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NM 4208 Magazine Project
Dr. Linda M. Perry

OBJECTIVE: To justify and plan a 16-page magazine designed to meet communication objectives and produce a visualization for management.

LIMITATIONS:

• Magazine is 16 pages, including self-cover.
• Trim Size, closed: 210 mm by 297 mm (A4).
• Binding: saddle-stitched.
• Offset printing
• Impositions: Three eight-page impositions (eight up),
  two work & turn signatures:
  • Inks:
    • Signature No. 1, Sides A & B
      • 4-colour process, one imposition (8 pages up)
    • Signature No. 2, Side A
      • Two colours, one imposition (4 pages up, duplicated)
    • Signature No. 2, Side B
      • One colour, one imposition (4 pages up, duplicated)

Jump to project checklist

I. THE PROPOSAL

A. Justification (two parts):

1. (Due Oct. 1) Contents Plan (about two pages, typed double-spaced): Sell your idea to top management. Justify the expense (without quoting actual dollars). Explain why the magazine is needed. Identify the problems (or opportunities) it is designed to solve (or meet) and clearly explain why a magazine is the best option for solving that problem or meeting that opportunity.
State at least four objectives for the magazine and give target dates. At least two of those objectives should be behavioural objectives.
Describe the target audience with demographics and explain how the magazine will meet the specific objectives set for that audience. You should set some objectives for the first issue and some long-term objectives for the first year, keeping in mind the cumulative effect that magazines tend to have on target audiences.
You can propose cutting back the more expensive specifications or increasing the investment — with fewer or more colour pages, a separate cover and/or more pages — after the first issue of the magazine has met its initial objectives.
Propose the contents of your magazine. The contents plan should include an outline of content for each two-page spread: front and back cover (16-1); 2-3; 4-5; 6-7; 8-9; 10-11; 12-13; 14-15.

2. (Due Nov. 12) Description (about four pages, typed double-spaced, plus the schedule): Describe the magazine: its trimmed size folded, number of pages, its format (physical and visual characteristics: type, margins, columns, cover, table of contents, departments’ identifying features; other graphic elements); formula (editorial policy; content, including percentages of each type throughout the year; illustration vs. editorial percentages for the first year and the first issue; and regular departments); and how content in the long term is related to objectives. Finally, explain the magazine's place in the organization’s overall communication objectives.
Explain your paper choice and describe your ink colour plan in layman's terms (for example, glossy magazine paper instead of supercalendered; dark blue instead of Pantone 660), and explain the rationale for your colour selections to management.
Attach a publishing schedule for six issues.

B. The Visual:
Prepare a visualization for management of what the magazine will look like when printed. The visual will have eight two-page spreads, including the cover. It must have representations of at least four articles that you have planned. As the most seen page of the magazine, the cover should be especially attractive and must have at least one piece of large, attention-getting art. The cover may be a two-page wraparound art for extra credit.
You must have at least eight pieces of art throughout the magazine. The art must not be distorted or pixilated by poor scaling. Art must be rendered as TIFFs with resolutions of at least 150 to 300 dpi. At least two must be rendered as two different special finishes, such as vignette (feathering), mortise or notch halftone, special shape, or outline.
The table of contents page(s) should be attractive and must have at least one piece of art. The feature article layout likewise should be attractive and must have at least two halftones (as TIFFs) with cutlines. It should begin on facing pages and be at least three pages long.
The visualization should be executed in InDesign or a similar desktop publisher. DO NOT create entire pages in Photoshop or Illustrator and then import the whole page as art. Use InDesign for the magazine pages and Photoshop and/or Illustrator for individual pieces of art.
You must write content for all display type (14 pts or larger) for the entire magazine, all content for the table of contents, the feature article and its cutlines. For the other pages, you may use dummy text for body copy (13 points or smaller) to indicate where text would be placed. Body copy type size should be appropriate for your target audience. Caution: ALL display type must be written. No dummy type can be used for for display type.
Write at least four blurbs, one for each article, for the table of contents page. The blurbs should be written to demonstrate how the articles would achieve the objectives specified in the justification.
The feature article must be at least three pages long and written to achieve your specified objectives. It must include at least two quote-outs as well as the two pieces of art and the cutlines mentioned above.
Creativity, of course, will be rewarded. Also affecting your grade are quality of design (based on principles learned in class), graphics mastery (range of graphic arts and printing production techniques used correctly), precision, following directions, and your expertise at using the magazine for strategic communication.

II. PRINTER'S PACKAGE (four parts):

A. Printer's Specifications:
Printing specifications are a contract with the printer or an invitation to bid. Use the printing specifications instructions to determine all that is needed for your job, specifying at least the items listed below and typed in the following two-column format:

B. Imposition Charts: Provide a set of charts (like the charts produced in lab during the demonstration) showing the press setup for each imposition and the colours used. Show three imposition charts — one in one colour, one in two colours and the other in four-colour process — for the two work-and-turn signatures. Mark all fold lines with dotted lines and label. Draw the cut and trim lines and label. Place page numbers on the outside bottom corner of each page of the chart as printing will appear on that page.

