how to make a magazine

Creating a magazine can seem like an easy task if you have enough knowledge to design it. But it is not a task of a matter of hours, but rather a task that can take months.

In this post, we want that time to be almost nothing, and that is why we have prepared a mini guide for you with some of the parts or points that must be taken into account, when we design a magazine from scratch. If you want to learn more about editorial design, stay with us and learn more about this aspect that unites graphic design.

We start

Tips to keep in mind during design

Before starting to design and get down to work, it is necessary to take into account a series of points that will accompany our magazine.

Use templates

If you are not yet an expert in editorial design and page layout, we advise you to use templates. Templates are kind of guides that will help you correctly distribute all the information and all the elements that you want to include in your pages (texts, images, etc.)

The templates along with the master pages help you to number the pages correctly and make sure that all the elements are placed at the same distance. All you have to do is download the template, open it in Adobe InDesign and start editing, placing images and pasting in your own text. You can also use the unique templates by swapping fonts or color swatches to create a wide variety of different looks.

To number the pages

To create your own template it is important that you go to InDesign. Once you have created the document with the corresponding size and margins, go to the panel Pages (Window > Pages) and click the master page icon indicated at the top of the panel.

To insert the numbers on the page, create a text frame on the page and go to the option Type > Insert special character > Bookmarks > Current page number.

Create the headers, which are usually placed along the top or bottom of each page, and do so using the Type Tool (T). Include the name of the magazine next to the extension and the name of the article or section on the next page and you're done.

Design an attractive cover

If you have ever documented yourself about magazines, you will have noticed, especially in those well-known magazines such as Vogue, that they use attractive graphic resources.

In this way they ensure that the reader not only enjoys the design but also remembers the cover, that is, they use the memorable design through images, tones and attractive fonts.

For this, it is necessary that:

• Use an interesting image or illustration that can create some interest in the viewer. To do this, our advice is to use images with very close planes (close-up or very close-up). The closer the element is, the greater the visual field it exerts on the reader and therefore greater attraction.
• Keep a good hierarchy of texts, for this it is important that you know how to distinguish what is a title, a logo, a subtitle, etc. So that all the information that is projected makes sense when the reader reads it and coherence in the message is not lost.
• Use at most two different fonts that may be related in terms of design and can be combined perfectly. We recommend that you use one for the main title and another for the other texts.
• The content must also be attractive and not dwell too much on what is not interesting. For this, it is important that before writing you make possible previous sketches or drafts until you find the final one.

Other highlights

Knowledge of graphic design

This is one of the most important phases that consists of shaping and structuring the information that will appear on your pages through a well thought out and logical design. It is one of the stages that surely takes the longest to reach a consensus because it is essential to hit the target.

From the public that we will have, the format, type of paper, etc. We must offer a consistent and coherent design, but above all that captures the attention and invites its reading until the end.

At this point issues such as typography come into play that will be used, size, different pieces that will make up information (headlines, intros, highlights, photographs, illustrations, exploded views, etc.), the main colors that will dominate and that will mark their own style, secondary or alternative colors, etc.

Programs that I am going to use

The designer who is going to make your magazine design, must carry out the basic layout or layout where the contents will be incorporated later.

We recommend working as specified above, starting from a base template that contains the previously agreed design criteria. For this there are different editing software such as QuarkXPress, Adobe InDesign, Freehand and other complementary ones that can also help us such as Illustrator, Photoshop or CorelDraw, among others.

Temporality

Generally, a magazine can be published biweekly, monthly, every two months or quarterly. There are also some that make two editions a year and even one.

Everything will depend on the type of magazine that we are doing and its pages (for sale to the public, by subscription, etc.) and above all on the availability of content. An associative magazine, for example, will not have so much information at its disposal to publish each month.

On the other hand, another publication with a theme of general interest or consumption and that is sold to the public, will surely be able to launch it on the market more frequently.

the reader

Before deciding on the design criteria for a magazine, a series of questions should be answered to define its parameters and its scope well. First of all, we must specify the profile of the public we want to address, that is, who we want the reader of our publication to be.

Having the target well defined, it will be much easier for us to continue with the project and define the content that will be incorporated, the style and, above all, the aesthetic or design criteria. Editing a magazine for teenagers is not the same as it is for a reader between 40 and 60 years old.

Technical aspects

This part is a brief summary of what was discussed above, within this section you have to analyze and decide on aspects such as the format or size that it will have (A4, A5, special format, tabloid, etc.), the paper that will be used (weights, glossy or matte, varnished, etc.), color (full color or black and white), and the printing ( digital or offset technology).

Within this phase it is important to begin to be clear about which printing company will be in charge of printing the magazine.

The contents

The designer will also be in charge of defining the information that will be published in the magazine. according to its editorial line. The most common is that all the staff of this department hold editorial councils, led by the editor in chief and director of the publication, where they debate and define the topics that are interesting for the audience before elaborating them.

Every publication, regardless of its periodicity, has to work with a closing date, that is, set the day on which everything is finished (writing, design, etc.) on the calendar.

Normally, when marking the date, certain variables are taken into account, such as, for example, the days needed for printing, finishing, handling, shipping, etc.

magazines for inspiration

Here is a list of magazines to inspire you.

Elle Magazine

It was founded in France in 1945, and has 44 print editions worldwide and 37 Web sites. Elle Magazine magazine is an authority in the world of fashion and provides a privileged place for designers, models and photographers of international renown.

It is the largest women's fashion magazine in the world available in 60 countries and in 46 languages. In Spain, it has left its mark on popular culture since 1986. Its iconic covers and content have stood out, giving it dominance in the international market.

This magazine has a wide variety of topics that allows the female public to find information on beauty, health, jewelry, astrology, entertainment and the latest news regarding the life of celebrities.

Cosmopolitan

This magazine combines fashion with themes that are more similar to women's reality. His focus on sexual life is one of his most outstanding points, since it breaks the barriers of taboo.

Although its central themes are related to fashion and relationships, its pages also cover the latest trends in the field of fashion, food and cocktail recipes, comments on celebrity hairstyles and styles, and gift ideas.

Cosmopolitan is aimed at daring women and their covers stand out from other magazines for their daring and sensual photography. It is published in more than 100 countries.

Telva

It is the number 1 magazine in Spain and currently directed by Olga Ruíz. Telva adapts to changes in society, in order to expose the current contents of fashion and beauty, in order to meet the demand of the female public.

Telva covers all international fashion and beauty trends and has been the spokesperson for Spanish designers, models and celebrities.

Conclusion

These have been some of the best tips that we can suggest. Now is the time for you to connect with your own design and focus it.