Conventions of a Magazine Front Cover

A magazine front cover is the selling point to targeted audiences due to the first impression that the contents contain. In order to sell magazines and attract customers, there are various conventions that all magazine covers contain, with the majority of these conventions being deemed as necessities in forming the layout of a magazine front cover.

These conventions are:

Masthead - This is the name of the magazine. It is commonly the biggest font of the page, so as to stand out, and is usually placed at the top of the cover, so as to be seen in shops on a magazine stand if there are other magazines blocking out the rest of the cover.

Dominant Central Image - This is the focus image that takes up a large chunk of space on the cover, usually in the centre.

Cover lines - These are designed to inform the reader as to what is inside the magazine. Cover lines tend to include movies that have recently come out, and stars or celebrities that will attract a certain audience to the magazine.

Main cover line - This is a cover line that is directly linked to the dominant central image. Will be the magazine's focus point in this issue.

Web address - Reference to the magazine's online website, which has different capabilities to the magazine.

Slogan - A phrase that is specifically affiliated to a magazine. Not all magazines have a slogan, so it is a personal decision whether to have one or not.

Date - Film magazines usually come out on a monthly basis, so it is likely that only the month and year would be located on the magazine, for example, 'May 2014'.

Price - The cost of the magazine

Issue number - Not always located on the magazine front cover. Reference to the number of magazines that the publication has produced, including the current magazine.

Barcode - Unique for each magazine. Present on all magazines.

Banners - Designs on the magazine so as to promote specific parts of the front cover, for example, offers, prizes, and specific parts of the magazine, such as dedicated pages to a certain film/actor.

Other images - To promote the magazine and its contents.

Reference to free gifts - Promotions for affiliated products that the publication provide, for example, free 3D glasses.