Magazine design. Turning line problem. Part 1

Independent spread in magazine design

One of the biggest problems in magazine design is the facing line between the pages. This is especially true for illustrated magazines, which have a lot of images, headlines in different fonts, and quite a lot of advertising. The design of the magazine, on the one hand, as a whole, must be subordinate to the general concept, and on the other hand, each spread must follow the rules that will make it readable. When the facing pages are independent, for example, they have two completely different articles printed on them, the task becomes much easier. However, the production of magazines in modern conditions involves rather large sizes of materials that need to be placed on several pages. In addition, almost always, with the exception of literary magazines, the materials are provided with a significant number of photographs. In such cases, in order for the reader's eyes to move from one page to another within the spread, it is necessary to build a kind of graphic bridge that facilitates this transition.

Connecting elements on the spread for different magazine designs

For these purposes, the title of an article or illustration can be placed so that one part falls on the left and the other on the right page of the spread. This technique is used quite often in magazine design. However, its use must be approached with caution special attention. So if a heading is used as a connecting element, then the separation by the turn line should be done not by letters, but by words. The production of magazines with a deviation from this simple rule, unfortunately, still happens and this makes reading the material uncomfortable. When the pivot line crosses the photograph, the separation should not run across the person's face or figure. It is advisable not to divide the image in half. It is better to let one part of it be slightly larger than the other. Of course, this does not apply to those cases when it occupies the entire turn. It must also be remembered that during the printing process and subsequent binding of pages, slight horizontal movement may occur. Although most modern printing houses have already practically dealt with this problem.

It is impossible to produce magazines today without advertising. Most often it is placed on the left side of the spread. When the right side starts new material, it will be very different from advertising. In such a combination, the reversal is no longer perceived as a single whole, but in this case this is quite normal. Here we can draw parallels with a book, in which the beginning of an article will be perceived as a new chapter. In addition, advertising today is more often visual, and the reader’s gaze, stopping at it, takes a break from continuous reading of the text.

Layout is a very unregulated environment. On the one hand, there is a set of rules that must be followed and with the help of which the layout is formed printed products. But the severity of these rules easily varies, and the rules are often blatantly violated. No matter how sad it is for Tschichold and all the fathers of the Swiss style, often even some of the best publications create anarchy.

1. Photo on photo

The main thing here is to choose the right photos. They must have overall integrity, at the same time, one of the images must be a logical continuation of the other. The main thing is to choose the desired dominant feature - the photo on which the text block will be located should in no case overwhelm the composition and carry more semantic load.

2. Die

You need to be extremely careful here, otherwise your modest and sweet spread may suddenly become uncontrollably vulgar. If you decide to use a solid, then it may be a good idea that the color gradation between the substrate and the solid will be weak, creating a single tonal tandem. You can also play with transparency or layer order.

3. Photo cropped along the contour

A photograph cropped along its contour often causes indignation. The technique is hackneyed, often ugly and destroys all the charm of the grid and structure. Looking at the example below, you might think that everything said earlier is completely absurd. If you use this technique, you need to implement good idea and spice it up with some old Alan Helbert canons.

4. Everything is left to chance

Even with minimal funds and expenses, your spread can take on the appearance of a first-class job. You just have to slightly abstract from the realization that you are working with text and try to work as if it were some kind of geometric object. For example, let everything take its course diagonally, in a circle or backwards.

5. Heading

The so-called pictures are an integral part of any publication, be it a magazine, newspaper or the simplest booklet. And the way you present them can be both a plus and a minus. There is no need to take it too seriously and conservatively, irony and naivety will not hurt here, imagine, sometimes even a simple contour graphic next to a harmonious, stylistically consistent headline will attract the reader’s attention a hundred times more than a colorful image. Any headline can be a good illustration on the page and get all the laurels and praise.

One of the most popular and sought-after advertisements is advertising in the press.

As you know, the most profitable placement of information about a product or service is on the first and last pages. To place your advertisement there, you need to pay a lot of money, but manufacturers and companies are ready to do a lot to ensure that their product becomes popular and recognizable.

And the spread of magazines is not only an advantageous place for advertising, but also provides a wide field for imagination and activity. Photos on spreads can be placed in such a way that they will look very unusual and original. Research shows that advertising placed in the press has a slightly more positive impact on consumers than advertising placed in other places. Advertising in the press is unobtrusive and at the same time effective.

We have selected the most original and interesting, in our opinion, ways of placing advertising information on the spreads of glossy magazines.

1. DHL (postal company) advertising.

This advertisement focuses on how quickly and without problems you can receive your package. The advertising “trick” is in a transparent sheet on which the package is depicted. By turning this sheet back and forth, the drawn parcel seems to pass into the hands of the recipient.

