How it works
Literally a page torn out: models used to rip their pages out of magazines and put them in their books. Now it is more often a screenshot or a PDF, but the meaning is the same: proof of real, published work.
Tearsheets carry more weight in a portfolio than tests, because they show a client already chose the model. Pages from well-known magazines and brands are especially valuable.
Get the tearsheet as soon as the work comes out: later the issue or the campaign pictures can be hard to find.
In practice
A model shot a magazine story that comes out three months later. That day he buys the issue, scans the pages and saves the digital version from the magazine's website. The agency puts two tearsheets in his portfolio in place of two tests, and next season every casting director sees them.
What to watch for
- Keep copies of every publication.
- Ask your agency to send campaign pictures when they are released.
- Order tearsheets in the book by strength, not by date.
Related terms
Frequently asked
01Is a social media post a tearsheet?
If it is a brand campaign or a publication's content, yes; a personal post is not.
02Can you put a publication in your book without permission?
Published work is normally shown freely, but some clients ask you to wait until a campaign launches.