Practice P8: Magazine Analysis and Style Sheet

Practice #P8

Magazine Analysis & Style Sheet 

(2 points)

Objective: In this assignment you will carefully examine how a PRINT magazine (that you choose) is laid out and how the pages hold style continuity within a particular

grid system (as explained in class). You will then fill out a detailed style sheet for the magazine’s departmental and feature article guidelines and finally, in Project 8,

replicate a 4-page article using the Practice 7 tutorial as your template basis.

To begin this exercise, start by watching the video on Magazine design found

at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Cu5FuAdOVY&

feature=related





Next, bring to class a PRINT magazine of your choice to work with, along with a ruler, pencil, a few pieces of tracing paper, and your sketchbook.

Step 1.

Measure and Create an Accurate Style Sheet.

Examine your chosen magazine for its page-to-page, article-to-article continuity for both departmental columns and a feature article. Find the imaginary flow lines (psychic wires) used by the art director to create the design grids. Note the consistencies--what repeats--and the small variations that seem to be within an acceptable range. (Note that the grid for a department versus a feature article are often different.)

Take notes and make a visual guide as you study the publication, writing notes and column/gutter measurements directly on the pages of your magazine, a copy, or a piece of tracing paper. You will be turning in the original magazine plus your notes and a final style sheet along.

Magazine Style Sheet (download a copy here).

The Style Sheet is intended to guide you through the process of  notating such details as page size, folio location, column widths, typographic and stylistic continuity, use of horizontal anchor-lines (flow lines), etc.--all things that make up a publication's unique "look." In summary, you are to write down your observations as you go, take notes, sketch your observations, and attempt to understand the "science" behind your chosen publication's continuity and layout. You should also indicate your understanding (as explained in class) of feature articles versus departmental news columns. (On Project A8, you will choose to replicate a feature article from your magazine and be evaluated on your attention to detail for things such as point size and style of body text and accurate measurements throughout (alley widths, common headline sizes, and consistent artistic styles--such as BW vs. color photo vs. illustration, etc.).

Step 2.

Once your style sheet and/or notes are completed, you should find an example of an article in your magazine that begins on a right hand page and replicate the grid. (This may be either a recurring departmental section of your publication or a feature article.) Use your Practice P7 finished newsletter as a starting template but reset column widths and flow lines to match your analyzed magazine. Adhere as precisely as possible to your publication's measurements and stylistic conventions to create a 4-page article that might appear in the magazine. Plan/Think Gather your art, choose your display fonts, and get ready to follow the layout as you interpret it.