Time magazine may have named US President-elect Donald Trump as its Person of the Year, but the cover has people questioning its sincerity.

The magazine cover depicts Mr Trump turning back to the camera in an opulent wooden-framed, wingback armchair underneath the Time masthead.

However, on closer inspection, the framing of the shot appears to give the business tycoon devil’s horns, with the the giant letter ‘M’ perfectly placed above his head.

And according to readers and graphic design experts alike, the horns appear intentional.

812 Bureau designer Lindsay Tucker said the apparent horns were not a mistake given the number of people who had to approve the cover before it was published.

“The placement of the letter ‘M’ and composition of the cover are no accident,” Ms Tucker said.

“A lot of people would have to see and approve that before it went to print so yes, the fact he has horns coming out of the back of his head is more than a happy accident.”

Viabrand founder and creative director Jho Alzamora was immediately drawn to the horns.

“The ‘M’ horns is the first thing I personally saw. The negative space above his head forms a down arrow which drew my eyes,” Mr Alzamora said.

Similarities between the Hitler and Trump @TIME covers and the devil horns created by the "M"… intentional? pic.twitter.com/N8lhTGyl2K

— Booooooom (@Booooooom) December 7, 2016

“Is it intentional? Absolutely. One goes into such a design process with a plan to ensure the composition works just right. I can imagine the number of design concepts they would’ve gone through to choose one.”

Swinburne University of Technology’s school of design acting dean Stephen Huxley said the lurking shadow and the negative space above Mr Trump adds to the ominous nature of the portrait.

“There is no doubt that the negative space within the M are horns,” Associate Professor Huxley said.

I can't be the only one that notices the huge devil horns the M in @TIME makes for Trump. That was intentional wasn't it?

— Donna (@donnitas) December 7, 2016

Kudos to the designer who made the “M” look like devil horns. We will send you care packages after Trump throws you in prison. pic.twitter.com/jsqKxC8IOq

— Rex Huppke (@RexHuppke) December 7, 2016

“Once you focus on that it doesn’t go away, definitely intentional in my opinion.”

Duncan Smith, a graphic designer at One Three Seven, said while he didn’t think the horns were intentional, Mr Trump’s devilish look raises other questions.

“In contrast to previous US presidential covers, it shows a very formal look where all others have seemed to want to be shown as more human and caring than the aloofness that Trump is showing here,” Mr Smith said.

“It creates a falseness that for me as a designer makes me question the truthfulness of the cover and Trump himself.”

People Are Complaining TIME Putting Devil Horns On Trump's Person Of The Year Cover. Only TIME can tellhttps://t.co/aIGE6XMNKz pic.twitter.com/K4k6hyP31M

— 9GAG ❤️ Memeland (@9GAG) December 8, 2016

Revenge on Trump?

President-elect Trump has previously complained about Time and it is believed this may be the magazine taking its revenge.

Last year, Mr Trump targeted Time when it chose Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, and not him as its Person of the Year.

I told you @TIME Magazine would never pick me as person of the year despite being the big favorite They picked person who is ruining Germany

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 9, 2015

In 2013, he called its list of influential people “a joke” and said the magazine would soon fail.

The Time explanation

In response to the uproar, Time magazine posted a gallery on its website of past covers that also appeared to give their subjects horns.

It included covers for Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton, Pope Francis, Margaret Thatcher, Prince Charles, Saddam Hussein and Jesus.

“Given the shape of the letter “m” in the magazine’s name and its location on the cover, many other subjects in the past have also appeared to sprout extra features,” the magazine wrote.

“Any resemblance to cats, bats or devil horns is entirely coincidental.”

Mr Trump beat 10 other finalists to claim the Person of the Year, including Democrat Hillary Clinton, Turkish leader Tayyip Erdogan, Olympic gymnast Simone Biles, singer Beyoncé and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.

The magazine’s “No.2” Person of the Year was Mrs Clinton.