME: the colour scheme of this
magazine uses very similar colours, different
shades of pink and black and white to contrast
with it. The red of the title also works with the
pink of the magazine. The font is really what
makes the cover lines stand out instead of the
colours.
MAIN COVER LINE: there are multiple main
cover lines including “happier fitter you” and
“fashion to lift your mood” these are both in a
pink colour to contrast with the dark red title and
work with the pink shade in the background. The
writing on this magazine uses multiple font
types, some with the serif, bold and italic.
MAIN IMAGE: the main image is also very
conventional in this magazine genre since the
image is in the centre of the page and shows the
face of a woman and part of her body. Having
someone’s face could attract readers to buy the
magazine because it is like the person is looking
into them to buy the magazine.
BARCODE/DATELINE: the dateline on this
magazine is placed under the title which is quite
conventional. However, the barcode is put on the
side of the magazine when they would normally
be in the corner or on the back making this part
unconventional.
EXAMPLE 2: GRAPHIC ELEMENTSOTHER: the graphic elements included in this
are the masthead, cover lines, main image,
multiple main cover lines and a bar code.
OTHER: this magazine does have a strap line
but no sky line. The strap line includes
different words which might show what is
included in the magazine, almost like contents
so people know what is in the magazine they
are buying.
OTHER: the composition of this magazine is also
quite conventional because it has the main
image in the centre and the cover lines on the
sides. The only thing unconventional about this
magazine is the masthead being in the corner
and not along the top.
OTHER: from the main image, cover lines and
colour scheme, we can see this magazine is
aimed generally at women who like to have a
healthy life style. This is shown by a woman
being on the main image, the colours are
stereotypically aimed at women and the cover
lines talk about health and fashion.

4. MASTHEAD: the masthead in this magazine
is similar to first magazine except this
masthead goes in front of the image instead
of behind it. A serif font type is also used in
this masthead in a black colour to contrast
with the white background.
COVER LINES: the other cover lines are
written in pink or black and use either a bold
or sans serif font type, this makes it stand
out in comparison to the masthead but
doesn’t take all the attention away from the
masthead and the main image.
COLOUR SCHEME: the colour scheme of
this magazine includes colours like pink,
black, white and a green/blonde shade. The
main image uses all of these colours which
helps it match with the writing so they all
merge into one. The pink catches the eye
because it is much more bold, pink was also
used on the main image’s eye to show it
captures the eye.
MAIN COVER LINE: the main cover line
reads “spring fever” written in a bold pink
colour and a serif font type showing this
magazine could be about spring fashion. It
catches the eye of the reader because most
of the other writing is in black.
MAIN IMAGE: the main image uses all the
colours from the colour scheme so that any
dark or different colours used can then
contrast with it and stand out. This main
image is quite conventional because all we
are seeing is the woman’s face with a neutral
expression to not take attention away from
the cover lines.
BARCODE/DATELINE: there is no visible
date line but the barcode is in the bottom
left corner very conventionally so it doesn’t
take attention away from anything else on
the magazine cover.
EXAMPLE 3: GRAPHIC ELEMENTS
OTHER: the graphic elements included in
this magazine cover are; the main image,
cover lines, main cover line, masthead, a sky
line and the bar code.
OTHER: this magazine doesn’t have a strap
line but it does have a sky line at the top,
above the masthead. The sky line seems to
be advertising something in a way to make
people feel like they need it (hence why it is
at the top because that is where people start
reading from).
OTHER: the composition of this magazine is
the most controversial of all of the
magazines. This is because the title is in
front of the image instead of behind, the
coverlines go around the main image and
the serif font type in the masthead and main
cover line also makes it very traditional.
OTHER: the target audience if this magazine
would also be women, perhaps younger
mums (this could be because a cover line
talks about mums and daughters). The
colours indicate a target audience of women
and the cover lines/masthead show people
who are interested in fashion and beauty.

