Tips for magazine cover productions 4 3 ratio

1. TIPS FOR
PRODUCTION
MAGAZINE
COVERS

2. TIPS FOR MAGAZINE COVER
PRODUCTIONS
Your magazine cover needs to look engaging, exciting and enticing for its target
audience.
You also need to give it a ‘brand identity’ and a sense of uniqueness to make it stand
out from the crowd, while also making appropriate choosing to use or subvert genre
conventions.
Main stream magazines are more likely to follow genre conventions, with more
conventional, accessible use of text an image. Independent magazines may take a more
‘artistic’ approach and try to challenge and subvert conventions.
The design and layout ideas for magazine covers in the following slides can also be
applied to the use of image and text on other magazine pages (advertorials, double
page spreads, etc)).
Here are some things to look out for -

3. RULE OF THIRDS AND READING
LINE/Z-LINE
• When laying out
your content, think
about the
positioning of key
points of interest:
the face, the main
sell lines, etc.
• This makes it more
pleasing to the eye
and professional
looking.

4. MASTHEAD
• As well as having a unique name, think about how the masthead can have a unique
appearance.
• It needs to be instantly recognizable, so not too complicated. But subtle changes
can make it more individual/
• Choose a name that has connotations you want your magazine’s brand identity to be associated with.
• Avoid using over familiar fonts. Websites like www.1001fonts.com, www.dafont.com and
www.fontspace.com have thousands of unique fonts you can browse, download, install and use for free.
• Consider how you might be able to ‘stylize’ the text (e.g., ITALICS, ALPH4NUM3R!C, BOLD, SHADOW,
, EMBOSSED, etc)
• More advice here: http://www.magazinedesigning.com/magazine-masthead-creation/

5. MASTHEAD
MASTHEAD
{MASTHEAD}
MASTHEAD
MASTHEAD
MASTHEAD
MASTHEAD
MASTHEAD
MASTHEAD
masthead
M@STH3AD
MASTHEADMASTHEAD
All of these different versions have been created either using different fonts
from online, or formatting tools within MS Powerpoint.
You can go even further in image editing and design programmes like Adobe
Photoshop/Indesign/Illustrator, GIMP, Inkscape, etc.
If your magazine production app does not let you edit text in this way within the
app, you can create mastheads in other programmes, then import them as
images.

7. MAIN IMAGE
• For a mainstream magazine, we would usually expect this to be of a person looking at, or at least
towards the camera. This extra diegetic gaze, creates a direct mode of address to grab the readers’
attention.
• Typically, they would be framed in Medium shot, or maybe medium close, but long shots and
medium long shots may also be used. This may depend on if the focus is the person’s personality
and emotions, or what they are wearing and how they look.
• The main image needs to relate to the main selling point of this issue – the big star or big
story/issue within.
• Consider how the subject is shot – ‘dress the scene’. – i.e make use of mise en scene and visual
codes (costume/props) to construct a purposeful representation of the person

8. MAIN IMAGE
• Be aware of the rule of thirds, look room, etc, when framing your photo.
• Make sure that when your take a photo it is well lit. This will stop it looking grainy. Your eye/brain
makes corrections that the camera won’t. If inside, turn on all the lights you have!
• It is far easier to ‘darken’ an image than lighten one.
• Make sure that your main image is well focused.
• Use image editing software to correct any blemishes or colour issues if necessary.
• Consider ‘cutting out’ your main person to insert on solid background colour if appropriate (ie
unless background is particularly significant). This can make image stand out more and more eye-
catching.

9. You can use solid
colour backgrounds
for impact

10. INTERACTION OF TEXT AND
IMAGE
• A useful and easy way to add interest to your cover is
to think about how the text and the iamges interact
with each other.
• For instance, ‘cutting out’ and layering images on top
of texts helps create a more 3D, tactile, dynamic feel. It
also makes the magazine seem more full of content,
and therefore better value.
• This can also be done with sell lines and plugs/puffs
(little bits of texts in graphic elements.

12. Heads in front of
masthead
Puffs/plugs of
text layered on
top
Text jumbled as if ‘cut and
paste’

13. Heat (like many ‘gossip, women’s magazines) uses a really
overloaded cover as if bursting with content

14. Esquire Magazine are particular fans of putting the sell lines behind their main image, as if scrawled on the wall.

15. You can put the writing on the wall, on the floor, or even on the person (objectification alert!)
(Esquire also seem to have quite a different, and questionable, way of representing women, compared to men!)

16. INDEPENDENT MAGAZINES
• Independent magazines often take a less conventional
and more ‘artistic’ approach.
• This is usually achieved either through thought
provoking imagery, vintage and retro styles, unusual
use of design and layout, or a more minimalist
aesthetic.