Features of a magazine cover

Magazine covers are used to attract their target audience and persuade them to buy the magazine. When designing a magazine, designer ensure that their magazine cover has these key features:

Master head (title/logo)
The master head is displayed on every edition of the magazine in the same typeface and position on the magazine to ensure consistency throughout their magazines. The typeface is often in a specific font that is unique to the magazine, this is done for advertising purposes for make sure that the magazine is easily recognisable.

Date line
The month and price is often written on the magazine,but magazines usually come onto shelves a month before the date on the magazine.

Cover lines
Cover lines are used to give the reader an insight into the magazine. The cover lines are written around the edge of the magazine but not in front of the main image to take the focus away from it. The cover lines are written in a bold colour so that they are easily visible but are written in a smaller font so not to take away from the main focus of the magazine (the main image and main cover line)

Main cover line
The main cover line is the largest cover line on the magazine cover and is in a bold font to draw the readers eye towards it. The main cover line is usually short and gives an insight of the main story within the issue of the magazine.

Main image
The main image gives the reader an idea of what the magazine is based on. It is usually a simple images, for example the image used in the magazine above is a simple mid shot image with not too much going on around it to distract the reader.

Model credit
Model credit are sometimes written on the front cover in some fashion magazines, for example the magazine above where it says 'Model of the year Cara Delevingne'.