Research: Conventions of a Magazine Cover

    Its safe to say that almost everybody knows what a magazine is. You can find them in stores, libraries, and stations on the streets. Magazines can cover all types of media, art, hobbies, and almost anything you can think about. But, in order to present this type of information in a way to keep a reader intrigued and interested, there are some conventions and characteristics of magazines that make them stand out and help them achieve their goal, to get someone to read through the entire thing.

    

    Here is an example of a real magazine, with all of its conventions and elements covered. 

    First, it should be known that every magazine has a masthead, which is the magazines title. This is usually seen at the top, also representing its brand. In this specific example, the brand is GQ. 

    Next, its important to note and identify the main coverline, which is also associated with the main image, and the main article inside the magazine. In this case, the main image is a facial portrait of Leonardo DiCaprio, who is a famous actor and is known for many roles. 

    In addition to the coverline, there are also other smaller coverlines, which are made to show the consumer what else the contents of the magazine may entail. These can be seen all around the cover, but out of the way of the main image. 

    Similar to the smaller coverlines, there are also puffs and plugs. These are coverlines that reside within shapes, usually a circle or square. The reasoning for this is to allow it to stand out even more, catching the eyes of readers who simply glance at the cover. In addition, it can also create a neater area on the cover to better organize the contents on the main cover.

    Now, as a magazine is a product which is sold, it has price tags and barcodes so consumers know the price and are able to purchase it. Another characteristic similar is the dateline, which simply provides the reader with the date that the magazine was published.

    With this information, I will be able to apply it when creating my own version of a magazine, fulfilling its purpose by correctly using the conventions. Following this, it is important and necessary to do research on not only conventions of the cover, but also of the contents within the magazine, such as the table of contents, its page count, the articles within the magazine, and more.