fgc

1. MEGAN SHERATON

2. Masthead
 Unique font dedicated to trademark and brand. Should be easily
distinguished, unique and iconic.
 One or two words long.
 Always positioned in the top thirds either filling the entire width of the
page, central or in one of the corners.
 Colours used in the masthead stands out and co-ordinates with the
house image or contrast with the background of the front cover.
 Boldest and biggest font used on the page – this is important so that it
stands out and is the first thing that is noticed.
 Capitalised letters.
 Stands dominant without any overcrowding of information or features
cluttering it.
 Name has connotations relating to the brand and appealing to the
target audience.

3. Strapline
 A brief summary of what the magazine is e.g. what
genre it is or what region it is.
 One line long
 Straight to the point
 Appears in a central position attached to the
masthead.
 The font is capitalised however it is much smaller than
the masthead (probably the 3rd largest on the page
after the masthead and main sell line).

4. Dominant Image
 Usually a medium close up/mid shot of a model
 Model will overlap the masthead if needed
 Clothing, facial expressions, props, hair and make-up represent the genre
 Image is supported with the name of the artist or article as an overlapping sell line in bold and
capitalised font.
 High key lighting on model or high quality image
 A leading convention of the page – needs to stand out and immediately draw attention especially
on minimalistic covers.
 Needs to have positive connotations.
 Graphics or effects can be added to enhance the image
 Adds colour to the page
 Direct eye contact to create a relatable atmosphere
 Specific use of body language
 Positioned down the central thirds, takes up most of the front cover.

5. Colour scheme/ house style
 Generally has 3-4 primary colours.
 Secondary colours are endless.
 Colours can be regionally related or genre related.
 Same scheme runs throughout the entire magazine.
 Certain features always stay the same colour such as a masthead.
 Secondary colours can be adapted depending on the main story or
event that is featured.
 Brand can be easily identified by its colour scheme alone.
 Dominant and contrasting colours are used such as black and white.
 Colours should appeal to the audience.

6. Main Sell Line
 Smaller than the masthead but larger than the sub lines
(probably the second largest font on the front cover).
 Bold and capitalised font.
 overlaps are positioned beside the dominant image and is used
as an anchor.
 Located between the central middle thirds and bottom thirds.
 Short, simplistic and straight to the point.
 Colour contrasts with background.
 Unique style font to the page which is unlike any other sell
lines therefore stand out.
 Often reflects a titles of a headline with maybe a one line
summary.

7. Sub Sell Lines
 Positioned either down at the side of the dominant image or below
it.
 Together will account for about 10 lines of text either in a list
format or grouped as individual paragraphs.
 Brief hints at stories or names of artists.
 Ambiguous and intrigue the reader.
 Frames the main image.
 Often have bold titles with a standard font summary below.
Alternatively it can be a list format with the most important
features in a bigger font slowly decreasing in size for less
interesting stories.
 Aligned very neatly
 Regional are usually simplistic and subtle

8. Essential Information
 Page numbers: support the main sell or sub lines.
 Issue number: positioned either at the bottom of the
page or near the masthead.
 Month of publishing: shows when the release date of
the magazine is.
 Bar code: positioned at the bottom of the page.
 Prices: positioned near the bar code.
 Web address: positioned with other essential
information.

9. Sub-Images
 Link to the stories in the contents
 Frame the dominant image
 Support the sell lines
 Only small
 Have their own borders or graphics to make them
unique
 Align with the sell lines to look neat and professional
 Have a 1-3 word caption to anchor the image
 Positioned in the left or right thirds of the page

10. Puff
 Shape makes information stand out from the rest of
the page.
 Offers a free gift or added bonus feature.
 Circular puff is used most frequently.
 Background colour contrasts cover image.

11. Skyline
 Thin banner running above the masthead
 Draws reader’s attention instantly
 Included names of popular artists
 Has contrasting colours that are bright

12. Plugs
 These are the ears of the magazine: top corners
 Offers a promotion that is exclusive to that edition e.g.
free posters

13. Conventions I will use on my own front
cover and why
 Masthead
 Strapline
 Dominant image
 Colour scheme
 Sell lines
 Essential information e.g. page numbers, issue number, barcodes,
prices
After researching into the generic conventions I have decided that
these are the most appropriate for my front cover production as I
want to follow a simplistic and contemporary design I feel like these
will help me to achieve the minimal look I want. I will however
adapt them slightly to make them more personal and unique for my
magazine for instance, my sell lines will be more refined.

14. Conventions I will avoid on my front cover
and why
 Buzz words: free exclusive plus attract attention to main
feature articles
 Sub-images
 Skylines
 Plugs
 Overcrowded sell lines
i have decided I might not use these conventions as I don’t want
my magazine too crowded however I may change my mind about
a few of them. For instance buzz words might be too patronising
but then again with my genre it could fit quite well. I will see
what is most appealing when producing my magazine.