My preference is to use Adobe Indesign to produce my magazine. Adobe Indesign is a market leading software package used to design professional layouts for print and digital publishing.
The practice of choosing, setting and arranging the type on a printed page is known as typography.
The style of font can signify a mood and is an important part of building a brand or special identity.
Rebellion
The connotation of the 'cracked' effect is edginess and loudness which is suitable for Rock music. The cracked imagery represents breaking new ground, breaking convention (anti establishment).
Fun
The curved shaped of letters in the above masthead reflect softness (no edge) and lightness which is likely to appeal to a young teenage audience. The connotation of the soft and gentle style is femininity further reinforced by the yellow and pink colour scheme.
Futuristic
My target audience is interested in and derives enjoyment from new forms of technical equipment and gadgetry so would probably appreciate a futuristic or digital style of font.
Fonts can be divided into two groups display type and body. Display type is used for titles and headings while those in the body group are used for text. The size of fonts is usually expressed in term of points. Display type is larger than body type usually more than 30 points.
There are two basic styles of typeface serif and sans serif. Serifs comprise the small features at the end of strokes within letters.
Serif fonts are considered easier to read long passages as the strokes join letters together.
DJMAG has a very clear distinctive display type font for the masthead. This will help the magazine stand out in the shop.
The capital letters are fused together and a bold shadow effect has been added to increase the impact & depth. The vivid red colour denotes confidence and danger which in turn evokes a sense of excitement reflecting the characteristics of the readership.
Different sizes are used to classify the magazine headings in terms of importance. The main flash is larger than the secondary headings.
Also different fonts are used to differentiate text and effects such as splashes and contrasting backgrounds / colours, bold, outlines and shadows employed to give the magazine a personality. In addition the fonts are manipulated using leading and kerning which alters the vertical and horizontal spacing between the letters.
The Mixmag comprises lower case letters of equal size. Similar to “top of the pops” above the letters are curved though in contrast are not joined. The style feels more adult orientated helped by presence of the vinyl record icon as the dot for “I” and the colour scheme. Although a pink colour is employed for the strap line it is deeper representing maturity in comparison with “top of the pops”.
Font Selection Process
The title needs to stand out on the shelf in order to attract potential readers. The design needs to appeal to young adults in their twenties. My target group is passionate about music, fashion and technical gadgets. They are highly computer literate. They use social networking and listen to music. They are aspirers and seekers of excitement and adventure.
Masthead
With this knowledge in mind I selected the following fonts for my magazine masthead;
Imagine font was originally created for a video game. My target audience is tech savvy and aged between 17 - 30 they will be one of the first generations to grow up with computer technology. Imagine font it also easy to read. It might be a little too square and rigid to match the fluidity of my title "Thirst".
'Sinner' font is heavy and bold. It is a lot like Imagine font. Having a bold font on the front page will have an impact on the audience. If I use the correct colour scheme to fill this font then it will be hard to miss.
'Bravado' font is a more sensible. I chose it because it meets my personal requirements of being easy to read but also because it's different from fonts used in existing magazines. This makes my magazine unique.
This is a very square font. Squares are popular within the dance music genre this could be because they indicate something is digital and dance music is usually produced on electronic software. 'Yourself' is a very modern font however because it's so blocky and square it might be hard for my target audience to read which is something to be avoided.
Sub headings
One question asked my target audience which was their favourite font as a sub-heading for main flashes and main sells. Here were the font choices:
A very curvy font with sharp edges. The characters are all in lowercase.
I chose this font as an option because it relates directly to technology. My target audience is tech savvy and has grown up in a digital age. This seems like an appropriate option.
This font is slanted indicating dynamism and movement. Dance music is always changing and it's a very lively active genre.
I considered "yourself" as a title font however it could also be used as a sub heading title too.
Body text
Usually body text is a serif font because the small flick at the end of each character makes it easier to read. Popular serif fonts on Windows computers include Times New Roman and Cambria.
Below is an example of Times New Roman compared with Arial to show the difference.
Serif -
Sans Serif -
Feedback
I am aiming my publication at young adults in their twenties so the style needs to relate to this age group.
I designed a short questionnaire and surveyed a sample of students at my college to obtain feedback about their preferences for the masthead, main flash and main sells. Students are part of my target audience so their views are relevant:
Below is an example of the type of response I received from my focus group on Facebook;
Masthead 
Sub heading
Sinner font topped the poll for the masthead and Imagine font for the sub heading. In line with common practice I intend to use Arial for the body text.
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