Magazine Terminology

Important magazine terminology:

• Masthead - the title (the bit at the top of your  magazine)

• Strap line - strapped across the front page to sell/promote a feature

• Covermount - a gift mounted to the cover

• Sell lines/skylines - labels on the top/bottom of the magazine.

• Main artist credit - the main artist's name (usually with picture) on the front cover

• Main image - main image on the front page

• Cover lines - labels on the front cover saying what will be in the magazine

• Left third - the third that will be seen on the shelf edge

• Barcode - contains information for retailing

• Issue number - the issue of the magazine

• Leading - the space between lines of text

• Tracking - the space between letters of text

• Modes of address - how the image makes contact with the reader (direct/indirect)

• Representation - the construction of reality

• Stereotyping/ Typecasting - representing popular rather than accurate images

• Web address - the website address of the magazine

• Mise en scene - the props, lighting, costumes etc that are used

• Lighting - an aspect of mise-en-scene used to create mood

• Angle - the angle at which a photograph is taken

• Composition - the elements that make up a shot

• Caption - a written line at the bottom of an image to fix meaning

• Anchoring - using captions etc. to fix the meaning of an image

• Connotations - the social, personal and cultural meanings associated with signs

• Conventions - the features that are used in a text