What magazines require

About 80 percent of all magazine rack sales come from cover design. Every element of a magazine cover is critical to the magazine's survival. Consequently, PJs must shoot exactly what's needed if they want to get a cover.

While traditional magazines only require nameplate space at the top, most modern magazines place text over the cover image to entice readers to the stories within. Frequently, text is placed on the right-hand side of the image. No matter how good an image is, it won't be used for the cover unless there is a place for this text.

Most Western-language magazines are bound on the left-hand side. Middle Eastern magazines bind on the right-hand side. This can present problems for some PJs in Europe, Africa and Asia.

Most American publications want the subject situated in the middle-to-lower, left-hand corner for cover consideration. Well-established magazines often float the subject over the nameplate, but it's not the preferred option for most designers.

Additionally, many glossy magazines require a mail label area in the lower, right-hand corner of the cover image.

Previsualize the layout

Those wishing to branch out into editorial work need to start seeing these layouts when they look at a scene. Most photographers know how to previsualize the frame proportions when they look at a scene. Rather than looking at the subject, they see the edges of the frame.

Next, a photographer learns to superimpose text elements over the scene. The remaining area is the usable portion of the frame. This is the area where the main subject must be located. However, the remainder of the frame must still contain information. Although it's less important space, it's not "dead space." Some clients may use a square, oversized format. This really compresses the usable image area.

Orient right

Considering the information above, it's best to orient the subject toward the right (where the text is). Otherwise the subject looks toward the spine of the magazine and the layout folks might be tempted to flop the image. Although this is forbidden in newspapers, it happens too often on magazine covers.

Just for fun, select any famous cover model with a "beauty mark". Go online or to the newsstand and see if you aren't confused after a few minutes about where the mark actually resides. It'll probably switch from side to side with each publication.

However, if every image is shot for the cover, an inside image may get flopped to accommodate inside layout. If a photographer takes the time to shoot both orientation options (left and right), then there's no need to flop an image. Soon, more inside tips for better photography.

 

Miguel Perez Photo Vehicle Portraiture (c)copyright 2006-2010