Codes and conventions of magazines

Today I researched all of the code and conventions that are used in magazines.

Master head-  this is the title of the magazine and is usually bold and bright to attract the readers eye. The font and style is suitable for the genre and target audience. It becomes recognisable and seen as a brand.

Central image- this usually takes up the whole page and will show a figure head/ idol that represents the particular genre. Photos always increase interest and make it seem appealing to the audience.

Cover lines- a small insight about what is included in the magazine can be quotes or names of articles. They usually frame the centre image and gives the reader more information of what is inside the magazine which creates interest for the reader.

‘puff and buzz’- phrases- these are bold statements that attract the reader. A ‘puff’ is something that implies the reader will get something for free and a ’Buzz’ is stimulating language such as ‘exclusive’ or ‘never before seen’ and the make the readers feel like this magazine has the edge on any others.

Positioning statement- sometimes referred to as a slogan usually positioned near the master head to ensure people read it. Its used to promote the magazine claiming that it is better than any others.

Colour themes- on the front of a magazine only a few colours are used but they  are always suitable for their genre e.g.. Sports magazines typically use  the colours  blue and red where as a teenage gossip magazine would use pinks ad purples.

 Barcode, dateline and price- it i usually on the back and its shows the price of the product and when it was published, the barcode is only useful to the retailer.