ArticlesBase.com - Free Articles Directory
Free Online Articles Directory
07.10.2008 Sign In Register Hello Guest
Email:
Password:
Remember Me 
forgot your password?


Magazine & Newsletter Covers - Design Considerations for Editors

Author: Paul D Kennedy Author Ranking Blue | Posted: 30-06-2008 | Comments: 2 | Views: 59 | Rating:  (90) Article Popularity - Blue (?) Got a Question? Ask.
Sign Up Now!

The cover is the first impression a potential reader gets of a magazine, newsletter or journal. His or her reaction to the cover will decide whether your product will be bought or read.

In this article I mainly discuss covers for products sold from magazine racks. However you can apply most of my remarks to periodicals that will be delivered by the postal service or sent as ezines.

The primary business purpose of the cover is to get potential readers to pick it up – the first stage in the buying process. Whatever goes on the cover must be judged by this simple criterion: will it induce the reader to reach for the product?

Looks therefore are secondary. But any halfway decent designer will know how to fulfill the business purpose and, at the same time, make the cover look good.

A cover has five main elements:




  • Logo-name


  • Format


  • Cover-images


  • Cover-lines


  • Colour



 

Get all five right and you’ll have a product that stands out and has irresistible pick-me-up appeal.

The logo-name
This is the name I have for the title that appears on the cover. It usually consists of just the name in a special font. I call it a logo-name, because it is the main identifier of the product and, like all logos, must be memorable and instantly recognizable.

Make it easy to read. The simpler, the better as simple shapes are more understandable, more memorable and easier to recognize. This is especially true where there are other factors that identify the product, such as its format or the images on the cover. A logo-name rich in graphics, in which your designer has ripped loose on the font shapes, should only be used for periodicals, such as academic journals, which do not have images on their covers.

Have space around the logo-name. It must be displayed in its own space because if it is surrounded by a lot of other matter its importance as an identifier will be reduced.

The position of the logo-name on the cover will depend on how it is to be distributed. If you are producing a commercial product that will be displayed on a magazine rack then the logo-name should be on the top-left corner of the cover, so that it will be visible when other magazines overlap it on the stand. If you are producing a newsletter that will be delivered by mail or email, the position of the logo-name is not so crucial and some variation is possible, depending on your readers’ expectations.

The cover format
The format should be standardized because, like the logo-name, it is an identifier. Indeed a standardized cover will make the product quickly recognizable, which is vital for a commercial magazine. Standardization also makes the cover easier to produce.

However do not turn the format into a straitjacket. Allow your designer to depart from it where it makes sense from the point of view of the primary business purpose of the cover – to get the potential reader to pick up the magazine.

Cover images
These are the eye-catchers. The pictures on the cover must grab attention and arouse curiosity. You should use different images from issue to issue – to distinguish the issues from each other – but at the same time the images must be stylistically the same in order to identify the magazine and set it off from other titles.

Cover-lines
The words on the cover exist to draw the reader into the issue. They are perhaps the most important element of the cover.

Cover-lines must therefore be intriguing, arouse curiosity, and convey messages about interesting content. Above all they must be capable of being understood with a high-speed scan. So:




  • Keep them simple – readers only care about what they say not how fancy they look;


  • Make them long enough to get the message across;


  • Use lower case as it saves space and reads faster;


  • Don’t use block capitals because a whole line of them is difficult to read; and


  • Don’t give initial capitals to all the words or you will be forcing the reader’s eye to jump up and down for the whole length of the line.



 

You also need to take the viewer’s distance into account. A product sold from a magazine-rack needs large cover-lines so that it is visible from far away. This does not matter if your product will be delivered in a mail-wrapper or viewed on a monitor.

Because they should not compete with the cover images, black or white cover-lines are best – which brings us to the final element: colour.

Colour
Use a colour for your cover that makes it stand out from the crowd. Look at rival titles in the locations where yours will be sold and choose a colour that prevents your cover from disappearing among the rest. If rival magazines have gaudy colours, try black and white.

View in context
Finally, make up a dummy and examine your cover design in the context in which your targeted buyer will see it.

You could:
(a) place the dummy among other products in a magazine-rack;
(b) put it on a coffee table among plenty of other magazines; and
(c) hide the dummy in your in-box or in a pile of junk mail.

Does the dummy stand out? Does it have that irresistible pick-me-up appeal? Is the title clearly visible and recognizable? Does the cover-line for the main story grab you?

The answers will be staring you and your designer in the face.

Rate this Article: Current: 4 / 5 stars - 1 vote(s).

