What I Have Learnt From My Front Cover Research

When researching other magazine front covers I found that there were certain similarities that they all used in order to stay within convention and the genre. Here is what I found:

• Emphasis on the main character - generally a close up or mid shot
• Rule of thirds
• Masthead at the top of the page
• Cover line across the feature article photograph but not covering it too much - generally along the bottom of the page
• Plugs flush left and right