Masthead Typography Research

shiraavidan77
Jan 13, 2023
2 min read

Updated: Mar 23, 2023

Known as the style or appearance of written text, typography establishes a magazine's overall aesthetic, attracts attention, and evokes certain favorable emotions. Especially since the magazine title, or masthead, is the element that most viewers observe first, choosing the appropriate font can definitely contribute to a visually appealing magazine. With this in mind, throughout the week, my classmates and I are not only researching masthead typography but also trying out our own masthead with a variety of fonts as a possible choice for our final magazine.

Below are two mastheads from two selected food magazines, along with an analysis of their typography. These mastheads are similar to how I would like to produce mine, hence why I am planning on incorporating a similar format for my final magazine.

Masthead #1

The top half of the masthead's font is written in a decorative sans-serif style similar to the appearance of Chinese characters, not only suggesting that the food derives from China but also contributing to the Chinese theme in the magazine. It is displayed in a red font in contrast to the black bottom half to stand out more and emphasize how delicious the featured Chinese food is. After all, the well-known usage of slang ("Damn Good") indicates that the product is truly enjoyable and is worth grabbing the audience's attention. The two previously mentioned colors—especially red—are often associated with China; red is the national color of China and symbolizes several positive elements such as luck, joy, and happiness. Whether because of the distinct color palette or unique fonts, this ideal typography helps strengthen its brand identity as it persuades a large audience to read the magazine. These factors contribute to the magazine's brand image since the viewers will think more highly of the food (possibly to the extent of even trying some of the highlighted Chinese dishes).

Masthead #2

Standing out against the dark blue background, the color palette of this masthead mainly consisting of gold creates the general impression, or brand image, that high-value products will be showcased in this magazine. An audience of wealthier individuals will be attracted, establishing the magazine's brand identity that this publishing company writes articles about indulging and affluent lifestyles. In other words, the shiny, polished, and metallic look on the letters—intended to symbolize gold—connotes the idea of wealth, success, and fortune. The luxury theme in this magazine is further conveyed with the serif font, contributing to the fancy and luxury aesthetic. Plus, the usage of capital letters allows the title to stand out more than if it was written in lowercase.

Using sites such as Fontspace and Dafont, I picked six serif and five sans-serif fonts that I would possibly use for my masthead.

Serif Fonts

1. Letter Sseungi

2. Hakobu

3. Spark Night

4. Vogue

5. Accanthis ADF Std

6. Logistra

Sans-Serif Fonts

1. Hogback

2. Takoyaki

3. Rekay

4. Shinrinyoku

5. Hey Comic

Favorite Fonts

Out of the 11 fonts I selected, my personal favorites were "Letter Sseungi" and "Takoyaki." I like these two fonts the most as they represent my topic (Asian food) the most and, in my opinion, are more visually appealing and decorative than the others. Therefore, I believe they would both look pleasant in my final magazine!