Case Study: Colour in Magazines

Colours in Magazines

Usually when colour is used in a magazine it is to either attract a certain crowd, (for example male or female), it can also be to attract a random passer-by’s eye. However alongside that colour can also be associated with certain things for example a women wearing a red lip could be seen as a predictor, sexy or even mysterious; but a man wearing a red shirt could be seen as bold, aggressive and even angry.

‘Seventeen’ Magazine

In this magazine colour is used in many different very interesting ways. Colours such as yellow, orange and red are immediately noticed, and some blues when looked at with closer attention. On this cover colour is used t attract a certain crowd and a certain age group. Seventeen magazine is a early tween magazine for females from the age of 12-18. It is known for its bright fluorescent colours which the readers recognise from a mile away. Typically, young women in this age group are attracted to things of this high saturation of colour, giving the reason why the magazine has chosen to use these colours as their advertisement. Orange is a colour associated with the summer usually as well as energy. The colour orange and yellow is usually connoted with energy and happiness as they are very positive colours, they radiate and almost transmit positive vibes onto those that view it. As seen in this cover, that effect seems to be accompanied by two famous young faces smiling on the cover to go along with this oh-so-jolly vibe that the magazine transmits. Orange and yellow are also colours that are not usually associated with a certain gender therefore making it gender neutral and not really excluding a certain gender from finding the magazine attractive, it interests both crowds. On this cover colour is also, not only used to attract a crowd but also to share information more directly. There is quite large writing in yellow which are the headlines of the magazine. Because these are what inform the reader of what is inside the magazine the information is written in a large bubbly-like font in a very bright colour to make the reader more intrigued to see what is inside. It also makes it seem more exiting as it is written in a bright colour.

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