5. CO N V E N T I O N S : T H E H E A D O F
T H E M A I N I M AG E I S I N F R O N T
O F T H E M A S T H E A D A N D S O I S
T H E R I B B O N I N T H E TO P
CO R N E R . W E A R E S T I L L A B L E
R E A D I T T H O U G H B E C AU S E
M I N D V I S UA L I Z E S T H E F U L L
M A S T H E A D.
CODES: the yellow cover line and main
cover line on this magazine can also
have codes attached to them since the
colours of them match with the ribbon
in the top right corner of the page
EXAMPLE 1: CODES AND
CONVENTIONS
GENRE: Fashion for
teen girls.
CODES: the colour in the background
of this magazine is a pink shade to
contrast with the darker main image
and the yellow cover lines. However,
the codes of this colour would
stereotypically appeal to woman/girls
because the colour pink is typically
connoted with women.
CODES: the cover line “the party issue!”
is written in a type of font which looks
quite fun and intriguing it is also in black
and this can attract the audience. The
type of font looks like something you
would use to advertise a party too.
CONVENTIONS: the size of some of the
cover lines will vary depending on how
important it is. “one direction”, “the party
issue” and “free gifts” are all written in
larger writing because they are the most
interesting things of this magazine. They
can advertise the magazine better
because that is what might sell it to
people, knowing this is what they will get
inside.
CONVENTIONS: the masthead in this
magazine cover is in a different font
type to the rest of the cover lines, it is
also the biggest writing and so it stands
out.
CONVENTIONS: the main image in this
magazine cover is of a well known
member of a boy band, he appeals to
teenage girls because their music is
aimed at that age/target audience.
CONVENTIONS: the bar code in this
magazine cover is placed in the bottom
left corner which is very conventional for
any magazine. The bar code is only
used for functional purposes so it makes
sense for it to be in the bottom corner.

6. CO N V E N T I O N S : T H E M A I N
I M AG E O F T H I S M AG A Z I N E I S
S T I L L I N T H E C E N T R E B U T
B E C AU S E T H E M A S T H E A D I S I N
T H E CO R N E R O F T H E PAG E W E
A R E A B L E TO S E E B OT H O F T H E M
C L E A R LY. T H E M A S T H E A D I S
R E D A N D T H E M AG A Z I N E I S
C A L L E D R E D TO O.
CODES: the original colours of the
masthead in this magazine are red and
white so naturally the colours of the
cover lines would need to match this to
make the magazine appeal to the target
audience. The pink of the cover lines and
background compliment both the title
and the skin colour of the main image.
EXAMPLE 2: CODES AND
CONVENTIONS
GENRE: Fashion
CODES: the various pink colours can
also represent femininity as pink is
stereotypically associated with women,
this magazine is also targeted at women
and women’s fashion so the pink helps
reach that target audience. The pink also
works with the lip and skin colour of the
main image.
CODES: the main image is a lot darker
than the rest of the magazine. The
woman’s hair colour, eye shadow and
clothing are all shades of black, this
contrasts with the rest of the magazine
but the colour has also been used in two
of the cover lines. One of the cover lines
is coloured in black and it says the name
“Katie Holmes” this helps us to identify
the woman on the front as the colours
matching might tell us that is her name.
CONVENTIONS: the makeup and colours
of this woman in the main image are
darker than the rest of the magazine, the
makeup is also unnatural and doesn’t fit
the stereotypes, making women feel
inspired to step outside the stereotypes
too.
CONVENTIONS: the cover lines written in
larger font and bolder colours will catch
the eye of the reader and make them
intrigued, they also advertise the main
aspects of the magazine, telling the reader
what they might be buying before they
have actually bought it.
CONVENTIONS: the strap line is a
conventional aspect to most magazines
and in this case it acts like a contents of
what will be in the magazine. It shows the
magazine is mostly about fashion but the
other aspects are listed below including
shopping, beauty, food, homes, travel and
health. CONVENTIONS: since this magazine has
a strap line, there is no space for a bar
code to be at the bottom of the page so
it has been placed to the side. This is
unconventional but makes sense to put
it in an area where nothing else is.

