masthead is the name of the magazine which is always displayed at the top. The font styles and colour will have been chosen extremely carefully to help sell the magazine as well as give some indication about the content and audience. Often when the cover model is a well known icon, their image will be layered over the masthead in order to focus the viewer on the individual whose image then helps to sell the paper.

<Here the title is layered over the main image – the TIME is a very popular magazine , the title sells it more than the cover model would

^Although Empire is a well known

film magazine, here an image of

Daniel Craig in the new 007 movie is

layered over the title to help sell the

magazine

central image is the most important image on the front cover as it catches a readers eye before they look at the printed text. The central image will be relevant to the magazine's purpose and audience and will often be strongly related to the feature article.

cover model will be used for many magazines. It may be a celebrity or a well known individual connected with the magazines genre (for example, a rock star posing for a music magazine) or a photographic model.

Tagline/slogan these go near the masthead and indicate what the magazine is about of who it might be aimed for.

TIME magazine slogans: Understanding comes with TIME. The most important magazine to the world's most important people.

Closer consumer magazine slogan: Life's more interesting when you get Closer.

anchorage is a term that refers to how images are denoted. In magazines the imaged will be anchored by captions (directly explaining what the pictures depict), by coverlines or by articles and headlines. Anchoring an image helps give it meaning, as it helps the reader understand the significance.

secondary images may be used on the front cover to help promote other features in the magazine, usually anchored by a coverline. They are often used in magazines where the reader needs to be enticed by the picture rather than the coverline e.g. celebrity magazines.

coverlines are located at various points on the front cover telling the readers about the magazines contents and specifically the articles they'll find.

mode of address refers to the way that magazines communicate with their readers. Some magazines will use a direct mode of address, communicating with individual readers. This might be through use of the cover model (eg. pointing directly at the camera) or though the use of 2nd person pronouns ('you')

pug is the ear of the magazine placed at the top left of right hand corners of a front cover usually displaying a price or a promotion

barcode, price, edition are straightforward features which need to be strategically placed. The barcode shouldn’t distort any of the covers principal features, and the price will usually be displayed nearby.

colour some magazines will alter the colour schemes

from edition to edition or depending on seasons, whilst others will alter some colours to coordinate with the central image. Sometimes magazines use colour to send a message, or to accentuate a certain feature of the front cover.

font front covers will usually display a variety of font choices, usually adapted to infer meaning to the text they're displaying.

puff is an element which helps to draws attention and promote certain elements in the magazine. They are often set against colourful backgrounds and are shaped (rounded). Quite often they advertise a 'freebie' or a special feature in the magazine.