There are many factors to consider when you are embarking on publishing your first magazine, not least because mistakes can be exceptionally costly, and professional magazine production tends to be very labour intensive if you are going to do it properly.

Here are my top tips for getting what a professional and successful product in the easiest and most cost effective way.

1. How do you achieve and measure print quality?
The quality of a magazine depends on three elements – paper weight, paper stock, and the printing process.

• Paper weight. This is measured in something called gsm – a piece of A4 printer paper is 80gsm, a leaflet generally 150-200gsm, a biz card 200-250gsm. Magazines are usually one weight throughout (115-120gsm is typical), and another weight for the cover – 180gsm, for example.

• Paper stock. This can vary wildly, depending on who has produced it and how, but in general terms you have three grades – matt, silk and gloss. Magazines can be printed on any stock, but for high quality ones you really need to be looking at silk or gloss. It’s best to actually get a sample of the papers that your chosen printer uses and FEEL them to get an idea of what you are buying. Ask if you can see them printed up as well before you decide. A good printer will be able to show you samples on their usual paper stocks.

• Print quality. This is basically the way the ink is laid on to the page, and is influenced by the paper stock and will vary with the machines used to print the magazine. Ask what the printer's specilaity is given his machines, and ask for samples from the machines - a good printer will take the time to talk you through everything -  and is often dellghted to walk you around! Note that the larger the machines, the more pages they can print in one go, which can be cost effective if you have a long print run and/or large format magazine. Digital presses can give a good result for smaller print runs, and can be very cost effective.

2. What size of magazine?
We've initially put the magazine's length at 20 pages, plus cover. Having done my first tenuous flat-plan I'm beginning to think we made need double this.</i>

Sorry to be blunt, but 20 pages is a newsletter unless you are talking about a Sunday supplement! Magazines really come in over the 48, 64 page mark.. and just so you don't get caught out, pagination comes in 8s, so a “20 pager” is a “24 pager” in printer speak - if it has the same paper for the cover as the internal pages then it is a "self cover", and if different, the individual stocks will be noted on the quote.

<i>Does the size of magazine have any implication on its quality, for instance is a certain quality only realistic if one is printing a certain number of pages, calculated by print run * number of pages per magazine?</i>

No, not if you digital print it, but see comments above.

How about binding, are there minimum and maximum sizes for stapled / glued binding?

Yes. If it’s under 32 pages you’ll struggle to get someone to perfect bind it; if it’s over 100 pages, you have to perfect bind it (ie glue the spine). In my humble opinion, saddle stitched (stapled) publications look amateurish or Sunday supplement, not high end.

<i>Design
Many printers offer this as an add on extra. What's the deal .. is this the entire design of the magazine, just subbing the layout, or anything you require?</i>

Depends on the printer, but remember they are printers, not designers! Many will offer layout and design, but as for subbing you’ll almost certainly need an editor/sub ed. I’d be surprised if a printer will supply one of these, but some may. They may know someone they use.

If that’s what you need, I would personally look at getting a specialist agency to produce the magazine, especially if you want a quality product, rather than using a printer's services and trying to coordinate an outside ed or sub ed. Most agencies are affiliated to printers or have a special relationship, and since this is their trade they don’t have to cost the earth because they have it all in house and will be able to get you a good price for the print as well.

Plus given the hassle it can be to produce a magazine, especially if you are new to the game and especially as it's a new magazine, this could actually save you time and money.

If you want to get a quote to compare, I can give you the contact at Dunwoody, the marketing agency I often do magazine work through – they do a lot of magazines for clients and I usually edit/write/sub ed them for them.

However, whatever you decide to do, make sure you look at samples of previous work, get a written quote, and closely check the contract so you are sure it is what you want and the price you expected to pay. If you aren’t sure about terms or jargon – ASK!

Ditto for an outside designer/editor.

Make sure you have a very detailed time line and everyone knows what they are doing and when they have to have done it by.