Fonts for my Front Cover

Before deciding on my font, I am going to look at fonts already used on music magazine so I can get an idea of what is used and this will aid me to think of a unique and original font that also reaches out to the reader.

The red colour of the font is striking, whereas the title font is classic and effortless. It flows very easily from one letter to another, portraying the flow of music. The classic style conveys how music can be listened to by all ages, and is timeless. This is especially applicable to the magazine's genre as it focuses on popular chart songs.

The KERRANG header is black, which bears a stark contrast to the white background. It is a basic font, conveying how music can be simple, and has a "shattered" effect. This illustrates how the music could have "shattered" the title, symbolising the power of music. The genre of music exoplored in Kerrang is rock, indie and alternative, which are the types of music which are said to "shatter windows" and hence, the text could be shattered easily.

Q magazine is shortened from "Q the music". The title is short and hence, needs to use colours which stands out. This is achieved through the white text and red background. It would look silly and over the top if the only letter of the title had fancy effects, so I think that they have done a good job with keeping the font classic and tidy.

NME stands for "New Musical Express". It is outlined by white and black, emphasizing how the title needs to stand out. The converse range of colours used contrast with one another, slightly clashing but in a good way, as if it is conveying the power and clash of music. The 3D font reaches out to the reader, as if it can be touched. This symbolizes the proximity of music to the reader.

Here are some fonts that I have tested on Indesign and Photoshop.

Out of these eight fonts, I have decided that I like the last one the best as it is a little bit different to the other ones. It reminds me of a stamp, which will look like it has been through a process of construction. This will engage the reader more, as it will look like someone has physically stamped the title on each magazine, conveying the hard work which has gone into the magazine. I am also going to add an effect to the font, as it will show good use of Photoshop and will add more emphasis to the title "STRUCK", which will add to the music connotations.

The personal effect which I am using with the stamp format has been used with Kerrang;

A picture of Billie Joe Armstrong from Greenday has been "saftey-pinned" to the magazine front cover. This looks personal to the reader, as if it has been made just for them.