This document provides guidance on planning the design elements of a magazine cover, including the main image, text components like the masthead and cover lines, additional elements such as bar codes and dates, using a color scheme that matches the main image, and planning the graphic elements, magazine name, featured articles, images, target audience, and color scheme to appeal to readers.

1. Planning

2. What are the main elements of a magazine cover?
 Main image
 Text
 Colour scheme
What different text elements will we have?
 Masthead
 Main cover line
 Feature article
 Additional cover lines
 Date line (date, issue number, price)
What additional elements can we find?
 Bar code
 Skyline/Header
 Strapline
 Flashes
How should you plan the colour of your text in the magazine cover?
 Colour scheme: Matching colours in text and main image.
How many colours should you use in your cover lines?
 The main two colours in the image + black or white.

3. Plan the design of your magazine cover:
 What graphic elements do you need to include?
 What is the name of your magazine (masthead)?
 What is the main feature (main cover line) in your magazine?
 What other features (cover lines) are you including in your magazine?
 What will your main image look like?What other images are you going to use? (Remember
that you must include at least five original images in total)
 Codes and conventions of magazines of this genre. What are the codes and conventions of
this genre?What is your target audience? How are you going to use those codes and
conventions to appeal to your target audience's interests and fulfil their expectations?
 Composition of your contents page: Where are you going to place your text, so it will make
sense when reading it and will allow the audience to see the image clearly?
 Use of colours:What are the main two colours in your image? Use these for your texts
(title/ headlines)