Glossary of Key Terms for Magazine Analysis

Masthead - The name and logo of the magazine.

The Lead - The introductory paragraph of an article. Usually written in bold or capitals.Body copy refers to the text of your written articles, which should be produced as a printed presentation to accepted industry standards, e.g. correct use of language, font size, word limits etc. Usually written in columns.

Serif font - Fonts like Times New Roman, or Baskerville Old Face, which have little bars (serifs) on the end of the letters.

Sans serif font - Fonts like Impact, or Agency FB, which do not have little bars (serifs) on the end of the letters.

Drop Capitals - Really big letter, which start off an article.

Cross Head - Small sub-heading used to split up a large block of text.White Space – white parts of a page other than text or pictures.

Mode Of Address - How the magazine talks to the audience.Sell Lines – Text on the cover that helps to sell the magazine to the audience. Kerrang!’s sell line is “life is loud”.

Banners - Text, which stands out because its on a coloured background.

House Style - A magazines distinctive design that distinguishes it from its competitors.

Borders - The gaps at the edges of the page.

Gutters - The gaps between the columns of text.

Leading - The space between lines of text.

Kerning - The space between letters.

Strap Lines - A smaller headline, printed above the main headline.

By-lines - Name of the person who wrote the article.

Picture Credits - Where did the photos come from, or who took them.

Anchorage - The way in which text helps to pin down the meaning of a picture and visa versa.