Task 3

This particular design uses drop capitals but the very first one takes up the whole page. The shock of the red gains attention. It clashes well against the black and white copy and image.

Margins have been used, they are always used but sometimes are called trim lines. They ensure that all the text fits on the page, that the copy doesn’t get cut off. They also give the article a nice frame giving it a nice overall look and professional finish.

The header on this article is very basic, just the name of the artist they have interviewed. It is also tucked up in the top corner, the image and copy are more important so the heading has been pushed aside. The image is title enough for the article. However, most articles do have large titles that are very eye catching. They usually use quotes from the interview to get the audience interested.

Grids usually split the page into thirds. On this example the image is meant to take up two thirds of the page. This layout is very popular as the image is the part that draws in most attention.

Here we have copy that is facing landscape. The orientation of this article is portrait yet there is still horizontal writing. This copy is about the photoshoot and the clothes she is wearing. It’s not important to the contents of the article but it is information people might like to know so it is included somewhere that won’t take too much attention away from the main copy.

The page number is included so people can find the article right away form the contents page. It can be placed at the top or bottom of the page but it depends on the house style of the publication.

The use of pull quote in this article helps to break up the text. It has been placed in a speech bubble which creates shape and contrast. It catches the eye and is one of the first things you read. The use of these shapes, also known as blobs and stars, help to gain more attention and add a creative flare to the layout. The article isn’t a formal one and the use of these shapes help to make it look more fun and give it the look the editor wanted. This is continued into the borders used on the images in the bottom right corner. A Polaroid border has been used to up keep with the young and fresh look the spread wants to give off.

The background of the photoshoot has been used as the background of the article. Having the image go across both pages lets people know that the article is a two page spread. Most main articles go across a number of pages so having the same font and colours help the reader know that those pages belong together.

There is a lot of white space on the page with the copy on. This is so the title and its design gets the attention it deserves. The use of white space can give an article a professional look. It also helps make the important things stand out, like the title or a logo. However, if it is done wrong it can make a page look incomplete. The public don’t want to read an article that looks incomplete.

Copy is usually laid out in columns. The size of the columns depend on the layout of the page and the design the publication is after. Most documents use columns that take up a third of a page. The use of columns help when you have to fit text around an image.

This article also has a strapline. This is the (few) lines of text that are placed below the title. It sums up the article and lets the reader know what the concept is. It often includes a question or two that gets the audience hooked. It gives you information but leaves out enough to get you to want to know more.

Kerrang! is a magazine that often uses the reverse technique. This is when they use white copy on a black background, the opposite what is normally published.

The baseline is an imaginary line that texts rests on. Even is the line is at an angle it still makes the text straight. It is often used for headings or captions as they are often in the middle of text and a line would break the flow the reader has created.

This image is a cut-out. It means the background has been removed so the object of the image is left. Doing this helps when designing layout. You can fit more text onto the article is you remove the background of the image. If you wrap the text around the image then it is easier to tell they belong together. It makes the text and image look like one and finishes the article of nicely.

Crossheads help to split up the text. They are often pull quotes but they can also be subtitles. Split up the text into sections so they are easier to read.

The dateline is at the bottom of this page. It lets the readers

know how recent the information is. There could be interviews that include information that has been cleared up since it was published so in order not to confuse the reader the date has been added.