Codes and conventions of a music magazine

double page spread

Headlines:This should be the biggest font out of everything on the page. It should be interesting including the font. This is needed to draw peoples attention in to the article. There also may be a repetition of the mast head. They are usually placed at the top to get noticed by the reader easily.

Main text and drop cap:

The main text is what should take up most of the page other than the page with the main photo. The text should be lay out in 3 columns to be conventional which then make it look professional. The text should tell the reader about the picture displayed on the opposite or the same page. A drop cap is the first letter of a paragraph. This is where the first letter has been enlarged and made bolder to draw the reader in.

Stand first and by line:

The stand first is a couple of lines before the main article its self. This is then made slightly bigger or bolder than the main text and is used to give the audience a slight insight to the article and introduce it.

Underneath the stand first there is usually the by line, this is a small sentence that gives credit to the writer editor or photographer.

Pull quote:The pull quote is a section from the article that has been made bolder. It has to be from the main article and should be some of the best parts of the article. This is to draw the reader in and usually is in a different colour to stand out to the reader.

Main image:The main image usually takes up half of the two pages. It then can also bleed on to the other page. This is where part of the picture goes on to the second half of the page. It should always relate to the article and give the reader a hint of what the articles about. The picture should have connotations of the thing its about.