A Glossary of Magazine Terms

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