7. CO N V E N T I O N S : T H E M A S T H E A D
I N T H I S M AG A Z I N E CO V E R I S I N
S E R I F F O N T T Y P E A N D A B L AC K
CO LO U R , I T I S A L S O I N F R O N T
T H E M A I N I M AG E I N S T E A D O F
B E H I N D B U T B E C AU S E I T I S I N
B L AC K F O N T I T S TA N D S O U T
F R O M T H E R E S T O F T H E
M AG A Z I N E B U T D O E S N ’ T
CO M P L E T E LY CO V E R T H E M A I N
I M AG E TO T H E P O I N T W H E R E W E
C A N T S E E I T.
EXAMPLE 3: CODES AND
CONVENTIONS
GENRE: Fashion
CODES: the two dominant colours in this
magazine are the pink and yellow/green
colour. Since this magazine is from
spring (the main cover line “spring fever”
tells us this) these two colours can be
symbolised as spring colours that are
quite vibrant and seasonal.
CODES: the woman in the main image
has a shade of pink eyeshadow on her
eyes and her lips are also a pink shade,
the coverlines are then also pink to
match with her makeup and make the
magazine cover more aesthetically
pleasing and not chaotic.
CODES: just like all of the other
magazine covers, this magazine is aimed
towards women and women’s fashion so
the cover line’s being pink would
stereotypically be aimed at women. It
also contrasts with the white background
and stands out quite bold.
CONVENTIONS: the main cover line is
larger than the rest of the cover lines
because it is one of the most advertising
parts of the magazine cover. The main
cover line “spring fever” advertises itself to
the audience and shows us that this
magazine is about spring fashion and that
time of the year.
CONVENTIONS: each cover line in this
magazine has been typed using different fonts
or colours, this can attract the audience into
wanting to read it because each part of the
magazine seems different. They might read
something bold and then want to read
something pink because it has attracter them
towards it.
CONVENTIONS: the bar code on this
magazine has also been placed in the
bottom left corner as a function and not as
something to make the magazine look
better or to fit in with its colours. This
makes it easier to find and easier to scan
when in the shop.
CONVENTIONS: this magazine has a
cover line stating “fashion targets breast
cancer…you should too!” this can make
anyone reading feel inclined to buy the
magazine because one of their reasons
for buying it would be for this cause and
to support those with breast cancer. This
then means the magazine will be
gaining more profit because more
people will be buying the magazine
because of that one cover line.

8. Target audience: the target audience for this magazine would be aimed at teenagers,
most likely teenage girls. The masthead is called “seventeen” showing this as one
reason teenagers might read it, the colours are stereotypically aimed at girls and the
main image is of a member of a well known boy band who’s music might appeal to
girls and teenagers more than anybody else. I don’t think this magazine applies to
specific race and anyone could read it if they wanted to, no matter their skin colour
ethnicity.
The geo-demographics for this magazine would be any country that speaks English
(the UK, USA and anywhere else). If this magazine was printed in a different
then it could be for any other country but since it is in English, it is meant for English
speakers. Although, the magazine is made in America and initially is made for
Americans.
The socio-economics for this magazine would be aimed towards groups D and E. if
this magazine is aimed towards teenagers then it needs to be affordable for them
at a reasonable price. This magazine is priced at £2.90 and teenagers not working
would probably get pocket money which they can use to spend on this magazine.
The psychographic profile of this magazine is most likely aimed towards
mainstreamers since they are interested in mainstream brands and texts. Seventeen
a well-known magazine because they normally have different well-known celebrities
on the front, since one direction was also a mainstream band it makes sense for
reading to be mainstreamers.
Seventeen is a magazine aimed towards teenagers advertising celebrities,
fashion/makeup and celebrity gossip. The magazine was founded in 1944 and has
been based in New York since then. On Seventeen’s website there pages include
“celebs and entertainment, fashion, beauty, love, life, health and prom” showing the
target audience to be teenage girls who want a lifestyle that includes these things as
well as making their lives fit into these categories.
the magazine is clearly aimed at teenage girls and you can tell that from all the
codes and conventions as well as the graphic elements. The audience statistics of the
magazine clearly show it is aimed at teenage girls, of any race and any class and
most likely English speaking (most likely in America). The magazine is affordable
telling us the audience would be from groups D and E and aimed at mainstreamers.

9. Target audience: the target audience for this magazine would be aimed at women,
most likely middle aged or young adults. The biggest give-away of this magazine
being aimed at women would be the main image on the front is a middle aged
woman. The cover lines also show things aimed at women of that age and things
would interest them. The magazine shouldn’t be aimed at any specific race but
because a white woman is on the front, other white women might feel more inclined
to buy this magazine.
The geo-demographics for this magazine would be mostly the UK, this is because
this magazine is a UK based magazine and is developed in the UK. Most of the
featured on the front of this magazine are also celebrities well known in the UK and
not other countries.
The socio-economics for this magazine would be aimed towards groups C1 and C2
more than any of the others. This is because the price of these magazines is usually
which is more expensive than the last magazine. The things advertised in this
magazine would be for people with a reasonable amount of money and who want a
nice lifestyle so it couldn’t really be for the unemployed or low paid.
The psychographic profile of this magazine is most likely aimed towards
mainstreamers and aspirers since they are interested in mainstream brands and texts
and having nice lifestyles. Normally the celebrities advertised on these magazines are
mainstream and people might look up to them as inspiration.
Red magazine is a UK based magazine aimed towards middle aged and young
adults (the average ages being 20 up to 40), generally women. The magazine
includes fashion, shopping, beauty, food, homes, travel and health, as it states in the
strap line and on their website. They don’t have a specific date for when they were
founded but their magazines seem to have been published since the early 2000’s.
This magazine is clearly aimed at women and their website states independent
women, who thrive doing what they want to be doing. We can also see this from the
codes, convention and graphic elements of this magazine. Audience statistics also
show the magazine to be aimed at women from 20-40 and any race. Since the
magazine is slightly less affordable than the last, it gives the impression that aspirers
and mainstreamers would be interested in this magazine, as well as those form
groups C1 and C2.

