Magazine Covers Mockup
What's inside
- Applications Photoshop
- File Types PSD
- License Free (see author's terms)
- Author GraphicPear
This magazine covers mockup is one of the simpler ways to present a magazine cover or an editorial spread convincingly.
Good pick for design students, publishers or anyone putting together a portfolio. Keep text at least a few millimetres from the edge. The mockup shows the trim, and cramped margins read as a mistake.
Clients sign off faster when they can picture the finished piece, and a flat PDF rarely does that as well as a photo of the magazine.
The file is made by GraphicPear. The download button takes you to their page, where you get the original file and the licence details.
Magazine Covers Mockup: editable parts
The PSD is layered, so you can change:
- Your design, placed through the smart object
- Paper texture you can turn up or down
- Shadows and highlights on their own layers
Editing the Magazine Covers Mockup, step by step
- Set up the design flat at the real print size and keep text inside a safe margin.
- In the Layers panel, find the layer with the small smart object icon and double-click it.
- Place your design, hide the sample artwork, save, and go back to the main file.
- Tweak the shadow and highlight layers to suit your colours.
- Save a JPG for clients and social media, and keep the PSD for later changes.
Use CMYK-friendly colours in the artwork itself, even though the mockup is RGB, so what the client sees is close to print.
Ways to use this Magazine Covers Mockup
- Use it as the cover image for an editorial spread in your portfolio.
- Show a magazine cover to a client before it goes to print or production.
- Show a company newsletter on your online shop or product page.
Quick notes on this mockup
- Made by GraphicPear. The download size and format are listed on their page.
- The preview shows the angle, background and lighting you’ll get.
- Some free mockups ask for credit when you post them. A short line in your caption is enough.
- Check the smart object size before you design, so your artwork fits without stretching.
Scroll down for similar magazine mockups from other designers.
Questions about this mockup
Can I use this magazine mockup for client work?
That depends on the author's terms. The download page lists what is allowed; when in doubt, ask the author directly.
How do I add my design?
Open the file in Photoshop, double-click the smart object thumbnail, paste or place your artwork in the new tab, save it (Ctrl/Cmd + S) and close. The main file updates on its own.
Do I need Photoshop?
Yes. This is a PSD mockup built with smart objects, so you edit it in Adobe Photoshop. Any recent CC version works.
Will my artwork look printed or pasted on?
Most print mockups keep the paper texture and lighting on separate layers above your design, so it takes on the grain and shadows. If it still looks too clean, lower the opacity of your artwork a little.
