The document discusses key elements in magazine layout and design, including headlines, kickers, body copy, pull quotes, subheads, images, captions, bylines, folios, and flatplans. It provides guidance on using elements like kickers to summarize articles, designing body copy for readability, and placing captions below images. The document also covers magazine structure, such as front page sections, features, and ads in the back; and best practices for magazine spreads considering a reader's eye movement across facing pages.

1. Project 3
Magazine!
DMET 255

2. Elements
of a page
Look familiar?
• Similar layout to Newsletter
• Project 3: Magazine will
focus on all elements in
layout composition.

3. Headlines!!!!
• Most important TEXTUAL element on a page
• #1-layout/image, #2-headline
• The reader might be attracted to the layout/image, but they won’t read
the article if they don’t find the Heading interesting…they will just move
on
• Headlines can vary in size-depending on the importance of the article
• Headings should always be bigger than the other elements on the
page

4. Kicker (intro, stand-first, deck) *many names
• Acts as a bridge between headline and body copy
• Sets tone of article-what to expect in the article/summary-
basically it’s like a good 1st paragraph of the article
• Smaller font size than headline-bigger than body copy
• If headline is sans serif-make kicker serif
• It’s not a required element-(sometimes image/header is
enough)

5. Body Copy
• Designing the body copy is the first thing you should do
when you are designing the templates for the magazine!
• Setting the correct margins, columns, and size of the body
copy affects readability and usability.
• As a designer use column and type choice to reflect the
identity of the brand and to present the story in a way that
suits the content.

6. Pull Quotes
• Attractive design element that can break up big blocks of
body copy.
• Use them in conjunction with the image to tell a story.
• Set font size big enough to pull the reader’s attention, but
shouldn’t be as big as the headline.
• It’s not always a “quote”.

7. Subhead
• Used to break up body copy and give clever insight into the
next paragraphs.
• Readers are put off by long blocks of text!
• Can be larger than body copy or same size (but bolded)
• Do not place subheads: below images, in the last 3 rows at
the bottom of the column, in the first 3 rows at the top of a
column, top of a column, or below a pull quote.
• Subheads should not get cluttered up with other design
elements

8. Image Captions
• Must work as a unit with the image
• Do not place caption above image!!
• Place caption below or on the image.
• No hyphenation!
• Type size should be as big as the body copy (or smaller)
• Sans-serif type

9. Bylines and Credits
• Depends on the importance of authors/photographers.
• For stock images & outsourced writing, place credits
vertically near the gutter (a few pts. smaller than body copy).
• If it’s written by famous journalist/photographer place bylines
just below headline or intro text.
• Same size as body text (or a few points larger).
• Bylines are smaller on news pages vs. feature pages.

10. Running head (section head)
• Navigation elements that guide the reader.
• If you set them in brightly colored box and bleed them out of
the page they are visible when the magazine is closed!
• Reflect the tone of the magazine.
• Should be done in the beginning of magazine creation.
• Not all pages need running head-place at beginning of
sections
• Don’t over do it-they shouldn’t dominate the page.

11. Folio
• Consists of many elements. Mandatory-page number
• Optional: publication logo, date, month, section title, web page.
• Typically the same on every page, but you can switch it up in
non-traditional magazines (ex. larger on section starter pgs.)
• If you choose to put it on one page in a spread-choose the right
hand side.
• It’s up to the designer to determine whether the pg. # should go
over an image.

12. Folio
• Consists of many elements. Mandatory-page number
• Optional: publication logo, date, month, section title, web page.
• Typically the same on every page, but you can switch it up in
non-traditional magazines (ex. larger on section starter pgs.)
• If you choose to put it on one page in a spread-choose the right
hand side.
• It’s up to the designer to determine whether the pg. # should go
over an image.

13. Workflow
Flatplan & Structure

14. Flatplan
• A flatplan is a
diagram of thumbnail
pages in which each
story is represented
by the number of
pages (thumbs) it
consists.

