Magazine Glossary

1. Masthead – The name and logo of the magazine.
2. The Lead – the introductory paragraph of an article. Usually written in bold or capitals.
3. 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.
4. Serif font – fonts like Times New Roman, or Baskerville Old Face, which have little bars (serifs) on the end of the letters.
5. Sans serif font – fonts like Impact, or Agency FB, which do not have little bars (serifs) on the end of the letters.
6. Drop Capitals – Really big letter, which start off an article.
7. Cross Head – Small sub-heading used to split up a large block of text.
8. White Space – white parts of a page other than text or pictures.
9. Mode Of Address – How the magazine talks to the audience.
10. Sell Lines – Text on the cover that helps to sell the magazine to the audience. Kerrang!’s sell line is “life is loud”.
11. Banners – text, which stands out because its on a coloured background.
12. House Style – a magazines distinctive design that distinguishes it from its competitors.
13. Borders – the gaps at the edges of the page.
14. Gutters – the gaps between the columns of text.
15. Leading - the space between lines of text.
16. Kerning - the space between letters.
17. Strap Lines – a smaller headline, printed above the main headline.
18. By-lines - name of the person who wrote the article. Picture Credits - where did the photos come from, or who took them.
19. Anchorage – The way in which text helps to pin down the meaning of a picture and visa versa.