Codes and Conventions of Magazine Contents pages

When designing a magazine contents page, codes and conventions are usually followed to make the page aesthetically pleasing and easy for the reader to follow, these are some of them:

• Basic colour schemes are usually used to make it easy on the eyes and consistent with the front covers colour scheme, it usually shows a clear genre.
• The writing on the contents page is usually set out  in columns.
• There is always a main image on the contents page which links to the main story of the magazine.
• Featured articles are placed on the contents page to show what's in the magazine.
• Deals for magazine subscriptions are usually featured on the contents page so that readers can subscribe and have the issues sent to them directly.
• A message from the editor is sometimes featured on the contents page welcoming new readers.
• Smaller images on the contents page link to other stories featured in the magazine.
• Page numbers and captions linking to stories are in different fonts an colours to make them stand out to the reader.
• On the contents page a website is usually featured at the bottom as its least important to the reader.
• Sometimes Buzz words are featured on the contents page to link to stories.
• The word "Contents" is always found at the top of contents pages so it's the first thing people read when they open the magazine.
• Magazines always use size 11 font and consistent throughout to make it aesthetically pleasing.
• An introduction of what's in the issue is usually written by the editor on the contents page.
• Sometimes credits to the photographer who took pictures for the magazine will be featured on the contents page.
• Empty space divides different articles and the masthead on contents pages are sometimes smaller or similar to the covers masthead to show continuity.
• In the list of contents, the page number will always come before the text and will follow with a few words e.g. the artist name, ambiguous texts to entice the reader in either bold/ capitals and usually in 13/14 size font. A sub-line comes after this and is in more detail about the article in a smaller and usual roman font, it is never in any font bigger than size 11.