DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD CODES AND CONVENTIONS

A LARGE IMAGE:Magazines will often have a large image to begin a double page spread and this will be a direct address. This technique entices the reader as the musician is looking directly at the audience and this encourages them to purchase the magazine.

A QUOTE: Quotes appear most frequently in the middle of text but are sometimes also presented as the headline or by the picture. The quote is meant to be controversial or ludicrous in order to grip the reader. When used in the middle of text, this Is a way of making the audience want to read on and find out what the person is talking about. When a quote is used in a headline, it’s a way of drawing the reader in to find out what the whole article is about.

STANDFIRSTDouble page spreads will inclube a standfirst, which is like an introduction to the musician. This allows readers who didn’t know the artists before to get an idea of what the article Is about.

Another popular convention is for magazines to print the artists name in bold somewhere on the page. Q magazine do this by taking the first initial of the artist and placing it behind the text. This technique creates impact and gives a sense of importance to the artist.

The text on a double page spread is usually in size 11 pt. Some of the most commonly used fonts are Aerial and Helvetica. Drop capitals are also often used to indicate where the text begins for the reader. Large spreads are often split into 2-4 columns. The page number, magazine name and date are usually the same thoughout.

Colour schemes are used throughout magazines. Double page spreads tend to stick to the colour scheme of the rest of the magazine to avoid being overpowered. Often the colour scheme connotes the genre; for instance rock magazines tend to have a lot of black.