Magazine front covers:
split covers

Split covers

Neon: a promotional split cover (1996) Back to top

Neon was launched as a quarterly in 1996 (Dec/Jan cover date) with the most common type of split cover. The half cover is used as a promotional tool for the launch, in this case pushing the main features with a competition on the reverse.

The half cover wraps around as the main back cover. The full 'front' cover is either wrapped around in the case of a stapled magazine, or glued in as an 'insert' for a perfect-bound title.

The idea is expensive because:

1. The non-standard trim of the cover would cost more to set up on the printing presses and binding machines.
2. Cover stock has to be used on page 3 or it would be more likely to rip. Cover stock is thicker, so is more expensive.
3. Neon was saddle-stitched, so expensive cover stock also had to be used for the last page facing the inside back cover (it is the same sheet of paper as page 3).

Another disadvantage is that it is very difficult getting the image to line up - demonstrated in the Neon masthead here.

Riva reveals contents page (1988) Back to top

Glossy weekly Riva launched in 1988 witth the right-hand quarter of the front cover trimmed off to reveal a contents strip on page 3.

More about Riva, an expensive failure

Australian Women's Weekly contents split (1998) Back to top

The Australian Women's Weekly has some strange features. First off, it's a monthly! This cover (September 1998) would be unusual on UK news-stands. It pretty much relies on a full facing - you don't see much when the rule of the left third is applied. The cover is split with almost the right third removed to reveal part of the contents spread on pages 2 and 3.

In the case of the perfect-bound AWW, page 3 was a single page bound into the square spine, again extra cost, but with less use of cover stock than Riva.

BBC Good Food: split cover plus cut-out (2001) Back to top

The BBC's Good Food magazine went a step further for July 2001 with a split cover that was also a cut-out.

This is rarely done, not only because of the extra expense of the cut-out, but also because the edges of the cut-out tend to get bent over on the newsagents' shelves so copies can end up looking tacky. Note the white 'halo' around each chef's hair.

Redwood/BBC Magazines used the Neon-style standard cover split for the launch of its third BBC title Top Gear, in October 1983.

Nuts runs a fake, trompe l'oeil split cover Back to top

Nuts, the IPC men's weekly, sought to get the advantages of a split cover without the cost (17 July 2009). It's done with clever shadow and making sure elements don't line up - just like the real thing! The art director was Simon Freeborough.

The diagonal spit is a classic example of trompe l'oeil - you have to touch it just to make sure it's not real.

Back to top

Other relevant pages:

• Main page on magazine front covers
• The secrets of magazine cover design: how a cover is laid out and the jargon
• The best magazine cover ever
• Town front covers 1955-1968: classic swinging sixties men's lifestyle
• Selection of magazine covers, from Another Magazine to Nova to Zest