Magazine Double Page Spread Analysis

When analysing magazine double page spreads, you should be able to identify all of the following elements:

Alley: the space between columns within a page.

Bleed: when the image is printed to the very edge of the page.

Byline - A journalist's name at the beginning of a story.

Copy - Main text of a story.

Cropping: the elimination of parts of a photograph or other original that are not required to be printed. Cropping allows the remaining parts of the image to be enlarged to fill the space.


Deck - Part of the headline which summarises the story. Also known as deck copy or bank.

Drop cap: a large initial letter at the start of the text that drops into the line or lines of text below.



Headline - The main title of the article. Should be in present or future tense to add to urgency. Must fit the space provided. If it doesn’t, you are using the wrong words.

Kicker - The first sentence or first few words of a story's lead, set in a font size larger than the body text of the story.

Pull quote: A brief phrase (not necessarily an actual quotation) from the body text, enlarged and set off from the text with rules, a box, and/or a screen. It is from a part of the text set previously, and is set in the middle of a paragraph, to add emphasis and interest.

Standfirst - Lines of text after the headline that gives more information about the article, or about the author.
Talkie headline: a quote from one of the people in the story used as a headline

This vocabulary is essential for any student aspiring to a B or above.