28 July 2020

Is a magazine cover the perfect gift idea in 2020?

by Anna Janovsky
Is a magazine cover the perfect gift idea?

Fame, money, flashes and being on the front pages of newspapers - who doesn't dream about it? Get yourself or your loved ones a unique gift in the form of a personalized magazine cover and make them feel like a star!

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The power of a magazine cover

Almost everyone knows the saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” While it works perfectly in the case of books, it is completely wrong in the case of magazines. A magazine cover represents everything that makes up a given issue – photos, content, materials, all ideas of editors, graphic designers and other creative people engaged in. A magazine cover is a specific showcase of a given issue.

What are the functions of a magazine cover?

There are many of them, but one of the most important is distinguishing the issue among other magazines. Today, there are thousands of different magazine titles on the market – and the industry is getting very competitive. To vary themselves from the rest, editors use various tricks and strategies, and the magazine cover is one of the best advertising tools for a newspaper. We all know that magazine covers need to catch the eye of potential customers and encourage them to buy your magazine. The front page of the newspaper represents the most important content of an issue. It contains specific features characteristic of a given magazine, which are part of the entire brand image and communication that it builds with its recipients. The cover also tells the reader what content can be found in a given issue of the journal. This information is placed on the cover in the form of headings and short blocks of text. Of course, all of this content is dressed in suitable words and phrases to attract and interest the reader. The protective function must not be forgotten either. The magazine cover protects the inside of the magazine against damage. This function may seem prosaic, but contrary to appearances, it plays an important role, especially in the direct contact between the magazine and the client, when a potential buyer of the magazine, interested in the cover, takes it into his hands. This is especially true for slightly more luxurious, higher-priced magazines that have solid and thicker covers than cheaper newspapers.

As can be seen, the cover has many important functions, however, all the roles played by the magazine cover are to lead to the achievement of one common, main and most important goal – to encourage the client o buy the chosen magazine.

How a magazine cover is made

We already know how important a magazine cover is. It is no surprise that developing and preparing a magazine cover is a complex process. Technically speaking, the cover of a magazine consists of several fixed elements – the title of the journal, the date of issue, the price, the cover story, previews of several other articles in the newspaper presented as headers and text blocks, phrases reinforcing the message – “breaking news “,” new” and some illustrative materials. Each element is prepared with attention to the smallest detail. The photos are done by professional photographers and further retouched. The text is well thought out and adjusted to the issue. The secret of preparing a great magazine cover is in the right combination and composition of all these elements. Warehouses use two different methods to achieve this goal. The first is to arrange the cover elements in a constantly repeating pattern. The advantage of this strategy is to build recognition and habituation of the readers, and the downside is the lack of a surprise element, which may sometimes be helpful. The second way is to change the layout of the magazine cover from edition to edition. The advantage of this method is undoubtedly its originality, surprise and flexibility, but it also has its downside in the form of a lack of consistency in visual identification. The choice of one of these two tactics is usually dictated by the preferences and the nature of the target group of a given magazine.

One of the most important components of a magazine cover is the artwork or photo. It occupies the largest area on the cover and has the strongest impact on the general aesthetic of the magazine cover. The photos are made during sessions with a whole team of professionals like photographers, art directors, designers make up artists and retouchers. These sessions often take place many months before a newspaper issue comes out. As in the case of the cover elements, also here, when choosing graphics or photos for the front page, the decisive factor is the actual subject of the magazine, the current season (ex. well-known covers for Christmas or the changing seasons of the year) or the subject of the issue. In the case of political or economic issues, the magazine cover is influenced by current world situations prevailing in a given subject.

How to prepare a personalized magazine cover?

To create a personalized magazine cover use our online creator and follow a few simple steps:

Step 1. Choosing the title of the magazine cover

Start creating a personalized cover by deciding on the title of the magazine. We offer 6 magazines to choose from: Vogue, Forbes, People, Time, Rolling Stone and National Geographic. While designing the cover we should take under consideration the character, interests and manner of the person who will be on the magazine cover.

Vogue magazine cover gift
ue – is an American fashion and lifestyle magazine aimed at women. This magazine will suit a person who is interested in trends and news in the fashion world.
Forbes magazine cover gift
Forbes – is a biweekly business-related magazine. The cover of this magazine would surely be someone who is interested in business, economy and earning money.
People magazine cover gift
People – is an illustrated weekly magazine specializing in describing the lives of show business stars and celebrities. A person who dreams of being a famous celebrity or likes gossip from the world of stars would be perfect for the front page of this magazine.
Time magazine cover gift
Time – is an American social and political weekly. The cover of this magazine is best graced by a person who follows the political scene on an ongoing basis.
Rolling Stone magazine cover gift
Rolling Stone – is a music magazine. Being on its cover is the dream of every music lover and creator.
National Geographic magazine cover gift
National Geographic – a title for every traveller and nature enthusiast. Usually contains articles about geography, science, history and culture.

Step 2. Photo selection

In step 2, select the cover photo. Remember to choose one that is vivid, sharp and of good quality. The person who is on it should look favourably so that he or she will like the final result.

Step 3. Preparing headlines

Headlines, just like the other elements, should be matched to the recipient. For example, when giving a gift to mom, you can add a suitable headline for ex.: “Maria Lopez, the best mom and great cook – how does she do it?”.

Step 4. Frame selection

The final step is to choose a frame. It should match the colour of the photo and the interior design. Our online creator offers you four frame colours to choose from: gold, silver, white and black.

Magazine cover – a good idea for an original gift

Magazine cover as a great present idea for daughter
Magazine cover as a great present idea for daughter.

A magazine cover is an original and interesting gift idea for everyone. It is perfect for family members – wife, husband, mom, dad, siblings, grandparents, but also for friends, e.g. for birthdays or hen parties. Such a gift will surprise and amuse both young and old.

Personalized gifts – gifts straight from the heart

There are at least a few reasons why personalized gifts are one of the best types of gifts that we can give to our loved ones. First of all, as it is commonly known – gifts intended for a specific person and made with someone in mind most go to the heart. Unfortunately, not everyone has manual skills that allow them to create a gift on their own. Here, ready-made gifts that are completely personalized come to the rescue. Although they were not made by hand, they are dedicated only for one person. Another advantage of personalized gifts is the ability to use your own photos. This is a particularly interesting solution for gifts such as pillows, T-shirts or magazine covers.

Create your first magazine cover today using our online creator and prepare a gift that will surprise even the most demanding person.

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