Magazine Printing 101: A Complete Guide for Brands & Publishers

Print’s ability to boost a brand’s perceived trustworthiness and quality is well demonstrated. And print publications specifically are top performers in this regard. They’re attention grabbing, entertaining, and inherently saveable and shareable, making them the peak print solution for brand storytelling.

To help you decide if printed magazines are right for your organization, we’ve pulled together this comprehensive guide on how to design one of your own. Read on to learn how to target your audience, develop your content, refine your design, and ultimately publish something that gets meaningful marketing results.

Planning Your Magazine’s Purpose & Audience

Since a magazine requires more planning and design than, say, a flyer or a postcard, it’s crucial to stay organized and define your approach up front. Common approaches brands use for print magazines include:

• Editorial: These magazines focus on developing brand authority and reputation through thought leadership They featuring articles and infographics that emphasize a brand’s perspective on subjects like:
  
  • Industry trends
  • Emerging technologies
  • Relevant regulations and policies
• Promotional: These magazines feature content that highlights key products, services, and deals. They are distinct from catalogs in that they focus on select offerings while also including entertaining and educational content, such as:
  
  • Articles
  • Interviews
  • Guides
  • Brand stories
• Branded Content: These magazines are predominantly focused on building brand affinity and reputation. They can be tailored to highlight specific brand values or growth targets. Topics they may cover include: 
  
  • Employee profiles
  • Customer profiles
  • Product announcements
  • Event announcements and recaps
  • Celebrity endorsements
  • Behind-the-scenes views

Ultimately, each magazine a brand publishes can follow a single approach, or incorporate elements from multiple approaches. It all depends on what the target audience is looking for. 

For example, say you have a magazine published by a heavy machinery brand and aimed at manufacturing clients. It may focus on a mix of editorial and promotional content, building brand authority alongside sales efforts. However, a consumer-facing clothing brand interested in targeting a very broad, general audience may be better served by just a branded content approach instead, building affinity through entertainment value and brand storytelling.

Choosing the Right Size, Format, and Binding for Your Magazine

Once you’ve decided on an approach for your magazine, the next step is choosing the size that will best suit its content and audience. The three most common magazine sizes you see offered in the US are:

• Digest: 5.5” x 8.5”, about the size of a typical paperback book.
• Letter: 8.5” x 11”, the same dimensions as standard US printer paper.
• Tabloid: 11” x 17”, the typical sized used by the tabloid publications it was named after.

Of course, one of the advantages of working with a professional printer is that you aren’t restricted to just these standard sizes. If, say, you wanted to publish a square 9” x 9” magazine, it would be a simple matter of determining pricing based on your desired paper, page quantity, finishes, etc. 

Then there’s the binding to consider. If you’re going for a classic magazine look, then a Saddle Stitch Binding is what you’re after. It’s suitable for publications up to around 64 pages and requires your page count to be evenly divisible by 4. Another common binding method for magazines is the Perfect Binding, which can be used for publications more than 64 pages long. This method produces a flat spine as opposed to saddle stitch’s pointed spine. Finally, if you want something with a utilitarian look and a longer lifespan, Spiral or Wire-O Binding will do the trick. This binding method also allows your publication to be opened completely flat on any page, which is convenient if you’re producing content that’s meant to left open and frequently referenced.

Paper & Cover Stock Selection

With content, dimensions, and binding slected, it’s time to choose your materials. The main idea behind paper selection is to match your choices to your magazine’s overall content and intended function. Broadly speaking, lighter-weight paper is better for publications meant to have a shorter shelf-life, such as those advertising upcoming sales or events. On the other hand, heavier weight paper is better for publications meant to last, like those that serve as a long-term reference for customers mulling over a high-ticket purchase.

Other factors to consider during magazine paper selection include:

• Value perception: If part of your goal is to convey luxury or premium quality with your magazine, thicker paper stock is a good choice even if the subject matter’s relevance is short-lived.
• Image quality and quantity: If saturated, glossy imagery is a major part of your magazine’s content, then coated paper should be used throughout. If images are mainly featured on just the front and back cover, then you may be better off using coated paper for the covers and easier-to-read matte uncoated paper for the interior pages.
• Distribution: If your goal is to distribute your magazine via direct mail, and you’ve opted for a larger printing size such as Tabloid, then lighter-weight paper will likely be necessary to allow the publication to be folded for the mailing process.
• Page Quantity: The more pages your publication includes, the more significant the weight increase from heavier stock papers. This can impact direct mail and bulk shipping costs.

Preparing Print Ready Files

Finally, it’s time to get your file ready for the printer. Of course, a high-quality print partner will also double check your file after it’s sent to ensure everything is ready to go. But by running through the checklist yourself before sending it off, you minimize the risks of any errors slipping through the cracks.

One particularly important step is to ensure you’ve included adequate bleed, gutters, and margins to your design. These elements ensure legibility and design accuracy. If you ever aren’t sure what their measurements should be for your design, don’t hesitate to ask your print partner for their specifications.

Learn more about how to prepare your files for print magazines in our dedicated blog on prepress best practices.

Timeline & Budgeting Tips

Because magazines are larger, more complex print jobs, it’s to be expected that their production takes a bit longer and tends to cost more. With that in mind, here are a few tips for ensuring your magazine materials are delivered on-time and in-budget.

• Plan ahead: Connect early with your print provider to avoid bottlenecks. For magazine runs, aim to start around two months prior to your desired delivery date.
• Choose an Experienced Printer: Picking a print partner who already knows the ins and outs of magazine printing will help prevent confusion and mistakes.
• Ask about Alternatives: If your budget’s looking a little stretched, talk to your print partner about the possibility of switching some of your material, printing, binding, and/or finishing choices to less expensive options.
• Cut Pages: If the costs really needs to come down, try to trim your total page count. Bear in mind that saddle-stich bound magazines need to have their page totals trimmed by variables of four to actually reduce the total number of sheets being printed.

Wallace Carlson is Your Trusted Magazine Print Partner

At Wallace Carlson, we love a magazine print job. The complexity and depth of the final product is uniquely satisfying, and we take enormous pride in providing our clients with the best service AND print quality in the business. Whatever your questions, content goals, or design dreams, we’ve got the experience to make it happen. So reach out to the Wallace Carlson team today, and get started bringing your next magazine to press.