Magazine Cover Style Guide

Purpose

Magazine covers put YOU on the front page. Take your reference photos (or character sheet) and generate a cover in the style of famous publications—complete with masthead, cover lines, and the iconic look of each magazine.

Magazine Styles

Magazine	Visual Style	Cover Line Tone	Layout
Vogue	High fashion, dramatic lighting, elegant pose	Aspirational, luxury, style trends	Large masthead, minimal text, subject dominates
Time	Documentary feel, direct gaze, symbolic backgrounds	News-focused, person of the year, achievement	Red border, TIME logo, single headline
Rolling Stone	Rock aesthetic, bold colors, casual/rebellious pose	Music, culture, interview tease	Classic logo, busy cover lines, intimate feel
GQ	Sleek menswear, confident stance, studio lighting	Style advice, success stories, grooming	Clean layout, fashion-forward, sophisticated
Cosmopolitan	Bright colors, flirty pose, energetic	Relationships, confidence, fun tips	Busy cover lines, pink/bright accents
Wired	Tech aesthetic, futuristic, conceptual	Innovation, disruption, future trends	Geometric elements, bold typography
National Geographic	Epic landscape/portrait, documentary quality	Exploration, discovery, science	Yellow border, iconic masthead
Forbes	Business professional, power pose, clean backdrop	Wealth, success, entrepreneurship	Navy/gold palette, business aesthetic
Sports Illustrated	Athletic action or posed, dynamic energy	Sports achievement, athlete profiles	Action-oriented, bold sans-serif
Vanity Fair	Hollywood glamour, dramatic lighting, artistic	Celebrity profiles, culture, prestige	Elegant serif, white space, sophisticated

Prompt Structure

Base format: "[Magazine name] magazine cover featuring [subject description]. [Pose/expression]. [Background]. [Lighting style]. Professional magazine photography, realistic magazine cover layout with masthead and cover lines."

Key elements to specify:

• Magazine name and year/era (modern vs vintage)
• Subject pose and expression matching the magazine's tone
• Cover lines/headlines (2-4 for most magazines)
• Main headline or feature text
• Date/issue marker if desired

Example Prompts

Vogue:
"Vogue magazine cover featuring an elegant woman in haute couture, looking directly at camera with confident expression. Minimalist studio background, dramatic fashion photography lighting. Masthead reads VOGUE in large serif font. Cover lines: 'The New Icons', 'Fall Fashion Preview', 'Beauty Revolution'. High-end fashion magazine aesthetic, realistic cover layout."

Time:
"Time magazine cover, Person of the Year style. Subject in business attire against symbolic background representing innovation. Direct eye contact, determined expression. Classic red TIME border. Headline: 'The Visionary'. Documentary photography style, iconic magazine cover format."

Rolling Stone:
"Rolling Stone magazine cover featuring a rock musician aesthetic. Casual rebellious pose, vintage band t-shirt, tousled hair. Intimate portrait style with warm lighting. Classic Rolling Stone logo. Cover lines about exclusive interview, tour dates, music industry insights. Rock and roll magazine photography."

Cover Line Guidelines

Vogue/Fashion: Aspirational, trend-focused ("The New Minimalism", "Power Dressing Returns", "Beauty Without Rules")

Time/News: Achievement-focused, declarative ("The Changemaker", "Person of the Year", "Redefining Success")

Rolling Stone/Music: Casual, intimate ("The Untold Story", "Back on the Road", "No Regrets")

Forbes/Business: Success-oriented ("Self-Made", "The Next Billionaire", "Disrupting the Industry")

Technical Requirements

Aspect ratio: Magazine covers are typically portrait orientation, roughly 8.5x11 or similar (close to 3:4 ratio).

Text rendering: Request specific text for masthead and headlines. AI text generation is imperfect—may need touch-up or accept stylized versions.

Subject placement: Most magazine covers place the subject prominently, often overlapping the masthead slightly (showing confidence/importance).

Using Character Sheets

If the user has a character sheet, use it as reference for consistent appearance. The character sheet provides the "who"—the magazine style provides the "how" for the cover treatment.

Prompt pattern: "Create a [Magazine] cover featuring the character from the reference sheet. Maintain their appearance and style while adapting pose/expression for [Magazine]'s aesthetic."