Typography Analysis:
What is a masthead - A masthead is supposed to make the magazine instantly recognisable. It is supposed to pop out of the page, so it is an important element to the front cover. Also, it is vital that the masthead is bold and I found that if the masthead is different it is more likely to hook the reader's attention. The font is bold and sharp as it is usually the first element that the readers notice.
The "Billboard" masthead is interesting as the letters are filled with the institutional colours of red, yellow and blue. The readers of the magazine can easily identify with this design as it has become a trademarked logo. The colours are vibrant and could represant the energy of the magazine and the artists in which it features. The letters are bold and the long letters such as the "L" and the "D" aline up accurately with the capital "B" which makes the text look organised.
The "Rolling stones" masthead looks quite 3D with the letters having a striped drop shadow making it seem as if the masthead is rolling. This is effective for the connection between the title and the style. The colour of the text also works well because the magazine's logo is red lips with a tongue sticking out, so this element is edgy and matches the ethos of the magazine suitably.
The Font for "NME" masthead is in block capitals which prehaps resembles the boldness of the magazine. In addition to this, the title it self is short and snappy which immediately draws interest to the readers because it is quite powerful in how it is presented.
One of the most interesting mastheads I found, was from "Kerrang" magazine where there is a shattered effect placed ontop of some of the letters. The font is bold and black which is quite dominanting alongside the shatter effect which highlights the magazine's impact and intensity.
Font analysis:
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Font - A font is a set of printable or displayable text characters in a specific style and size.
Serif: Serif fonts have small lines at the ends on some characters
Sans-serif: Sans" means without - these fonts do not have the lines at the ends of characters
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This title is all in lower case letters that are in sans - serif font. This font is appopriate for the magazine as it is less formal and therefore is more relatable to the young target demographic. The letters are close together and are filled in white.
The letters here have been capitalised but are also sans - serif, but the boldness of the text is as if the magazine is making a statement. The letters have been broken up which adds a unique style to the front cover title.
The Vogue title is interesting as the serif letters have been filled with different patterns, which is effective as it is a fashion magazine so the style works well with the theme.
The typography here is different because the letters have been extended in length and quite broad. The letters are not too close together and the text has been filled in red. Despite the sans-serif font the font still looks stylish.
The composition of the text is vital because it is essentially how the readers identitfy with the magazine. It is important that the text is big and bold but the style of the title depends on the style and ethos of the magazine. It also depends on who the magazine is targeted at. Usually sans - serif font is used for a younger target audience whilst serif can be more formal or used for a more serious magazine theme.