Codes & Conventions of Magazine Front Covers

TITLE: unique font (trademark) usually one word, fills the width of the cover, or is in top left corner. 

POSITIONING STATEMENT: usually above or below the title – also suggests how the magazine positions itself within the market place. 

PRICE AND ISSUE DATE: by the title (11pt size). Is sometimes by the bar code. 

IMAGE: usually of a band/singer, conveys attitude which is usually associated with feature article and show the artists personality and reflects the magazines content. Usually uses direct address.

PUFF: offering something extra to the magazine – is a selling point. 

BUZZWORDS: e.g. ‘EXCLUSIVE’ –done to make reader believe that they cannot read a certain article in any other magazine – selling point – usually refers to the feature article. 

COVERLINES (SELL LINES): there are used to sell the magazine. The main feature article has the largest text on the cover after the title, and it anchors the meaning of the image displayed. (This is also known as the main coverline).

- Usually a sub line with it in smaller text, giving more information about the article.

- The other coverlines are usually one or two words with sublines explaining them.

- This is consistent across the design. 

- First two lines or words in colour or larger font size or different form to the sublines. Some are used to intrigue the reader, convincing them to open the magazine and find out what the coverlines and sublines mean. 

- Coverlines also frame the main image or are down one side of the magazine. 

- Strip across the top or bottom containing artist names that feature in the magazine – another way of selling the magazine – conveys that the magazine is full of good features.

BARCODE: is on the front of the magazine because on the back of the magazine is an advert which the magazine has been paid for for it to feature there, the company buying the back page would not want the barcode on the front, therefore the magazine must place the barcode on the front cover.