10. Target audience: the target audience for this magazine would also be women,
perhaps younger than the last magazine (from ages 20-30) but still adults. The
on the front gives us the impression that other women would read this magazine,
cover lines also show things women in this age range might be interested in. like the
last magazine, it shouldn’t be aimed at any specific race but because of the woman
the main image being white, other white women might feel more inclined to buy it.
The geo-demographics for this magazine would be any country that speaks English
(the UK, USA and anywhere else). This magazine is actually a Canadian based
and so it would be more likely to see this magazine in Canada than any other place
making the geo-demographics mostly Canadian.
The socio-economics for this magazine would be aimed towards groups C1, C2 and
D. this magazine costs around $3.99 which is slightly more affordable than the last,
however it can still be a little too expensive for group E and the cover lines advertise
things aimed towards those with full time jobs and with a family.
The psychographic profile of this magazine is most likely aimed towards
mainstreamers and aspirers for the same reasons as the last magazine, because this
magazine might advertise brands within fashion and different lifestyles.
Fashion magazine is a Canadian based magazine aimed towards women between
the ages of 20 to 30. the magazine was first established in 1977 and is now based in
Toronto. As shown on the magazine cover and their website, they advertise things
like fashion, style, face and body, culture and wellness. These aspects will attract the
target audience of women in that age range and it also shows the magazine can be
aimed towards anyone of any culture.
Since the magazine is clearly aimed at women and we can also see they aim to
attract any woman of any culture this may also attract other people to read because
they can see this magazine has many different readers. The cover lines also show this
and their website as well as audience statistics showing they attract 20-30 year olds
and aspirers, mainstreamers and groups C1, C2 and D. Since the magazine is slightly
more affordable, that also shows us how it attracts these groups.

11. Total teens- 3,908,000
Female- 3,651,000
Male- 256,000
Females 12-15-
1,579,000
Females 16-19-
2,072,000
http://www.seventeenmediakit.com/r5/ho
me.asp
https://brandongaille.com/18-great-seventeen-
magazine-demographics/

12. Adults 15+: 577
Men: 64
Women: 512
ABC1 adults: 454
C2DE adults: 123
Adults 15-34: 120
Adults 35+: 458
Household with children: 284
http://hearstcouk.wp.cdnds.net/tmp/wpro14105080
12414047/2014/07/RedMedia_Aug_14.pdf
https://www.statista.com/statistic
s/380992/red-monthly-reach-
by-demographic-uk/

13. https://cdn.fashionmaga
zine.com/wp-
content/uploads/2018/0
8/FM_National_MediaKit
_2018_FINAL.pdf
Fashion is a Canadian fashion magazine
published by St. Joseph Media. Established
in 1977, it is currently based inToronto,
publishes 10 issues a year and has a total
readership of 1.85 million.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fashion_(magazine)

14. Format/proportions/dimensions: the format on these magazines is vertical or portrait
since the main images on the front are all of peoples faces down to the hips.
Use of colours and shapes: the colours of the mastheads match with the outfits of
the two women where as the mastheads for the men contrast with the colours they
wearing. The colours they use on their website are pink and white, so any colours on
these magazine’s also use the same as the website.
Images: the images on all of these magazine covers is of a person, showing their
face down to their waist or hips. The head of all the images on every seventeen
magazine covers part of the masthead by either being in front of it, or behind it.
Camera shots: almost all of the camera shots are mid shots with some different
seventeen magazine covers being wide shots.
Composition: the masthead is at the top of the cover, with a skyline above all of
them. The main image is in the centre of the cover and the main cover line is always
near the bottom of the magazine cover with the rest of the cover lines scattered
around the page.
Codes: seventeen magazine was founded in 1944 and has always advertised towards
teenagers, showing beauty, fashion, celebrities and more. The magazine covers have
always had something in common, this is the main image always going partially over
the masthead with a person always featuring on the front cover. The masthead
uses the same font type of serif and has been since some of the first magazines.
Conventions: the most conventional element of seventeen
magazine is its masthead because of how recognisable it is.
Even though it uses different colours on each magazine, the
font type stays the same and the main images are also
similar making it more recognisable.

