Cover formats

Cover Wrap

A second cover wrapped around the real one.

A cover wrap (or 'false cover') is an extra outer cover — usually a four-page sheet — wrapped around the front and back of a magazine or newspaper. It's the first thing a reader sees and touches, handing an advertiser the publication's most valuable real estate. A 'half wrap' leaves part of the original cover visible.

How it works: The wrap is printed separately and bound or glued around the publication during finishing. Because it physically encloses the title, the reader is all but guaranteed to see and handle the ad before reaching any content.

Among the highest-impact — and highest-cost — print placements available.

Belly Band

A printed paper band hugging the issue.

A belly band is a strip of paper wrapped horizontally around a magazine, like a belt around its middle. Narrow but unavoidable, it has to be slipped off or torn to open the issue — guaranteeing the reader physically handles the ad first.

How it works: Printed as a separate band and wrapped around the publication (or a section of it) during finishing. Often paired with a matching interior page for a coordinated takeover.

Gatefold

A fold-out panel that opens to reveal more.

A gatefold is an oversized page that folds out — most often extending the front cover or a double-page spread into a wide panoramic canvas. Opening it is a small piece of theatre. A 'French gatefold' folds in from both sides to meet in the middle.

How it works: The extra panel is printed on a larger sheet, folded inward to fit the trim size, and bound in. Cover and contents-page gatefolds command premium rates for their scale and the moment of reveal.

Dust Jacket Ad

Advertising on the wrapper of a book.

Dust jacket advertising places a brand on the removable paper cover of a hardback — or wraps a publication in a custom branded jacket. The inside flaps and back cover add space, and the jacket lingers with the book on shelves and coffee tables long after purchase.

How it works: Either the publisher sells space on an existing jacket (often the back or the inner flaps), or a bespoke branded jacket is wrapped around copies for a promotion or partnership.

Envelope Cover Wrap

A magazine wrapped to open like an envelope.

An envelope cover wrap encloses a magazine in an outer cover that opens like an envelope — the reader lifts or unfolds a flap to reach the publication, turning the unwrap into a branded moment.

How it works: A printed wrap with a folding flap is applied around the magazine during finishing. It's a high-impact relative of the standard cover wrap, with extra engagement from the opening action.