Magazine Covers Part 2

Overview: Before we start to learn the basics of InDesign to make our Magazine Covers, you need to know a little more information about the types of magazine covers that have been used through the years. Here are the most common types:

Cover types
1. Early Magazine Covers
2. The Poster Cover
3. Pictures Married to Type
4. In the Forest of Words

Click the link below and read the descriptions and view some examples of each of these types of magazine covers:

http://longleaf.net/coverlines/ 

Assignment: Read directions below and create your magazine cover.

Step 1: Create a new blog entry, titled "Magazine Covers."

Step 2: Post an example of each type of Magazine Cover and provide the following information: Name of magazine and year of publication and a short (50-150 word) explanation of the main attributes.

You may need to do a Google Image search.
1. Early Magazine Covers (Try searching for: magazine cover 1700s or magazine cover 1800s.
2. The Poster Cover (Try searching for: magazine "poster cover")
3. Pictures Married to Type (Try searching for: magazine cover pictures and type)
4. In the Forest of Words (Try searching for: magazine covers)

Step 3: Most of you have already taken your portraits and self portraits. Please post the image (either self portrait or portrait) you intend to use for your magazine cover on your blog. Begin planning what's going to go on your magazine cover. It should include the following information.

A. Magazine name (masthead or flag)

Think carefully about the font you use. It says a lot about the tone of the publication.

You may use the name of a real magazine or make up your own

B. A teaser / cover line (headline type description) for the main story. If you choose to do a poster style cover, your photo must have strong composition and subject interest appeal to sell your magazine to your audience (the teacher). Get approval from your teacher before going ahead with a  Poster cover.

C. If you choose to make a "picture married to type" or a "forrest of words" type cover, create the following:

At least two teasers (Cover lines) for secondary stories. Be creative. Their should be a primary and a secondary Cover Line with the primary using a larger point size.

If you are creating a poster, you do not have to create additional cover lines.

D. Pricing and date information.

E. Inserting a bar code - Create another small photo box in InDesign and place a barcode that you download from Google Image. The dimensions should be realistic for a magazine cover. You should figure this out yourself, but it should be at least 10 picas tall.

F. Extra credit will be provided to students who follow the tutorial below to place the subject of their magazine cover on top of the magazine title.

http://www.photoshopessentials.com/photo-effects/overlap-text/

I will show you some live versions of these types in class before we move on to producing our magazine covers.

During the lecture on InDesign. We will go over the toolbar, basic InDesign functions, and we will start your magazine cover together.

You will have at least 2 class periods to complete and turn in your magazine cover. I will tell you next class how to turn in your magazine cover, and you should NOT finish today. I expect you to think creatively and design a quality cover. It should take you at LEAST 2 hours to finish.