C. Art Package: Provide a numbered list of the art file titles and a description of the art. Give the graphic specs for each. Use the following format:

KEY	DESCRIPTION OF CONTENT	FILE NAME	GRAPHIC SPECS
1.	Profile of Lady Liberty	liberty.tif	Brown DT, silhouette
2.	Flag	flag.tif	Brown DT
3.	Children viewing document	children.tif	4CPHT with type reversed
4.	Police officer with boy	copnboy.tif	BHT, outline on 90% red tint block

D. Dummy: Print out a second copy of your layout with the TIFFs dropped out for a dummy. Key artwork (TIFFs) not generated by InDesign to the list of the art files. Write any special instructions not apparent in the InDesign document, including any CMYK mix used to achieve a Pantone colour on the four-colour imposition. Inside the boxes for art, indicate halftones by colour pencils or computer drawings of  Xs in the ink colours used; for example, a black X for BHTs, a cyan X overlapping a black X for a cyan duotone, and four X’s in process colours for 4CPHT. Key each halftone to the art package.

Black HT (Halftone):Cyan DT (Duotone): 4CPHT:

Note: Lines of X's above are thick for illustration purposes. Yours may be around 3 pts.

GRADING:

DEADLINES:
The first part of the justification -- the contents plan -- is due in class on Oct. 1. The second part of the justification -- the description -- is due in class on Nov. 12. The visual and the printer’s package are due at 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 19. Remember that late work is penalized 10% (one letter grade) per day. Of course, if you have final exams, you should try to finish the project earlier.

Place the project in an appropriately sized envelope with your name and email address on the outside. If you want the project returned to you via snail-mail, address the envelope and affix appropriate postage. Otherwise, graded projects will be available in the instructors' offices for pick up.

MAGAZINE PROJECT CHECKLIST
Back to project instructions

I. The Proposal (creative brief)
A. Justification--Contents Plan (about 2 pages, due Oct. 1): 10%
_____ Problems (opportunity) stated clearly.
_____ Investment in magazine justified. Clear rationale.
_____ At least four objectives: specific, measurable, reasonable, with
target dates and target audience(s).
_____ At least two are behavioural objectives.
_____ First-issue and long-term objectives given.
_____ Audience described, with demographics.
_____ Explanation of how magazine will achieve objectives for each audience.
_____ Outline of content for each two-page spread: front and back
cover (16-1); 2-3; 4-5; 6-7; 8-9; 10-11; 12-13; 14-15.
_____ Writing: Concise, correct grammar, spelling, mechanics.

B. Description (about 4 pages, plus schedule, due Nov. 12): 10%
_____ Magazine described: trimmed size folded, number of pages.
_____ Format: type, margins, columns, cover, table of contents,
departments, graphics.
_____ Formula: editorial policy; content, with percentages; for year & first issue;
regular departments.
_____ How content in long-term is related to objectives.
_____ Explanation of magazine's place in overall communication objectives.
_____ Paper choice, in layman's terms.
_____ Ink colours, in layman's terms.
_____ Publishing schedule for six issues: Realistic deadlines, all key steps
accounted for.
_____ Writing: Concise, correct grammar, spelling, mechanics.

C. The Visual (due Nov. 19): 50%
______ Overall creativity — originality, visually attractive
______ Specifications followed (inks, paper, art)
______ Imposition charts followed
______ Eight two-page spreads (including cover) with at least four articles
______ Cover attractive, with at least one piece of art
______ Design principles followed for each two-page spread
______ Inside spread well utilized
______ Contents page(s) attractive; at least one piece of art
______ Contents page: all content written, at least 4 blurbs to show how
articles would achieve objectives.
______ Feature spread attractive; begins on facing pages; at least
two pieces of art
______ Feature article written to achieve specified objectives, at least three
pages long, all cutlines and 2 quote-outs written
______ At least eight pieces of art overall; with two different special finishes
______ Art cropped and scaled correctly; TIFF files at good resolutions
______ All display type written
______ All text indicated (dummy text where content not required)
______ Writing overall: Clear; on target with objectives; grammatically correct
______ Graphics mastery: Understands & uses graphics well
______ Execution — Precision, neatness, directions followed as to software used.



II. PRINTER'S PACKAGE

A. Printer's Specifications: 10%
______ Complete—Everything accounted for: cover, binding, contact person, etc.
______ Accuracy—Appropriate terminology and format followed
______ Paper order correct
______ Ink order correct
______ Artwork summarized correctly (total BHTs, 4CPHTs, etc.)
______ Composition summarized correctly.
______ All software used, with versions.
______ Deadlines adequate, reasonable.

B. Imposition Charts: 5%
______ Signatures & impositions correct; 1- and 2-colour impositions,
4CP imposition.
______ Fold lines, cut lines shown and labeled. Page numbers shown
as printing will appear on signature.

C. Art Package: 5%
______ All art listed, numbered, keyed to dummy.
______ Graphic specs correct

D. Printer's Dummies 10%
______ At least one dummy for each two-page spread.
______ Utility—Insures correct production.
______ Completeness—everything labeled.
______ Art correctly keyed to art list.
______ Graphic instructions (X's, etc., colour) technically correct.
______ Any CMYK mix for Pantone colours given on CMYK pages

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