15. Format/proportions/dimensions: the format of these magazines is also
portrait/vertical because the main images in these magazines are also of women’s
faces.
Use of colour and shapes: the colours on this magazine are all different shades of
pink because the pink in the cover lines can work with the red of the masthead. The
red box in the corner containing the masthead is the only bold shape on the cover
making it stand out from the rest of the magazine.
Images: the images on this magazine cover only contain women because red, is a
female based magazine to inspire and show off independent women. The images
are all quite different but because it is only women it makes them also quite similar.
Brighter colours are also used either in their makeup, skin colour or clothing.
Camera shots: the camera shots of this magazine are similar to the last and use mid
shots because we can see the women from the waist up.
Composition: the masthead of this magazine is always in the top corner with the
main image always in the centre and always being a woman. The coverlines are quite
randomly scattered around the page but because they are all different it makes each
one unique, even with everything else being the same. The barcodes on these
magazines are also always in different places and two of the four magazines have
straplines.
Codes: the magazine doesn’t seem to have a specific date it was founded other than
sometime in the early 2000’s but they have always advertised towards women by
making their magazine about independent women only. The masthead of the
magazine is also very recognisable in the UK since it also hasn’t changed and is
in the same place.
Conventions: just like seventeen magazine, the most conventional part of the
magazine is its masthead since it is bold and different. Most other mastheads take up
the whole top of the magazine but this masthead only takes up the top corner. The
colours are also quite conventional because they all match.

16. Format/proportions/dimensions: the format of these magazines is also
portrait/vertical because the main images in these magazines are also of women’s
or full body shots.
Use of colour and shapes: all the colours on the front of these magazines are different
because they have to work with the colours that the main image has, this then means
the title is recognisable because of the font and not its colours, but the colours are
and also stand out.
Images: the women on these main covers are well known for fashion and since this
magazine advertises fashion, they need to be recognisable. None of the women on
front have the same makeup but they can all seem similar because of their hair colour
and beauty.
Camera shots: the camera shots of this magazine are similar to the last and use mid
shots because we can see the women from the waist up.
Composition: these magazines always have the masthead at the top of the page and
the main image in the centre, the face of the people covers some of the masthead by
either going in front of it or behind it and the cover lines are placed either side of the
main images.
Codes: FASHION magazine was founded in 1977 and is a Canadian based magazine
that advertises fashion. They have most-likely done this since the start of their
has been published since the name hasn’t changed and only means one thing. The
masthead uses the same font type of serif, making it recognisable because of that
feature, as well as the bold colours which make it stand out.
Conventions: this magazine’s most conventional aspect would be its masthead even
though each cover has a different coloured masthead, the font type makes it
recognisable. Another thing that is conventional about the masthead would be the
connotations it has with actual fashion. If anyone searches anything to do with
this magazine would come up, making its name very recognisable.

17. Seventeen magazine
There is a main image in the
corner of both these pages to
show the main aspect of this
page.
Both pages include the same
font types just in different places
and for different things.
Typography composition.
The images look like they have
been stuck onto the page and
not like they are already there.
Similar font types and colours
are used around the whole of
this page (blue, pink and serif
font).While the other pages uses
completely different colours to
show a different page about
different things (orange, red
and yellow).
Other images on both pages
look like they have been
stuck on in order to make
them look realistic or rough.

18. Typography compositionThe main images are very
different for these two pages
since one has the main image
over the whole page while the
other only has images in the
corner.
One of the pages looks more
like a chapter page to start a
new topic while the other one
includes actual information (as it
says on the top, red woman).
Each page has a theme, one page
includes a blue background and
the girl is wearing blue. The other
page uses whites and contrasts
with blacks to make it look clean.
Both pages are very clean and
don’t look chaotic by using
simple colours and nothing
too bold.
Red magazine
On both pages the masthead or
the start of the main information
stands out from the rest.
Whether that is the colour or the
size, they are one of the first
things you see.

19. One of the pages is an actual
contents page to show what is in
the magazine while the other is
part of one of those contents.
Both pages have the writing on
the sides of the page although
they use different fonts, they still
kept to the same organisations.
The masthead/main section of
writing stands out from
everything else because of its
size and colour. Both pages have
them in different places but they
are still bold.
Typography composition
Both images use very bold
colours and makeup to
contrast with the smaller
contents of writing.
The main images are very
different on both pages but
they each take up most of
the space and the writing is
on the sides.
Both pages have different
colours, on one the main colour
is yellow with black to contrast
and the other page is blue, also
using black to contrast.
FASHION magazine