InDesign Magazine Double Paged Spread

To further my development of my InDesign skills I have created a magazine double page spread. I have used many techniques and rules in order to make the double page spread jump out and attract the attention of the customer.

The first rule that I applied to the magazine is the rule of three. Using the rule of three attracts the customer as consumers are always attracted to groups of three, and if I have this in my magazine it will attract attention. Placing three images together makes the magazine look attractive, using three images match the design of the magazine as the magazine features three columns on each page. Using three columns attract to customers who are in a socioeconomic group of B, C1 and C2 as columns of three make the magazine look like it is important.

Next I had to make sure the magazine double page spread has a 3D effect feel. Creating a 3D effect is essential as it makes the page look like it has life and jump out at the customer. If the page looked flat, the magazine would look boring and would not attract the customer. In order to make my page look 3D, I have added a drop shadow onto my images. This adds a 3D effect to the magazine as images look like they have been lifted from the page. I have also overlapped the images. This created a 3D effect as it makes the page look full of life as the page does not look flat.

I also added effects to my images. The effect that I used is called the Polaroid effect. This is when a white background is grouped with an image to make the image hold a boarder. Creating a Polaroid effect makes images jump out on the page, this an advantage as it will attract the customer. To do this I created a white box that was slightly larger than the image. I then changed the box colour to white and sent it to the back. Sending the image to the back makes the white box move behind the image, making a white boarder effect. I then grouped the objects together using (ctrl+G), by doing this it groups both the image and the boarder together so I can move the two objects in sync. After I grouped the images I then re-sized and arranged the images ready to be used in the magazine.

Furthermore, I used the rotation tool. I used the rotation tool to rotate images on my page. Rotating images in a certain direction gives the magazine a new feel. Rotating images to the right makes the feel of the reader move on and look to the right of the page. This is essential as there is more of the magazine on the right hand side. If the images were pointing to the left, the reader would be guided left, this is not good as the reader's attention should be focused with the flow of text, which is from left to right. Rotating images is an essential feature in magazine design as it adds character to the double page spread.

Another effect that I added to the double page spread was a background. Adding a subtle background is an advantage as it adds character to the page and also makes the page look 3D. Adding a subtle background attracts the customer as the magazine looks attractive and adds character. If I had not added a background into my magazine, the magazine would look plain and unattractive. Customers are not attracted to plain media, therefore I have to add features, such as a background to attract the target audience. To make a background I first looked on the internet for a suitable image, I then saved the image onto my computer. To insert the image into InDesign I went to file, and then place and moved the image to behind text to create a background.

As InDesign has not been created to edit and design media such as mastheads, I used Photoshop. I have used Photoshop to create my masthead "Disabilities and the Media" because Photoshop allows me to create a unique style font and add many effects to make the masthead attractive. To create my masthead I first opened Photoshop. I set the page up to an ideal size and made sure the background of the document was set to transparent. Setting the background to transparent allows me to use the masthead in another document without a white background around the text. I then added appropriate text and colour to the document. I cropped the image using the cropping tool to ensure space around the text is kept to a minimum. To ensure that the background stayed transparent, I saved the masthead as a PNG 24. Saving the image as a PNG 24 removes all background colour, ready to be used in my magazine.

As you can see from the screenshot above, I have created a ripped text effect in the article above. As you can see the 'ripped' paper has statistics about disability. To create the ripped paper effect, I first saved the paper image into Photoshop. I then selected an eraser brush that looked jagged and selected an appropriate brush size. I then went around the paper image and created a ripped style effect. I then exported the image and placed it into InDesign.

To ensure that my magazine looks professional, I ensured that the text within the article was sized 10. This is essential as size 10pt is not too small to read and is large enough to attract the customer. If I sized the text at 12pt, the text would not all fit inside the article.

The last effects that I used in the magazine was basic and advanced text wrapping. Basic text wrapping allows me to cut and edit text, for example text boxes. Advanced text wrapping allows me to shape text around images. Using these features make the article look attractive and meet the needs of the customer. If I had not applied basic and advanced text wrapping, the article would look boring and plain.

