The Secrets of Magazine - Cover Design

Key ingredients to use on a front cover

• The way that the cover looks is dictated by the publishing and editorial strategy that is designed to put across.
• The cover is the most important.
• Consumer magazine editors worry more about the cover more than any other part. In the UK 90% of sales are in newsagents.
• No absolute rules.
• Generally photographs work better than illustration. It depends what genre. Models will be chosen younger that intended audience, however for teen magazines models are older.
• Note that faces are not centered on the nose, but instead the eyes. People prefer images of others with wide open pupils which shows attraction.
• Avoid white, black and green. Red stands out, but can be over used. Contrast between colours may be more important.
• Numbers are used to suggest there is a lot in the magazine. The bigger the better, with many editors prefering figures such as 162 to rounded numbers such as 100.