Font/ Masthead- Typography Analysis
This is the masthead for the magazine 'Q', which is very simplistic. The idea that it is in an upper case typeface, and a bold white font with a drop shadow on a prime red background which contrast, emphasises the idea of it standing out. The masthead is unique, therefore readers can automatically recognise it. It's usually located at the top left of a magazine cover which may be because of how it doesn't contain that many characters. The magazine isn't as bold and shocking in comparison to magazines such as 'Kerrang', this may be because this magazine is more elegant and formal in style, this can be supported due to the exaggeration in the flick in the letter 'Q'. The typeface is also fairly large, which would make it very recognisable. The masthead is neutral, therefore t does not base itself on a particular genre of music. The colour scheme of red and white tends to be in every magazine issue, which would help promote the brand identity.
'NME' is the abbreviation for New Musical Express. The masthead for this magazine is presented in a sans-serif font, which gives off the impression of being easy going when it comes to the mass market audience. The masthead is usual places at the top left of a magazine, due to it being an abbreviation, therefore it is easier to manage. The colour scheme is a bright red which is bold accompanied by a semi-thick white outline, and then followed by a thin black outline which allows the magazine to look knowledgeable and of course readable. This colour scheme is very convenient, as it ensures that the logo can work with any colour background which is allowing flexibility. The use of the colour red, symbolises 'love' which could be seen to illustrate love for music. The simplistic design is beneficial, as it allows the main focus to be the main stories on the front cover.
'Kerrang' is the masthead of this magazine. The masthead is automatically an example of onomatopoeia. The sans-serif typeface is presented in a distressed way which also works with the market mass audience (rock listeners) along with the cracked design of the font which really depicts the idea of the magazine, heavy metal music along with similar genres, such as punk. The colour scheme is a simple black and white which is very beneficial, as it would be flexible to go with any colour Kerrang wants to put it with. The onomatopoeic sound could be mimicking the sound of a guitar cord, along with trying to portray the appearance of rebellion.
'Billboard' is the masthead of this magazine, and to begin with the typeface is a sans-serif font known as Avant Gard. This makes the letters very tall and slim which emphasises the modernity of the magazine, which would attract a younger target audience. The masthead of this magazine may sometimes be covered by the main image of the front page, this adds to the brands identity because people will know automatically that this is Billboard perhaps through the protruding colours. The colours in the lower case typeface are usually red, yellow and blue. This may add to the colour scheme of the magazine and allow it to look lively and vibrant. The masthead is usually presented in the form of a banner at the top of the front page which may be due to the idea of making the content of the magazine more significant than the actual masthead. Finally, as Billboard is well known only a simple logo is required as its well recognised magazine.
'Mojo' is the masthead of this magazine and tends to be either black or white depending on the contrast of the main image on the front cover. The typeface is a bold and simple serif font which symbolises the idea of this magazine being male dominated. The term 'MOJO' means influence, which could be symbolic for music having huge influence in our lives. The masthead is usually in the form of a banner across the top of the magazine, and takes up most of the width and is usually in the foreground of the magazine so it can be seen clearly. The colour scheme of this masthead tends to be black, white and grey and seems to have a three dimensional aspect to it, which makes it more visible to the target audience.
MY MAGAZINE
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Bold Font
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Elegant font across DPS.
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Sans-Serif font mainly
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Bright Vibrant Colours