2. Advertising for Smuckers (jam manufacturer).

3. MacBook advertising.

The creators of this advertisement used two unusual ideas, and both turned out to be successful, as this advertisement became very popular. The image of the ultra-thin MacBook laptop advertised here was printed almost life-size. Firstly, the thin magazine pages hint that the laptop is very thin. Secondly, the images of the display, lid and keyboard are arranged in such a way that everyone can try on how this laptop will look on your lap.

4. Advertising Sul America (insurance).

Insurance company Sul America ensures that its customers do not spend money where they can save it and offers health insurance. Turning over the page with this advertisement, it seems as if you have torn a banknote, which is depicted in a certain way, so to speak, piece by piece. The company's slogan is: "Even if you accidentally broke a dollar, Sul America won't let you go broke."

5. Advertising Thinh Furniture (furniture production).

And this advertisement will surely appeal to those who love a variety of paper crafts. By unfolding the page, you get miniature models of a chair, table or wall shelves. Thinh Furniture probably wanted to show that making furniture for them is as easy as turning the page of a magazine.

6. Adidas advertising (sportswear).

This advertisement is very simple, but also very original. Images of girls in sportswear are located exactly in the center of the turn. Since the athletes are captured in certain poses, when flipping through the page, it appears that they are performing physical exercises.

7. Advertising for Clinique (cosmetics production).

Every woman knows that the main property of a good mascara is its ability to make eyelashes long and thick. Advertisers came up with the idea of ​​simply cutting the page into strips, thereby simulating beautiful eyelashes. We don’t know whether such a “cut up” magazine is convenient to read, but the advertising idea is interesting in any case.

8. Advertisement for Arcor (chewing gum).

Gum chewers often blow bubbles during this process. The creatives decided to show in this way how big a bubble inflated from Arcor chewing gum can be.

9. Advertising a solarium.

This advertisement is not placed on a double page spread, but on two consecutive pages. This method is also often used when advertising information should not be presented all at once, but in portions. The reader looks at the first page, the information on which is designed to intrigue. Typically, the first page of an advertisement does not indicate the name of the company or the name of the advertised product. You turn the page and see the “solution”.

This tanning salon ad used this concept well. On the first black and white page it is written: “Look at this page - it is directed towards the light of the sun.” On the second page the image is already in color (the poppies are red, the sky is blue, the grass is green), and the inscription: “See what benefits you can get from it.”

10. Advertising WMF (production of tableware).

Every cook in the kitchen knows that for beautiful cutting you need perfectly even and identical pieces. The magazine spread features two mirrored photographs that show the precision with which food can be cut using WMF knives.

11. Seat car advertisement.

The principle of this ad is based on the same principle as the MacBook ad described above. The reader is invited to try for himself how this or that product will look in his hands. If you receive a magazine containing such advertising, you can literally “take the wheel” and feel like you are driving a car.

- “U Turn” program of the radio station “Echo of Moscow” “Turn” or “U Turn” (eng. U Turn) film, 1997, USA, director Oliver Stone U-turn (printing) two adjacent pages of an open publication, left and right See also Turn Links... Wikipedia

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Books

• Fairytale creatures of Scotland. A collection of fairy tales and legends (illustrated by Kate Leeper), Breslin Teresa, A new collection of the best fairy tales and legends of Scotland, perfectly conveying the atmosphere of the fairy-tale world of Scottish folklore, the unique ancient traditions and the spirit of this special country. More than 100... Category: Tales of the world Publisher: Good Book,
• Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (illustrated by Charles Santore), Grimm Jacob and Wilhelm, The most beautiful illustrated version of the Brothers Grimm fairy tale to date, which has become one of the most popular fairy tales in the world. Luxurious illustrations by Charles Santore (18 huge… Category: Tales of foreign writers Publisher:

T3 art editor Luke O'Neill offers ten rules of thumb for improving the design of any publication.

Fundamental skills needed to be good designer layout designer, much like those required for any other form of graphic design, but like any specialized field, this field requires the application of specific tasks and general rules.

In the next 10 points I will briefly describe some general rules and approaches to good publication design that will help you come up with a new title or just consider a career in editing.

1. Define your audience and personal design style

Independent publication Anorak has filled a gap in the market with a truly creative, sometimes anarchic children's magazine. This is actually the most important rule, regardless of whether you are releasing a new publication or developing the design of an existing one. It is very important that you know your audience and sketch for them accordingly.

In the same way, the reader must identify himself with the style of presentation of the material, the publication format must be addressed to him - both verbally and on a more subtle subconscious level.