1st, 2nd and 3rd Person Speech

To further the investigations of media products I have been asked to research the three different narrative types. The three narrative types are 1st, 2nd and 3rd person. Having the ability to speak and write in different narrative types is an advantage as you can make your text effective. For example you would write in 1st person if you were writing an autobiography as you are talking about yourself and saying words such as I, I went, mine, I did. If you were writing in second person you would use language such as go, yours and you. This text would be used in instructions and directions. If you were writing in 3rd person you would use language such as him/her, they and them. You would use this language if you were talking about others.

An example of first person speech is,

"Today I went to the shop. There were many choices that I had to make. The first choice was to whether I wanted free range eggs or not. I didn’t know what the difference was at the time so I purchased free range. I then moved onto the tills, I needed to load all of my products onto the counter. To make a purchase I needed to find my wallet."

Here is an example of second person speech,

"Firstly you need to open the flour and mix well. Secondly you need to add 200ml of milk. Make sure you do not add semi skimmed milk as the output of the recipe will be affected. Furthermore you need to add one egg. Gently crack the egg against the bowl ensuring no shell falls into the mixture."

And finally here is an example of third person speech,

"You know them boys over there, they are so messy. They have ate their dinner but they haven’t cleared up their mess. They should get punished for what they have left behind."

All of the above narrative types are essential to take into consideration when producing a media text. If you want to write an article or a document on cars, you need to make sure you have selected the correct narrative format to use depending on the content and type of media. 

InDesign Skills Development

To further the development of my InDesign skills I was asked to create another InDesign document. I am going to create an article showing how disability is portrayed in the media. Firstly I needed to import the images that I am going to use for the article. To do this you click on the grey box with no cross located on the left hand side of the document. You then draw a box to import your image into. You then go to file and then place. You select your image and click import, this imports the image into your InDesign document ready to be used.

Once the images were imported I then needed to add a white boarder effect. I selected the grey box with the cross through the middle and drew a box around the image. I then changed the colour of the box to white. You should not see the image now that the box is white. If you can you need to rearrange your image. You then move the white box and click on the image and click send to front. This moves the image to the front of the page, therefore covering the white box. I then aligned the image on top of the white square to make the image have a white boarder effect. Once I had done this I then clicked on the black arrow tool and highlighted both the image and the white box. I then pressed Ctl+G. This groups both the image and the box and makes then become one. To create an effective white boarder I selected the image with the black arrow tool and navigated to the properties tool. I then clicked on FX and selected drop shadow. I changed the opacity to 40%. By doing this it created a shadow that is not too small and not to overpowering.

Now that I have created a white boarder and a drop shadow I needed to rotate the images to make them effective and look good on the page. To do this I selected the image with the black arrow tool and clicked on the rotate tool, located in the effects bar on the left hand side of the document. I then clicked on a corner of the image with the rotate tool enabled and rotated the image to how I wanted. I then placed the images that I imported on top of one another, as seen above to create a wavy style effect.

Another important feature is the masthead. To create a masthead I opened Photoshop. I set the document page size to a width of 300mm and a height of 150mm. I also changed the resolution to 150 pixels per inch and the background to transparent. Selecting a transparent background is essential as this removes all white background colour when inserted into InDesign. If I did not set the background to transparent, when I save the image there will be a white background behind the text.

Once I correctly set up the document I then clicked on the text option and clicked where I wanted the text to be. I then typed the text that I wanted and resized to fit on the page. To do this you double click on the text and navigate to the formatting options located at the top of the page. I then changed the text colour to white and red and created an outline. I also changed the stroke options of the text, and created a drop shadow. By doing this the text features a unique design that looks good and attractive.

The last thing to do was to crop the text. Cropping the text before saving is essential as it reduces empty space. To crop the text i clicked on the dashed box crop option and I drew a square around the text. This crops the image to the size that i need it.

After cropping I needed to save the text. I went to file then save as. I needed to select the correct format to save my text in and this was PNG 24. This saves the text as it is with no background. If I saved the text as a jpeg, the text would develop a white background. Once the text was saved I simply inserted the text into InDesign, ready to use for my deployment.

