Time+Cover+Magazine

Our Magazine Cover
By Dasha Varabei and Clara Ng

** Time Magazine Cover Research **
====By Clara Ng and Dasha Varabei ====

[] Issue date : April 9 ,2001

[] Issue date: Feb. 21, 2011

Comparison
~ What do both of the covers have in common? Both have simple subjects with clear focus that represent big issues or ideas. The colours of both magazines complement each other; the global warming cover has a colour scheme with reds oranges and yellows which reminds the viewer of heat and a state of emergency. The 2045 cover has a colour scheme of black, gray, and white, which represent the chrome qualitities of robots, and also give a feeling of coldness and no emotion. These design principles help to convey the issues and ideas of the future.

~ What is the main story in that issue and how does it relate to the image on the cover? The frying egg in the pan represents global warming, and the yolk actually looks like the Earth. The wired man represents our advance in knowledge, and the idea that robots will dominate the near future.

~ What design principles are evident in the cover image? The design principles in the first cover page is simple point and centring the subject to attract the viewer's attention. The second cover uses rule of thirds to create interest in the subject and add a sense that the man is looking out of the cover. The color schemes of both covers matches the topic.

The Evolution of the Magazine Cover
~ What were some charateristics of early magazine covers? Very simple and used little colour; it was very monochrome, or used only few colours. The covers also show that since photoshop did not exist, the images look natural and unrefined. Some old covers also tend to use art more than the modern covers.

~ What are some characteristics of the poster cover? Poster covers use all the space to create a bigger impact. Posters need to sell and idea or a product, so they have some important information listed that reflects to what the subject is about. Movie posters, for instance, usually contain one image that sums up the genre of the movie, and lists the actors that play in the movie, and the title of the movie itself is big and obvious. Some posters also list good critique and rating that the movie recieved, and this helps to give the idea

~ What is the purpose of cover lines? Cover lines tell the viewer the major articles that are contained inside the magazine, and they help to sell the magazine by sparking an interest in its contents.

~ What is an "integrated" cover? It is a cover in which everything blends in and harmonizes. The colour scheme matches throughout the whole cover, including the photo and cover lines.

~ How can the placement of cover lines effect the overall design of a cover? The placement of cover lines moves the eye all around the magazine. If the cover lines are spread out, it is more likely that the magazine will get more attention, and a potential buyer will spend more time reading the cover. The font size and style of the cover lines also help to convey the subject of the magazine.

Cover Line Styles
Outside the box - Cover lines are placed outside of the image (do not overlap or cover any part of the image) Inside the box - Coverlines are placed over the image, in a box of some sort, covering part of the image. Columns - Colored columns made only for coverlines Zones - No table set up for the contents of the cover (cover lines, image, and title are placed with no boxes around them) Banners and Corners - Banners and corners run along the edges and contain cover lines Unplanned Spaces- Cover lines are placed where the illustrator has left un unintentional blank space in the image. Planned Spaces - Cover lines are placed in these places, which the illustrator has left intentionally in the image.