The document discusses codes and conventions used on magazine front covers, including: 1) Positioning statements, price, issue dates, mastheads, puffs, buzzwords, and coverlines are used to attract readers and sell magazines. Larger text and images are used for the main story. 2) Color, font size, and placement are used strategically to emphasize importance and grab attention. Red and bigger fonts indicate greater significance. 3) Different magazines use different conventions based on target audience. Women's magazines use colors like pink; men's magazines use black and appear more serious. Music magazines attract both genders with mixed colors. Proper font size and spacing help readability.

1. Codes and
Conventions
of magazine
front covers

2. Positioning statement – Usually above or below the title, also suggests how the
magazine positions itself within the market place.
Price and issue date – Sometimes by bar code.
A Masthead – The title.
Puff – Offering something extra to the magazine.
Buzzwords – Used to make a certain article or product stand out from the others.
Usually used on the main story and is also a good selling point. For example;
EXCLUSIVE.
Coverlines – These are normally used in order to sell a magazine. The main article
in the magazine will usually have the largest text on the cover, after the title and it
is usually the text that goes with the image that is on the cover. There also usually
is a sub line that is smaller text next to it that is giving more information about the
article. Different colours and font sizes may be used in order to draw the reader
into buying the magazine. They can also frame an image or are located down one
side of a magazine.

3. Bigger words are
used, with a more
serious font to
show its
importance to the The colour red may
magazine. be used to show its
importance. The
colour stands
out, this way more
readers will want to
buy the magazine.
This article isn’t as
important as the
other article I have
mentioned and you
This is the main learn this because
article because it is the text isn’t as big
where the words are and over all the
bigger on the front article doesn’t take
cover, which is not up a lot of space
the title. There is on the front cover
also a sub line that compared to the
explains more about other article.
the article.

4. This is the main article Different fonts
in the magazine and are used and
you can see this can create a
because this is the next sense of
big title compared to the importance, d
title. epending what
kind of font is
used and
where about it
is on the
magazine.
Certain colours are
The sub titles go all the way used on the front
around the edge of the image that page. Colours such
is featured on the magazine. This as yellow and red
can make the image stand out stand out more
more. because they are
bright and they are
also primary
colours.

5. This is the main
article in the
magazine, and
also the second
biggest title on
These are
the front page.
the less
important
articles
that are
also
featured in
the
magazine
but they
are not
the main
articles.
An image that applies to the main
article is featured on the magazine.

6. Comparing the different genre of magazine covers
There are many different types of magazine cover and the 3 that I have chosen to write about are ‘Chat’ a woman’s magazine, ‘Men’s
Health’ a sports magazine for men and ‘Vibe’ a magazine about music. The first magazine I chose to write about was ‘Chat’, you can
tell that this woman is aimed at woman because of the colours that are used on the front cover, for example; the colours pink and red
are used. These colours can be associated with passion, romance and just women overall. This magazine also includes a lot about
people’s lives and what happens in the real world, so this genre seems to be more real and recent compared to other genres. It is also
more women that this magazine is aimed at and the target market I would say is usually for women rather than men, but it doesn’t
mean that women can’t buy this magazine. The masthead of the magazine is a big font and very clear to read. Kerning is used between
each letter, so there is the right amount of spacing around each letter so there not too close to each other.
The next magazine cover I chose is ‘Men’s Health’ and this magazine if defiantly more for a man, maybe a sporty magazine. I chose this
as it is a different genre and steps away from woman’s magazines. Magazines about Men’s Health are written and printed in order for
men to buy and I order for them to look at it and make sure that they are as healthy as they can possibly be. Black is mostly used on
the front of this cover, and this shows that it is more important and serious compared to the colour yellow being used for example that
could show that it isn’t as serious. The masthead for this magazine is a fancy font and red, the only thing wrong with it is that the
picture is overlapping the words and I don’t think that this gives a good look to the magazine because there is a picture going through
the middle of the masthead.
The final magazine cover that I have chosen to annotate is ‘Vibe’ and this is a music magazine. I think that these types of magazines
are aimed more at teenagers and people that are early 20’s because I just think that these are the types of people that would want to
buy this type of magazine. I also think that is magazine is aimed at both boys and girls; this is because of the types of colours and lack
of words that are featured on the front cover. For example the colours; blue and pink have both been used on the front cover, and this
may suggest that both boys and girls would want to purchase this specific magazine, not just aimed at one market. The masthead for
this magazine is also a big font and bright colours; this makes the magazine appeal to the reader. However just like the previous
magazine, the image is also overlapping the masthead and this means that you cannot really read what the title is saying.