This document discusses various design elements used in magazine layouts, including: - Large drop capitals at the beginning of articles to draw attention. - Margins that ensure text fits and gives the page a nice frame. - Basic headers placed in the corner so the image and copy are more prominent. - Grids that typically split pages into thirds, with images taking up two thirds for attention.

1. Task 3

2. This particular design uses drop capitals but the very first one takes up the
whole page. The shock of the red gains attention. It clashes well against the
black and white copy and image.
Margins have been used, they are always used but sometimes are called trim
lines. They ensure that all the text fits on the page, that the copy doesn’t get cut
off. They also give the article a nice frame giving it a nice overall look
and professional finish.
The header on this
article is very basic, just
the name of the artist
they have interviewed. It
is also tucked up in the
top corner, the image
and copy are more
important so the
heading has been
pushed aside. The image
is title enough for the
article. However, most
articles do have large
titles that are very eye
catching. They usually
use quotes from the
interview to get the
audience interested.

3. Grids usually split the page into thirds. On this example the image is meant to take up two thirds of the page.
This layout is very popular as the image is the part that draws in most attention.
Here we have copy that is facing landscape. The orientation of this article is portrait yet there is still
horizontal writing. This copy is about the photoshoot and the clothes she is wearing. It’s not important
to the contents of the article but it is information people might like to know so it is included somewhere
that won’t take too much attention away from the main copy.
The page
number is
included so
people can
find the
article right
away form
the contents
page. It can
be placed at
the top or
bottom of the
page but it
depends on
the house
style of the
publication.

4. The use of pull quote in this article helps to break up the text. It has been placed in a speech bubble which
creates shape and contrast. It catches the eye and is one of the first things you read. The use of these
shapes, also known as blobs and stars, help to gain more attention and add a creative flare to the layout.
The article isn’t a formal one and the use of these shapes help to make it look more fun and give it the look
the editor wanted. This is continued into the borders used on the images in the bottom right corner. A
Polaroid border has been used to up keep with the young and fresh look the spread wants to give off.
The background of the
photoshoot has been
used as the background of
the article. Having the
image go across both
pages lets people know
that the article is a two
page spread. Most main
articles go across a
number of pages so
having the same font and
colours help the reader
know that those pages
belong together.

5. There is a lot of white space on the page with the copy on. This is so the title and its design gets
the attention it deserves. The use of white space can give an article a professional look. It also
helps make the important things stand out, like the title or a logo. However, if it is done wrong it
can make a page look incomplete. The public don’t want to read an article that looks incomplete.
Copy is usually laid out in columns. The size of the
columns depend on the layout of the page and the
design the publication is after. Most documents
use columns that take up a third of a page. The use
of columns help when you have to fit text around
an image.
This article also has a strapline. This is the
(few) lines of text that are placed below the
title. It sums up the article and lets the reader
know what the concept is. It often includes a
question or two that gets the audience
hooked. It gives you information but leaves
out enough to get you to want to know more.

6. Kerrang! is a magazine that often uses the reverse
technique. This is when they use white copy on a black
background, the opposite what is normally published.
The baseline is an imaginary line that texts rests on. Even is
the line is at an angle it still makes the text straight. It is
often used for headings or captions as they are often in the
middle of text and a line would break the flow the reader
has created.
This image is a cut-out. It means the background has been removed so the
object of the image is left. Doing this helps when designing layout. You can fit
more text onto the article is you remove the background of the image. If you
wrap the text around the image then it is easier to tell they belong together. It
makes the text and image look like one and finishes the article of nicely.
Crossheads
help to split up
the text. They
are often pull
quotes but they
can also be
subtitles. Split
up the text into
sections so they
are easier to
read.
The dateline is
at the bottom
of this page. It
lets the readers
know how recent the information is. There
could be interviews that include
information that has been cleared up since
it was published so in order not to confuse
the reader the date has been added.