Magazine CoversMagazine Covers

The Decline of Western DesignThe Decline of Western Design

Early 20th Century Cover Designs – when design was still an art!

First ImpressionsFirst Impressions

Want to know what a magazine is really Want to know what a magazine is really about…DON’T GO BY THE COVER about…DON’T GO BY THE COVER GRAPHIC!GRAPHIC!

Although the cover of a magazine is Although the cover of a magazine is related to its content, the cover images are related to its content, the cover images are designed to attract your attention and designed to attract your attention and separate you from your money!separate you from your money!

First ImpressionsFirst Impressions

The magazine cover is designed to make The magazine cover is designed to make a good first impression.a good first impression.

Since colour photographic technologies Since colour photographic technologies were still being developed, traditional were still being developed, traditional covers from the early 20covers from the early 20thth century often century often featured graphic art rather than the featured graphic art rather than the photographic covers we see most often photographic covers we see most often today.today.

The Poster CoverThe Poster Cover

From the 1890s to the 1960s, one type of From the 1890s to the 1960s, one type of cover could be said to dominate the cover could be said to dominate the magazine field. It was not the only kind of magazine field. It was not the only kind of cover to be found, but the poster cover cover to be found, but the poster cover produced so many memorable covers on produced so many memorable covers on so many issues of so many magazines so many issues of so many magazines that it is sometimes looked upon as the that it is sometimes looked upon as the standard against which all other kinds of standard against which all other kinds of covers must be measured. covers must be measured.

Some traditional examples of Some traditional examples of poster covers…poster covers…

Some contemporary examples of Some contemporary examples of poster covers…poster covers…

The poster-type cover contains, in effect, The poster-type cover contains, in effect, an invisible cover line saying something an invisible cover line saying something like: "We don't need to tell you that there like: "We don't need to tell you that there are many other articles inside that you will are many other articles inside that you will will read with great interest." will read with great interest."

The design of these covers is often quite The design of these covers is often quite striking and artisticstriking and artistic

Integrated CoversIntegrated Covers

While many magazines boasted artful While many magazines boasted artful poster covers, others relied heavily on poster covers, others relied heavily on cover lines to draw readers inside in a cover lines to draw readers inside in a more definite way than the cover art could more definite way than the cover art could accomplish. accomplish.

The use of text styles that complemented The use of text styles that complemented the cover graphic becoming in effect, an the cover graphic becoming in effect, an integrated designintegrated design

Early integrated covers…Early integrated covers… a large title with the model's a large title with the model's

face overlapping it face overlapping it a model in a (nearly) full a model in a (nearly) full

body pose body pose a model in an unusual and a model in an unusual and

expressive posture (rotated expressive posture (rotated somewhat, spiraling down to somewhat, spiraling down to the bottom cover line) the bottom cover line)

cover lines on all sides of cover lines on all sides of her, carefully positioned in her, carefully positioned in relation to the model and the relation to the model and the background background

Modern Cover DesignModern Cover Design

By the 1960’s and 70’s, By the 1960’s and 70’s, magazine cover layout was magazine cover layout was not much different from not much different from advertising layout.advertising layout.

The picture, cover lines The picture, cover lines and colour scheme all and colour scheme all conspire to “sell” the conspire to “sell” the publication (and the publication (and the products advertised within!)products advertised within!)

From the mid-1970s on, From the mid-1970s on, magazines cover lines magazines cover lines invaded the cover where invaded the cover where they could speak they could speak authoritatively, shout in authoritatively, shout in anger, whoop with glee, anger, whoop with glee, broadcast great news, broadcast great news, announce incredible announce incredible discoveries, whisper across discoveries, whisper across huge rooms with huge rooms with sophisticated stillness, rise sophisticated stillness, rise off layers upon layers of off layers upon layers of cover depth and take cover depth and take readers by the elbow to readers by the elbow to dance, and proclaim how dance, and proclaim how urgent it is that readers urgent it is that readers recognize how much recognize how much promise awaits those who promise awaits those who slip between these covers.slip between these covers.

Integrated Covers of the 1990’sIntegrated Covers of the 1990’s This This RedbookRedbook of November 1996 of November 1996

can serve as an example of a can serve as an example of a magazine cover that is magazine cover that is representative of a major trend at representative of a major trend at the end of the 20th century. the end of the 20th century.

The cover is illustrated with a The cover is illustrated with a single large and striking single large and striking photograph -- a full-body shot, photograph -- a full-body shot, but one in which the model has but one in which the model has arranged herself in an unusual arranged herself in an unusual posture that at once conveys posture that at once conveys great ease and intense energy. great ease and intense energy.

The pictorial composition The pictorial composition which produces this effect is which produces this effect is based on an underlying spiral based on an underlying spiral structure which begins at her structure which begins at her head and descends, head and descends, counterclockwise, around her counterclockwise, around her right arm, around the back right arm, around the back and across her right leg. and across her right leg.

The effect is of a coiled spring The effect is of a coiled spring -- yet a spring that is securely, -- yet a spring that is securely, comfortably held in place by comfortably held in place by the casual draping of the hand the casual draping of the hand and foot, and controlled by the and foot, and controlled by the friendly intensity of the face friendly intensity of the face

Cover LinesCover Lines

Note the subject matter of the cover lines:Note the subject matter of the cover lines: relationship treated as a skill relationship treated as a skill working smart to improve yourself working smart to improve yourself help in handling the strains of being a help in handling the strains of being a

woman, wife, and mother woman, wife, and mother beauty aids, but given with a care for beauty aids, but given with a care for

frugality frugality parenting advice parenting advice

More cover lines…More cover lines…

For most magazines at the turn of the For most magazines at the turn of the 21st century, cover lines were as 21st century, cover lines were as important as cover art. In some cases, important as cover art. In some cases, cover lines and cover art improvised a cover lines and cover art improvised a new, vigorous, almost shocking dance new, vigorous, almost shocking dance with one other. In with one other. In Guitar WorldGuitar World from from August 1992, cover lines attain a August 1992, cover lines attain a prominence that competes with the prominence that competes with the nameplate of the magazine itself.nameplate of the magazine itself.

Some covers of this period contain Some covers of this period contain cover lines that are actually larger than cover lines that are actually larger than the name of the magazine.the name of the magazine.

Current TrendsCurrent Trends cover lines have cover lines have

flooded the cover flooded the cover space, forcing the space, forcing the model to withdraw to model to withdraw to a smaller image, to a smaller image, to interleave with the interleave with the words, to fold up to words, to fold up to make room for the make room for the announcement of announcement of contents, or to contents, or to become a billboard.become a billboard.

The early 2000s are so immersed in The early 2000s are so immersed in commercial typography, channel-hopping, commercial typography, channel-hopping, web-surfing, consumer culture, competing web-surfing, consumer culture, competing values, and objects clamoring for attention values, and objects clamoring for attention that the picture of a cover model cheerfully that the picture of a cover model cheerfully or seductively immersed in a forest of or seductively immersed in a forest of words may seem to us a mere depiction of words may seem to us a mere depiction of daily normality -- a normality both reflected daily normality -- a normality both reflected by and fueled by the words on the covers by and fueled by the words on the covers of magazines. of magazines.

Photographic CoversPhotographic Covers

A publishing rarityA publishing rarity