Masthead Examples

Part I - Masthead

A masthead is like a head line for a magazine cover. It is also a bit like a logo and may have artistic components such as lines, bars, circles and other graphic elements

Requirements for your masthead

• Two words. You must come up with a magazine name that contains 2 words. Some examples would be:
  • Designer Today
  • Bow Hunting
  • Pen & Quill
  • Slotcar Racing
  • Extreme Skateboarding
• Two different fonts. You need to use 2 different fonts to enhance one of the 2 words in your masthead.
• Graphic elements - You need to add graphic elements to your design
• Date- should fit into the design.
• Volume and issue number - should fit into the design.
• Artistic and unified design - The parts of the design (fonts, graphics, colors) need to look like they belong together.

Part III - Teasers

Teasers are headlines used on the cover of a magazine that tell the viewer what's inside.

Requirements for your cover

• Legibility - It's easy to lose type that's in front of a photo. You need to use the following techniniques to ensure the legibility of the teasers.
  • placement
  • drop shadow
  • outlined type
• You need to do at least 4 teasers.
• Teasers should not interfere with you main subject in the photo.

• Magazine Cover
  Student Name
  RUBRIC	1	2	3	Score
  Masthead	Masthead is difficult to read and is type only	Has some design techniques, but is difficult to read.	Masthead incorporates design techniques and elements. Is visually stimulating
  Artistic and Unified Design	The design is weak	The design is average looking	The design is very eye appealing
  Choice of photo	Photo is low resolution and does not meet criteria for cover	Photo works but is low resolution	Photo is high enough for enlargement and works well with other elements on the page
  Teasers	Not enough teasers. Not enough variety as far as design. Difficult to read		Teasers are creative, colorful, and easy to read.
  Special technique (clipping mask)	Did not work		Worked
  Overall design	Design, photo, and type do not form a cohesive cover		Elements form a unified cohesive design that looks professional
  Work ethic	Time was not well spend. Student observed sleeping, talking, gaming etc.		Student stayed on task for the duration of the project.
  Comments	Total			21
  X2
  				42

  Leaning standards – Visual Arts 25-A, 26-A&B Language Arts 3-A, 3-B, 3-C, 5-A, 5-B

Part II - Cover Art (Collage)

Cover art is responsible for catching the eye of everyone who passes by. With the right type, colors, and arrangement of pictures, magazine cover art should tell a story about what the magazine is about even before you flip open the cover to see what is inside.

Requirements for your cover

• Collage - The cover must be an arrangement of at least 8 to 10 images that make one big picture.
• Color - While black and white covers are nice, full cover magazine covers are more bold statements.
• Brightness - Overall look of the color should be bright. Although dark areas are appropriate if they help to draw the eye towards the main subject.
• Pen Tool - Use Photoshop's pen tool to remove an object from it's background.
• Effects - Drop Shadows, Glows, and Layer Blends add to the dramatic effect of a magazine cover.You must use at least 4 different effects on different parts.
• Tranformation - Not all objects and elements are the same size, shape, or have the same perspective. Use these tools to alter a layers dimensions
• Layer Management - Make sure that the layers are all appropriately named.
• Theme - You need to have some kind of theme (like paintball) and an appropriate image for your main cover image.
• Color theme - Your choice of colors should be approprite for the subject. Colors should also compliment each other.