Typical magazine cover conventions include: - The masthead displays the magazine's name or logo. - The main coverline usually promotes the main story, in larger text in the center of the cover. - Banners, with images or text, are used to attract attention and are placed across the cover. - A cover picture, relating to the main topic, is enlarged as the background image. - A barcode, scanned for price/issue number, must be included and can be on the front, back, or contents page.

2. Typical Conventions
• Masthead – used for the name/logo of the magazine.
• Main Coverline – usually used for the main story in the magazine, e.g. a
band name.
• Banner – used for images or text across the cover to attract attention.
• Cover picture – can be placed over the top of banners, images and text
on the banner are usually linked. A main cover picture is used for the
background, sized up to fit the magazine, relating to the main topic.
• House Style – The colour scheme used on the magazine.
• Barcode – a barcode is used on ALL magazines, usually to display the
price/issue number. Can sometimes be found on the back of the
magazine, rarely found on the contents page.

3. Masthead
• A masthead is the name or logo of the
magazine. For example:

4. Main Coverline
• The main coverline is usually the main topic of
the article placed in a larger text in the midsection of the magazine.

5. Banner
• A banner is placed across the cover usually
with text written on it or pictures in it or
overlapping it, stands out against the
background.

6. Cover picture
• The cover picture is the enlarged image used
as the background for most
magazines, typically relating to the topic of the
main article.

7. Barcode
• The barcode is used on all magazines to be
scanned for the price. Some may include the issue
number or price. The barcode can be found on the
cover, on the back, and in rare cases on the
contents page.

8. Pictures and
poster offers to
attract buyers.
Yellow + signs
and words
separating band
names, yellow is
a smaller part of
the colour
scheme to
highlight and
separate certain
things.
Main coverline
Larger font, runs right along the front of
the magazine to emphasize the text.
White text to contrast against the red
and black background.
Includes two subheadings below and
above.
Cover pictures
surrounded by
text that
matches the
colour
scheme.
Strapline
Smaller line of text
above and below
the main coverline
Coverlines
The coverlines
indicate the smaller
stories within the
magazines, displaye
d on the front cover
in a house-style
text.
Banner of black
text on a white
background to
make it stand
out. Surrounds
the main
coverline.
Masthead
Kerrang have used a reasonably simple masthead with
Kerrang’s traditional font in a matt black colour to contrast
against the red and white background making it stand out.
Barcode, usually found on front cover. Scanned for price
Band names to attract one off buyers.
Pull quote
Quote taken directly from
the article and displayed on
the cover to spark interest.