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[1] Intro

The role of the magazine art director and
designer is to convey the editorial message and
voice, and capture reader attention, with visuals
including layout, typography, photography and
illustration. It is more than just decoration; it
goes to the core of the editorial mission.

“Design should never say, ‘Look at me.’ It
should always say, ‘Look at this.’”
—Graphic Designer David Craib, Parable Communications, Ottawa

[2] Anatomy of a magazine spread
Signpost or slug Horizontal rule Gutter FP4C ad

Head (hed)

Deck (dek)

Drop cap

Text (body
copy)

Close-crop
photo

RHP

Folio Vertical rule Bleed Jump or turn White space

[3] Architecture

Common metaphor: The 3-course meal

Hors d’oeuvres: Main course: Dessert:

Cover Feature well Back of book
Editor’s note Cover story Columns
Letters Secondary features Listings
Front of book Service pieces
section (usually Reviews
named) Classifieds/small
Columns ads
End piece

Almost every magazine in the world has this architecture. Readers are
intimate with it, if not conscience of it

[3a] Architecture

Other metaphors:

“The classic form is quite like that of a grand opera. You whet the
appetite with the overture... Next the opera may introduce us to
shorter passages and fragments of melodies, building up to the
climax of a great aria...”
—Horst Moser

“ [Neville] Brody, for instance, refers to examples from
architecture, and says that he tried to base his design for The
Face on town planning, guiding his reader through the magazine
with signposts and, at particular points, with open spaces.”

[4] Grid

3-column: standard
4-column: front and back more typical
2-column: sometimes features

Usually dictated by the type of advertising you’ll
get (e.g. partials vs full-pages, ads in
competitive set)

Affects personality: 4-column faster pace,
2-column bookish

A key decision: decide on grid structure early

[5] Advertising: part of the visual experience

Partials:
• 1/2 page vertical, horizontal, island
• 1/3 page vertical, island
• 1/4 page
• 1/6 page
• Full page
• Double-page spread (DPS)
• Inserts, tip-ons

The advertising you can expect to get will play a big role in
your architecture, not the other way around

The more partial ads, the more challenging for the designer.
Can look junkier.

[5a] Advertising: part of the visual experience

Advertising voice vs editorial voice: make sure there is
contrast

Advertising voice: colour, mixed typography

Editorial voice: white, white space, constrained typography

[6] Typography

The most important design choice

Huge factor in conveying your editorial voice and personality
(along with image selection and layout)

Best Looks for Fall
Best Looks for Fall
Best Looks for Fall
Best Looks for Fall
Usually the first indicator of amateur vs professional design

Borrow from other magazines: everybody does it

Learn the language of typography

[6a] Typography

Serif, serif, serif, serif:
e.g. Century Schoolbook, Bodoni, Caslon, Times New Roman

Use serif type for body copy and also display

Sans serif, sans serif, sans serif:
Meta, Helvetica, Bureau Grotesque

Display, captions, secondary copy e.g. sidebars

Sans serif type often works well for headlines

[7] Anatomy of the Cover

Skybar

Logo Folio
(sometimes
called the
masthead) Tag line

Starburst Secondary cover
(disruptor) line

Inset photo

Main cover line
or sell line
UPC code and
bipad #

[7a] Anatomy of the Cover

Radical clarity
over cuteness!
For most magazines, cover lines must
instantly communicate benefit to the reader

[7b] Anatomy of the Cover

Think about how your magazine will be displayed:

• On a newsstand: full face or covered up?
• In a rack
• In the mailbox

[8] Physical Format

• Size (standard/editorial, oversize, tabloid, digest)
• Binding (saddlestitched, perfect bound, loose)
• Paper (glossy coated, matte coated, uncoated,
supercalendared)

Considerations:
• Cost
• Personality
• Competitive set
• Feel
• Environment
• Reproduction
• Advertiser expectations
• Distribution mode (postal, newsstand, racks, etc.)

[9] Mix: the secret to a great magazine

Visual mix:
•Photography vs illustration vs text/typography
•Size (images, type, white space)
•Length (articles)

Editorial mix:
•Voice/voices
•Story choice
•Article length

Article formats:
•Features
•Essays
•Short items: front of book
•Columns
•Service pieces
•Illustrated pieces/infographics/photo essays
•Q&A
•Surveys
•Signature pages/formats

[9b] Mix: table of contents (TOC)

[9c] Mix: masthead, ed note, partials

[9d] Mix: front of book, opener, rhp

[9e] Mix: front of book, columns, sidebars, lhp

[9f] Mix: front of book, departments, pacing

[9g] Mix: feature well, DPS, pacing, white space

[9h] Mix: feature, recurring design motif

[9i] Mix: feature, recurring design motif

[9j] Mix: opening spread, slab serif, illo, rules

[9k] Mix: inside page, pull-quote

[9l] Mix: opening spread, colour, font

[9m] Mix: inside spread, ad insert

[9n] Mix: cover opener, special display font

[9o] Mix: cover feature, recurring design motif

[9p] Mix: cover feature, recurring design motif

[9q] Mix: cover feature, pacing device

[9r] Mix: cover feature, b&w, 2-col

[9s] Mix: cover feature, colour illo

[9t] Mix: back of book opener, rhp

[9u] Mix: back of book, partial ads, 3-col

[9v] Mix: back page department, signature piece

[10] Your magazine

Budget = physical format
Personality = physical format

What advertising can you expect to get?

Find magazines with similar personalities and missions, borrow and
adapt

Decide on grid & basic architecture (remember those ads!)

Choose 2 fonts and basic type styling: front, middle, back (borrow!)
Type is your most important weapon

Choose colour palette (business colours vs playful colours)

Think about pacing esp. editorial well

Focus on cover. Think about how it will be displayed

Work with printer for best reproduction, e.g. file specs

[10a] Your magazine

A few things to watch out for:

• Editorial photos bleeding into advertising
• Advertising content/colours clashing with editorial content/colours
• Tombstone headlines (depending)
• Lack of contrast: mix up sizes (e.g. images), colours
• Too many type styles
• Choose radical clarity over cuteness

[11] Web links

Society of Publication Designers
SPD.org
• The Process blog, lots of cover examples

Coverssells.com

MastheadOnline.com

Typedia.com

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