# Editorial Mode

Long-form publication design — magazine cover, article hero, e-book cover, blog hero, lookbook. Medium stakes — serves reading hierarchy and editorial brand voice, not a permanent logo asset.

## When to use editorial mode

**Right fit**:
- Magazine cover (print or digital) — masthead + tagline + month
- Article hero image — feature image for long-form writing
- E-book cover — personal or brand digital book
- Blog hero — banner at the top of a blog post
- Lookbook spread — seasonal product collection
- Speaker keynote opening slide with editorial mood

**Wrong mode — switch immediately**:
- Magazine/publication logo → `business-logo`
- Full multi-page e-book layout (>2 spreads) → `digital-eguide`
- Conversion-focused banner ads → `marketing-day-to-day`
- Quick social post → `marketing-day-to-day`
- Quote-only post (text over image) → `quote-graphic`

## Brand identity required

Editorial demands a consistent tone — not as strict as business-logo but tighter than personal-brand:

- **Style adjectives** — 3-5 words (e.g. "warm intellectual", "modern minimalist", "vintage analog")
- **Palette** (optional) — stick to brand colors if available; otherwise propose a mood-based palette
- **Typography preference** — editorial defaults to serif (Garamond, Caslon, Playfair) for that publication feel; sans for modern minimalist
- **Publication tone** — academic / lifestyle / business / culture / niche hobby
- **Target audience**, one line — drives the visual register (e.g. "young professional 25-35" vs "C-suite executive 45+")

Missing publication tone + target audience → grill before generating.

## Section anti-patterns

- Decorative noise that drowns the reading hierarchy — editorial is about content; the image supports the text rather than competing with it
- Generic stock-photo look — every editorial image needs its own perspective (unusual angle, signature lighting, intentional composition)
- Too much text in the image — masthead + tagline are fine via HTML overlay; do NOT bake them into the image (warped text)
- Mixing serif + sans + script on a single cover — pick one or two font families max
- A full-bleed hero so loud there's no room left for the text overlay
- Neon / high-saturation palettes for academic or business publications — breaks the authoritative tone
- Wrong aspect ratio for the publication format (magazine 8.5:11, blog hero 16:9, e-book cover 1600:2560)

## Prompt composition specifics

For article hero / magazine cover:
- **Subject**: editorial photography or illustration with conceptual depth (not a product shot), eye-level or a dramatic low/high angle
- **Composition**: rule of thirds, generous negative space at top or bottom to host the masthead/headline overlay later
- **Lighting**: editorial photography with 35mm/50mm prime lens, warm paper-texture feel; or studio key+fill for a formal cover
- **Palette**: brand color if available; otherwise muted sophisticated tones (avoid neon); 2-3 colors max so the cover stays focused
- **Style anchors**: "editorial photography", "magazine-quality", "warm paper texture", "serif typography aesthetic", "long-form journalism feel", "publication-grade"
- **In-frame typography**: minimal — render abstract typographic texture only, NEVER full headlines or mastheads (HTML overlay handles that)

Required negatives: "no stock-photo cliche, no warped text, no spelling errors, no busy background, no neon colors, no extra fingers, no logo placeholders, no clipart aesthetic"

## Examples

- **Lifestyle magazine cover "Slow Living"** — woman in her 30s reading at a downtown café, golden hour, 50mm shallow DOF, warm sepia palette, generous top space for the masthead → 8.5:11 print
- **Article hero AI essay** — abstract conceptual still life: open book + sun ray + brass compass on linen, overhead flat-lay, muted earth palette, editorial 50mm look → 16:9 blog hero
- **E-book cover "Income with AI"** — minimal symbolic illustration (key + subtle circuit pattern), cream paper texture, serif title space center → 1600:2560 e-book

## Grill questions

1. Publication tone: academic / lifestyle / business / culture / niche hobby?
2. Target audience, one line (age + role + interest)?
3. 3-5 style adjectives describing the mood (e.g. "warm intellectual + modern minimalist")?
4. Brand palette in hex available, or shall we suggest a mood-based palette?
5. Final format: magazine cover (8.5:11), article hero (16:9), e-book cover (1600:2560), lookbook spread (16:9)?
6. Cover hierarchy if it's a cover: large headline only, or headline + author byline + date + cover lines (teasers for inside features)?