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/publishing-articles/magazine-newsletter-covers-design-considerations-for-editors-467544.html

Print this Article Print article   Email to a Friend Send to friend   Publish this Article on your Website Publish this Article   Send Author Feedback Author feedback  
Paul D KennedyAbout the Author:

Paul D Kennedy (http://www.paul-kennedy.com) is a business consultant and writer. A short-story prize winner, he was founding editor of ‘Kuwait this month’. His book ‘Doing Business with Kuwait’ (Kogan Page, London, 1997 and 2004) is the definite guide to that country. ‘Arabic Tales for the young and the curious’ (http://www.arabic-tales.com), Paul's recreation of Arab folk myths, is available on Amazon. Paul D Kennedy's professional writing services are available from http://www.writingservices.eu

Submitting articles has become one of the most popular means of generating quality backlinks and targeted traffic to your website. Join us today - It's Free!

Article Comments

Comment on this article Comment on this article
Your Name
Your Email:
Comment Body
Enter Validation Code: Captcha

0
1. a. jewell (13:50, 02.10.2008)
this is great information. very short but tells alot. in a short summary about the colors, logo names, and cover images.
0
2. leah (13:47, 02.10.2008)
very short... alot of information

Related Articles

A solid foundation to creating a profitable ezine!
By: William Johnston | 13/09/2005 | Email

The Print-on-demand Contract
By: Linda A Lavid | 05/02/2008 | Self Publishing

Why Publication Format Matters
By: Linda A Lavid | 28/09/2008 | Self Publishing

Gus Hansen Launches Online Poker Community
By: Morten Rosse | 17/01/2008 | Online Gambling
Online Gambling Articles, Learn about how online casinos are the online version of land-based casinos. They allow you to play casino games through the Internet.

Why Subscribing Too Many Newsletters Can Cost You Money
By: Izrul Fizal | 11/09/2006 | Business
Business Articles, learn about busines - An organization created with the objective of making a profit from the sale of goods or services.

TEN High-Impact Viral Marketing Strategies
By: Dan Brown | 20/09/2005 | Viral Marketing

The Origin Of Email Marketing
By: Obinna Heche | 12/07/2007 | Advertising
Advertising Articles, Advertising is the paid promotion of goods, services, companies and ideas by an identified sponsor. Marketers see advertising as part of an overall promotional strategy.

Laser Vision Correction Surgery: Can It Make Me See?
By: Susan Dean | 16/12/2005 | Health

Got a Question? Ask.

Ask the community a question about this article:

Q&A Powered by:
Powered by Yedda 

Latest Publishing Articles

Content Creation - Got 10 Thumbs? You Can Still Create Information Products at the Speed of Sound
By: Rosey Dow | 05/10/2008
Are you fumble fingers on the keyboard? Can't spell? Now you can write with your mouth instead of your hands.

Content Creation - Got 10 Thumbs? You Can Still Create Information Products at the Speed of Sound
By: Rosey Dow | 05/10/2008
Are you fumble fingers on the keyboard? Can't spell? Now you can write with your mouth instead of your hands.

6 Tips for the Aspiring Writer - the Road to Publishing Your Book
By: Les Anderson | 04/10/2008
Words of wisdom and experience about the trials, errors and successes from authors who have been down the road to publication. For the person hoping to be published, is there a single piece of advice you would like to pass on?

To Have an Agent or not to Have an Agent: Do I Need a Literary Agent? Part 2
By: Stacy-Deanne | 04/10/2008
The conclusion of a two-part article highlighting why a writer would or would not want to seek out a literary agent.

To Have an Agent or not to Have an Agent: Do I Need a Literary Agent? Part 1
By: Stacy-Deanne | 04/10/2008
Part one of an article outlining the reasons why new writers may or may not seek out literary agents for their work.

Why Your Writing Isn't Working
By: Patrika Vaughn | 30/09/2008
Find out what needs to be fixed with your writing before you hit the publishing office.

Is There a Demand for Print on Demand?
By: David L. | 30/09/2008
The "real deal" on the pro's and con's of self-publishing versus print-on-demand (or vanity/subidy) publishing

Warnings From a Traditionally Published Author: Don’t be Bamboozled Into Self-publishing a Book
By: Stacy-Deanne | 30/09/2008
An article exposing the dishonest myths that some self-published authors spread upon the public in hopes to steer new writers into self-publishing.

More from Paul D Kennedy

Why Read Folk-tales From Arabia?
By: Paul D Kennedy | 02/10/2008 | Literature
Because they are rattling good stories. Folk tales from Arabia are plot driven, contain little padding, and are peopled by interesting characters that are utterly believable, even when they happen to be supernatural beings or animals.

Italics – When You Should Use Them
By: Paul D Kennedy | 03/07/2008 | Publishing
The purpose of italic typefaces is to aid the reader’s comprehension by separating off certain words and phrases from their surrounding text. But when exactly should you use italics?

Creating a Corporate Writing Style
By: Paul D Kennedy | 25/06/2008 | Marketing Tips
Developing a corporate writing style will unify your company’s communications and create a unique ‘voice’ that enhances corporate recognition and brand awareness. To ensure that your corporate writing style is applied consistently, you need a style-guide.

Article Categories






Give Feedback

Sign up for our email newsletter

Receive updates, enter your email below