Good magazine design is invisible. Readers notice the stories, the photography, the ideas. The layout guides them through without them realising it. Bad design gets noticed immediately.
Magazine layout is more than aesthetics. It creates hierarchy, guides the reader, establishes brand identity and drives commercial value. Every choice in typography, white space, image placement and colour either reinforces what a title stands for or undermines it. The fundamentals apply whether the output is a printed spread, a tablet edition or a responsive web page.
Design is a verb, not a noun. It's a process. It's not just shapes and colours, it's about understanding who you are, and then matching your values to those of your customers.
Andy Cowles Four design decisions that will transform the experience of your brand
Cover design deserves particular attention from specialist and B2B publishers. A cover that once lived only in print now exists as a digital thumbnail, an email header, a social media post. Getting it right means understanding not just what looks good, but who your reader is and what makes them pick you up.
Editorial design across the sector has never faced more demands. User experience, responsive layout, the balance between advertising and editorial on screen. These require design thinking that goes beyond traditional magazine design skills. Publishers who treat their digital presence as an afterthought to print are missing significant opportunities.
Below you'll find some of our best feature articles on the subject, from practical design guidance to case studies and expert interviews, alongside our latest news and industry commentary.
Design can make or break your publishing brand, so it’s worth putting in the time to get it right. There are four key areas that publishers need to focus on, says Andy Cowles.
The purpose of design is to engage readers and ensure they continue reading, says Michael Chinnery, founder of CPUK Print Publishing.
It’s not just newsstand titles that require well designed covers, says Andy Cowles. For specialist titles too, the front cover helps define the magazine and its readers.
Welcome to our latest special feature, this time looking at all aspects of content production and UX. All of the insights and opinions come from leading suppliers to the publishing sector and from senior executives at UK publishing companies.
Don’t rush to conclusions about UX issues, says OpenAthens’ Sarah Underwood; take time to understand the problem.
When it comes to image quality, publishers tend to put much more effort into pictures that appear in print than those that appear online. This, says Pixometry's John de Jong, is a mistake and one that can be easily avoided.
Welcome to our first publishing workflows special, an extended feature taking an in-depth look at all aspects of the content creation process. All of the insights and opinions come from leading suppliers of publishing software & from senior editors.
Every piece of print is an opportunity to wow your reader, says Acorn Web Offset’s Matt Carry. We grab five minutes with him to revisit some of the exciting options available to publishers to engage their audiences through print.
The Stationers’ Company has announced the shortlist for its Innovation Excellence Awards 2024.
On Wednesday night, the publishing industry gathered at City Central at The HAC to celebrate the annual PPA Awards, hosted by comedian, presenter, political commentator, and podcast host Nish Kumar.
Publishers were quick to identify workflows as one area AI could help streamline and make more efficient. Stewart Robinson, managing director of Full Fat Things, looks at the opportunities.
Much of publishers’ initial interest in AI was text-based, but AI’s potential to make a huge impact on image creation and editing soon became apparent. Derek Milne, commercial pixometrist at Pixometry, looks at what’s possible.
Publishers are experts at creating content, but one of the most exciting things about AI is the way it can help optimise that content. Tom Pijsel, VP product management at WoodWing, explains how.
It might seem counterintuitive to print your magazines and newspaper supplements overseas, but Roeselare, home of Roularta Printing, is closer to London than Plymouth or Manchester.
The journey to net zero can be complex and, if you’re trying to do it on your own, overwhelming. At Immediate Media, says Jo Beattie, they have benefited hugely through collaboration with suppliers, industry groups and local bodies.
Roularta Printing has ordered a new Sitma VariaWrap 1050 inserting and wrapping system, due for delivery in the second half of 2024.
… a thousand words. One good example of the enduring power of the still photograph emerged from last week’s D-Day commemorations.
Stephens & George have invested in Heidelberg’s new Speedmaster XL 106 printing technology.
The 44th PPA Awards will be held on Wednesday 26th June, at City Central at the HAC.
Acorn Web, a magazine printer of short to medium run, A4 and A5, multi pagination, magazines has invested in a brand-new website and company video.
Keeping tight control of your cost base is more important than ever, especially for independent publishers. We ask Publishing Hub’s Steven O’Hara for his thoughts on how publishers can save money.
Now that we know the moving truth of the Princess of Wales’s cancer treatment, what does a manipulated family photograph matter?, asks Dickon Ross.
