Codes and Conventions of a Contents Page

• Simple colour scheme.
• Contents are written in the conventional way.

Images

• In some cases, the contents page contains lots of different images. In others, only a select few are used.
• There is always 1 main image relating to a feature article.
• Other smaller images are displayed in either a structured or collaged layout. This varies throughout different magazines.
• On some contents pages there is an image of the front cover of the magazine.

Features

• Contains a trademark (the magazine name).
• Every contents page states the issue date and number.
• The name of the magazine and the word 'CONTENTS'.
• Subscription details and contact information.
• Page numbers of the images which anchor them to the written contents.
• Sometime's there is an editor's letter.

Layout

• There are usually 3 or 4 columns containing text and images.
• Contents are divided into the categories 'FEATURES' and 'REGULARS'. Headers are used to identify each category.
• The photography of the front cover is credited.
• There is a footer containing the page number, the magazine name, the issue date, and in some cases, the web address.

First Line

• Page number followed by 1 or 2 words. This could be an artist's name or ambiguous text to intrigue the reader.
• Bold type and often capital letters are used.
• The average font size is 12/13 pt.

Sub-Line

• The sub-line's job is to give you more specific details about what the article's about.
• A small, Roman font is used.
• No bigger than 11pt.

Codes and Conventions of a Magazine Cover

• A puff is used to offer readers of the magazine something extra.
• Buzzwords like 'EXCLUSIVE' are used to describe the main feature article. This shows the readers that this is the only opportunity they will read that specific article.

Masthead

• The title of a magazine is situated on the top left-hand corner of the page and, in some cases, fills the width of the page. It is written in a unique font to prevent copyright infringement and to give a trademark image to the name of the magazine. It is usually one word long.
• Sometimes there is a positioning statement above or below the magazine title.
• The issue and date is always displayed on every magazine using an 11pt sized font.

Main Image

• The large main image, which takes up the whole front cover, is the main focus of the main feature article.
• On a music magazine the image would be of a singer or band.
• A majority of the time it would be a studio photograph.
• In most cases, it uses direct address so that the image is always looking at the individual.
• The image conveys attitude.

Cover Lines

• The largest cover line is the largest text on the cover (after the title) and it anchors the meaning of the image.
• There is usually a sub-line with it in a smaller font giving more information about the article.
• There can often be a strip or bar across the top or bottom of the page listing features in the magazine. Sometimes it is just listed as a cover line.
• The smaller cover lines frame the main image.
• Smaller cover lines are usually 1 or 2 words with sub-lines explaining them. This is constistent across the design.
• The first 2 lines are displayed in a different colour/larger font size/different font so that they stand out to the sub-lines and don't merge together. This also attracts the attention of the reader with more ease.
• Cover lines don't state the specifics of the content in the magazine and are used to intrigue the reader and make them buy the magazine to read on.

Colours

• Only a small number of colours are used to prevent the cover from looking messy.
• The text colours used contrast with the background colour so that they stand out.

Introduction

Preliminary Exercise

Using DTP and an image manipulation programme, I will produce the front page of a new school/college magazine, featuring a photgraph of a student in medium close-up plus some appropriately laid-out text and a masthead. Additionally, I must produce a mock-up of the layout of the contents page to demonstrate my grasp of DTP.

 

Main Task

I will produce the front page, the contents pages and a double page spread of a new music magazine using the same methods I did during the preliminary exercise.

 

All images and text I use throughout each task must be original, produced by myself. I will have a minimum of four pages.