2. Cover first

Whether you are a national consumer publication, a small publication with a niche target audience or online resource, the reality is that the cover is the most important page of the magazine, and the majority of your time should be devoted to it.

The cover needs to work on multiple levels - it needs to be unique enough to grab attention on crowded newsstand shelves without alienating existing readers. It should arouse curiosity and intrigue, tell a story, revealing the content of the materials to the potential reader. Always try to design covers in advance for digital publications, as what works on newsstand and print is unlikely to work on screen or as a small thumbnail.

3. Choose the right cover approach

Without the limitations of print publications, digital covers should still make some impact - as Esquire Weekly's Scarlett Johansson cover does so successfully. There is no single template for designing the perfect cover (although some may tell you otherwise). First of all, it is a combination of an excellent worked out idea and a kind of magic.

A collaborative approach between the editor and the team to the idea is important. Take advantage of their experience and discuss new idea together and don't be afraid to step back if you think something isn't working, or just ask them to come up with some alternative cover ideas. Most importantly, never try to create in a vacuum.

4. Stick to a modular grid (but don't go overboard)

Grids are the basis for all areas of graphic design, but they are most important in editorial design. It is important that you always have a modular grid ready to use, as it will form the basis of your sketch, structuring the pages.

A modular six-column grid with two symmetrical columns of text looks very different from a seven-column grid with two columns of text and an irregularly shaped column. Try inserting your body text first and then building the grid, as the font size and line height you choose will fill the grid later.

You might think that I'm contradicting myself by saying that the use of a grid is important, but it seems to me that such restrictions can sometimes be avoided. A somewhat free-form sketch can be a welcome relief from the overall rigor of the modular grid.

5. Typographic hierarchy

You'll find some of the most beautiful and experimental typography in magazines, but that's not the limit. All excellent editorial design should have a strong typographic structure - from the body copy to the bold headings - the choice of point size will not only help the headline stand out beautifully, but will also help guide the reader through the structure.

There is too much different approaches, it is impossible to describe them all, but I personally have determined that when it comes to choosing a pin, the smaller the better. A couple of fonts (or even the same type of font) can be much more impressive and effective than trying to fit everything into the text, plus the kitchen sink to boot. Too many elements and your sketch may be perceived negatively and create the impression of confusion and lack of cohesion.

6. Don't be afraid of spaces

Master of restraint Matt Wyllie demonstrates his deft use of point and spacing in the pages of Independent Magazine While space is something of a luxury for many of us, resist the temptation to fill every inch of extra space you have.

A stunning photograph can have more impact if it's scaled down and framed with white space, or the focus can be on a headline positioned in the middle of the page surrounded by white space - before the body of the text begins.

7. Inserts

In the first volume of the Computer Arts Collection, for convenience, we included empty decorative inserts between the sections with bookmarks and the list. Inserts are incredibly important in any magazine; a structured flat plan with section breaks can really help, allowing the publication to breathe freely and the reader to navigate the publications.

Usage various types paper inserts are great way telling the reader that they are in a different section will immediately add a different atmosphere. If you don't have that option, then simply use a full-page borderless shot or place it on the right rather than on the spread, which can be a welcome departure from the norm.

8. Hierarchy of elements and initial positions

When faced with a number of different elements or stories of varying size and importance, it's easy to feel overwhelmed. Make it clear which story or item ranks most—using placement, headline size, and image size. Drop caps, pointers, and simple introductory graphics can orient the reader.

Be careful with these components in digital editions, as decorative graphics may be considered interactive buttons. When designing a layout for the iPad, try to think of it as a layout where each graphic element has its own functional purpose.

9. Always think cross-platform

Magazines must be truly cross-platform - that's the conclusion T3 came to when they made their publication the best-selling iPad magazine in the UK. Whether you're working in print, tablet, or both, it's important to ensure that your designs work equally across all platforms without your design and visual language feeling disjointed.
It's good practice to design the digital edition first to ensure ease of use, as it's often much easier to translate a design onto the printed page than the other way around. Also, think about how your illustration might work on different platforms. Is it possible to add some animation for the digital version? Perhaps the speaker in the print edition could become animated in the iPad version.

10. Be unique

"Net a Porter" and the Kickstarter-funded "The Great Discontent". Both launched innovative projects.

Finally, and perhaps the most important- is to be unique in ideas and design. With everything in the publishing industry in flux, it's more important than ever to stand out from the crowd.

Evidence of this is the seemingly never-ending stream of new, beautifully designed and well thought out independent publications that continue to thrive. Not to mention companies that were originally digital and blogs like "Net a Porter" which brings magazines to market - and not just digital consumer editions, but a full-blown glossy upscale publication that in newsstands adjacent to Vogue. I thought print media was extinct, no?