Magazines vs. Newsletters
Magazines and newsletters are both periodicals -- publications that appear on a regular schedule. Your magazine or newsletter may be published weekly, monthly, quarterly, or yearly, or on another schedule of your choosing. In general, the differences between the two come down to the audience, how they are written, and how they are distributed.
- A magazine has articles, stories, and images on multiple subjects from multiple Think about a fashion or news magazine -- no one person does all the work.
- A newsletter has articles focusing on one main subject or topic, and may have a single contributor or multiple contributors.
- A magazine is written for the general public -- even special interest magazines are written to be accessible to a general audience. Technical jargon and specialized language is kept to a minimum.
- A newsletter is written for a specialized audience -- people who do not share the common bonds of the newsletter audience may not be familiar with the jargon and language used.
- A magazine is available by subscription and/or on news stands. Money for printing comes from subscriptions and advertising.
- A newsletter is available by subscription and/or is distributed to members of a certain organization. Money for printing comes from organizational membership fees or club dues, or printing is paid for by the publisher -- like an employee newsletter or customer newsletter. Advertising is minimal.
- A magazine comes in a variety of sizes, from digest size (the size of a half sheet of A4/letter paper) to tabloid size (the size of an A3/legal sheet of paper).
- A newsletter comes in a variety of sizes, but is most often seen in A4/letter size -the size of a single sheet of paper.
- A magazine is generally longer than a newsletter, and may be anywhere from a few dozen pages long to a few hundred pages long.
- A newsletter is not usually more than 24 pages in length. Some may be as short as one or two pages.
- A magazine typically uses saddle-stitching or perfect binding.
- A newsletter may not require binding. If a newsletter requires binding, it may be as simple as a staple in the corner or as complicated as saddle-stitching.
- A magazine cover has the publication name, graphics, and headlines or teasers for the content of the issue.
- A newsletter front page has a nameplate and content -- there is no separate cover.
- A magazine is frequently printed in full color on glossy paper.
- A newsletter is generally printed in black and white or with spot color.
- Both magazines and newsletters may be available electronically -- on a website, as an email, or as a download.
Standard Magazine Sizes
Magazines may be seen in several different sizes, but there are a few standard sizes you'll encounter on the racks.
- Digest size -- take an A4/letter size piece of paper and fold it in half. That's digest size. The actual finished size may vary, depending on the trim. Books, magazines, and even catalogues that are distributed in digest size may be printed on a larger sheet of paper and then cut or folded to digest size.
- Letter/A4 size -- this is the most popular size for magazines and newsletters. The actual finished size can vary, depending on the trim. Newsletters may be printed on larger paper and cut or folded to letter size.
- Tabloid size -- sensational, bizarre tabloid magazines and newspapers get their name from the size of the finished publication. Generally speaking, tabloid size is smaller than a newspaper but larger than letter size. The tabloid finished size can vary, depending on the amount of trim.