15. How to use a Flatplan…
• When making a flatplan, ad pages should be marked clearly.
Also as you are done with certain pages mark them so that you
will know how many pages are finished.
• It is similar to a story board. Pages are arranged in a way so
that the magazine has a flow.
• Ex. If you have several 8pg stories, it’s a good idea to break
those stories with a few short stories or ads to maintain
balance.
• Flatplans can change daily depending on the articles (they
could be made longer or shorter) or ads (adding or dropping
ads).
• It’s important that everyone has an updated plan!

16. • Art directors often print out the finished pages of the
magazine to help them identify any flaws in the rhythm or
flow of the magazine.
• Thumbnails are important! How can you utilize this system in
your own workflow?

17. Structure
• C1-Cover Page
• C2-Advertisement (2nd most expensive ad)
• C3-Advertiser (3rd most expensive ad pg) or TOC
• C4- Back page of magazine (most expensive ad
pg)

18. Table of Contents
• Always 1st page of
magazine
• Can be laid out on 1 page,
two page spread, or in two
pages intersected with
advertising (ad pgs on right)
• With or without images
• Must distinctly show page
numbers, headlines, and
descriptions.
• Good typography design is
essential on these pages!

19. Impressum
• Usually placed in the front
of the book, but can be in
back
• List of all people that work
in the magazine (from
editorial staff to marketing
and sales people to
publishers, etc.)
• Straightforward and clean
• Magazine masthead (logo)
is usually at the top of pg.

20. Editor’s Letter
• 1st editorial page in
magazine.
• Welcoming letter from
editor-in-chief where he/she
explains issue’s content.
• Covers main topics and
(possibly) some insight or
background on the topics.

21. Other Key Front Pages
Short 1 page topics
• News sections
• Reviews
• Topics about society,
culture, arts, events, etc.
• Short interviews or
columns
Section Start pages
• Generally opens a certain
section of the magazine
(news section, beauty
section, etc.)
• Can be use throughout
magazine
The front of the magazine follows a structure and design that is
only slightly changed from issue to issue.

22. Feature Well
• Largest part of magazine
• Contains main features (long or short articles)
• Not many ads
• Important to plan this section in the flatplan to make sure that
the pages flow well in regards to size and color.
• This is where designers have the biggest freedom,
although certain style of the publication should be followed.

23. Back of the book
• Contains remaining content from the front of the book,
shorter articles, news, listing, remaining columns,
horoscopes, etc.
• Less important than the front (from advertisers point of view)
• Material should NOT be less interesting here, but rather the
more laid back content.
• The last page is typically rserved for the columnist, short
essay, short interview.
• Generally advertising is cheaper – smaller ads (1/4pg 1/16
pg) grouped on these pages.
The front of the magazine follows a structure and design that is
only slightly changed from issue to issue.

24. Good and bad
Practices
Magazine Spreads

25. Single Pages
• Never think of a page singularly, but as a spread!
• The page might be on it’s own, but it creates a unit
with another page-even if it’s an ad!
• Peripheral vision allows us to view the entire
spread in a normal viewing distance (unlike a
newspaper).
• You must always consider what will be on the
other page.

26. Elements of the Spread
• Think about holding a magazine in your hands or
laying it down on a table to flip through it…the
most visible side is the right side.
• The most visible parts of a spread are the outer
upper parts!
• Place best content on outsides-provocative image
and words.
• That’s why footnotes and some credits are on the
inner corners near the gutter!

27. Reader’s Eye Direction
• Readers concentrate on
the top parts of the spread.
• Work from top left and
continue to the bottom.

28. Example of Bad Text Flow

29. Example of Good Text Flow

30. Sources
• http://www.magazinedesigning.com/magazine-flatplan/
• http://www.magazinedesigning.com/magazine-spreads-good-bad-practices/
• http://www.magazinedesigning.com/structure-of-the-magazine/
• http://www.magazinedesigning.com/magazine-page-elements/
• http://www.magazinedesigning.com/magazine-columns/
• http://www.magazinedesigning.com/magazine-masthead-creation/