Magazine Design: 4 Ways to Make a Striking Visual Impact

As of 2022, the US magazine and periodical industry is worth $21.7 billion.

Your magazine design is every bit as important as its content. A striking magazine layout design will speak for your brand and attract potential readers to your publication.

Whether you’re designing a magazine or looking for a new layout for your current publication, it pays to familiarize yourself with the top 5 ways to make a strong visual impact. That’s where our helpful guide comes into play.

Read on for the rundown on the best design tips to make your magazine visually striking.

1. Nail the Cover

It goes without saying that the cover is one of the most critical parts of the entire magazine design layout. A visually impactful cover piece will make your publication stand out from the crowd.

While it’s important to catch people’s attention, this doesn’t always mean using overly bright or overt colors and designs. Sometimes, bold simplicity is more effective at drawing readers in.

When it comes to your magazine design, people will be judging a book by its cover. Ensure you have an excellent centerpiece image for your magazine for a visually striking impact.

2. Be Smart With Color

Color is a critical aspect of design. It can set a tone, direct attention, and give a publication a personality. A mix of vibrant and well-matched colors is sure to make every page in the magazine pop.

Take the time to consider the tone and color palette for your magazine as a whole. Then, you can start to make decisions on font color, accenting, and headings.

You can also use color to index your magazine into different sections and volumes by making a coded contents page.

3. Choose a Strong Typeface and Imagery

The font style and types of imagery you include in your magazine can enhance its overall visual magnitude. Every big publication has an iconic typeface that represents the brand as a whole.

When choosing stock imagery for your magazine, you could combine classic images with contemporary materials and factors to give your magazine spread design a unique flair – learn more here.

You can find many licensed fonts and typefaces by searching online.

4. Consistency is Key

To make your design layout flow, it’s vital to ensure consistency throughout the finished product. Using too many different design aspects in the same magazine can make the issue feel jarring and hard to read.

You should choose one color as your primary tone. Then, you can decide best how to consolidate your design into your overall artistic vision.

A consistent design scheme will keep readers turning the pages as they experience everything your magazine has to offer.

Making Your Magazine Design Pop

So, that’s the rundown on how to ensure your magazine design is visually striking.

Following these design tips will help you create a stunning layout that keeps your readers tuned in and waiting for the next issue.

Did you find this article helpful? If so, be sure to check out the rest of the blog for more great content.