A large difference in InDesign is the use of a white and black arrow tool. Both tools have very different jobs. The black tool is called the "selection tool". It is used to select frames and bounding boxes. It can be used to crop down images and change their size. The white arrow is called the "direct selection tool". It is used to select content and editable objects within the frames. This can be used to select and edit images within frames in the InDesign document. If InDesign did not feature both arrows, it would be very difficult to edit content within InDesign as you would have to select multiple images and formatting options with the complication of one mouse.

InDesign Skills

The next project that we were asked to do was to create a sample product in InDesign. InDesign is an Adobe effects programme that allows you to create media products. As I am not familiar with the software we were taught some basics. 

We imported and placed images into the document. You cannot copy and paste an image into InDesign as you will have problems with the image further down the line. To insert an image into InDesign you click the grey square with the cross in the middle, this is located in the effects bar usually on the left hand side of the document. You then draw a box on the page and you navigate to file, and then place. You locate your image and then import. Once you have followed these steps, the image selected will be successfully placed into your InDesign document.  

We were also taught how to insert text. Including text in a document is very important, therefore it is essential to correctly import text into InDesign. To insert text into InDesign you click on the box down the side of the document that does not have a cross through. You create your text for example in a word document. You cannot create text in InDesign as the document will not format correctly. You then navigate to file, then place and find the text document and import. This imports the text into the selected area. If the imported text is too long to fit in the text box, you can click on the little red box located at the bottom right of the text box and drag it into the next text box. As shown above the text for the article is spread into multiple text boxes. Using this feature is essential as if the size of the text boxes is adjusted, the text adjusts too.

To also attract the target audience you need a bold masthead. To create a masthead you click on the text icon located in the menu bar on the right and side of the document. Then you click where you want your text to be and you can start typing. You can then double click on the text and use the formatting options to make the text unique. 

An article always needs an indication on where to start reading. This is called a drop cap. A drop cap is when the first letter of an article is over sized. As you can see from the image above I have created a drop cap. The drop cap is essential as it stands out and clearly shows where the article starts. To create a drop cap you highlight the first box of the article, you then click the properties tab and then create drop cap. 

Furthermore we investigated the use of strokes. I inserted a line into InDesign and I used the white arrow tool to create an effect on the line. I changed the width of the line, I changed the pattern of the line and I changed the stroke effects. Using these features allow me to create a product that will stand out and attract the customers eye.

Shutter Speed Investigations

The next assignment that we had to complete was shutter speed investigations. Photographers use shutter speeds to create a range of photos and effects. To create my own shutter speeds I used a professional camera. I took a range of speeds, these were all in TV mode and were 1/125 of a second which took a really slow picture, allowing you to catch lights and moving objects and a faster speed of 1/250, this allows the camera to capture a fast image. As you can see from the image above, I have taken a really slow image. I set the camera to 1/125, allowing me to capture the movements of a torch. This is a great image as it is attractive and very stylish. I needed to be in a dark room, this allowed me to capture the movements of the torch light. If I was in a bright room the camera would not be able to capture the light movements of the torch.

The second speed that we used was 1/250, this speed made the camera take an incredibly fast picture. This is useful when capturing slight movements of a moving object, the camera takes a 'freeze frame' of the object. Inside the camera the shutter speed changes depending on the speed used. The faster the speed, the quicker the shutter will open and close. The slower the speed used effects how slow the shutter opens and then closes. When the shutter speed is set to a low rate, the shutter of the camera stays open for a larger amount of time, therefore capturing a larger image. As you can see from the image above i have taken a fast shutter speed image. The camera has captured the movements of the subject jumping in the air. This image is unique as you can see the subject’s hair and clothing ‘still’ in mid air.

Demographic Skills Development

To further my development of photographic skills I was asked to take a range of composition photos. I had to make sure that lines and shadows were present in every photo. The first photo that I had taken was of my subject leaning against a brick wall. This is an ideal composition photo as there are both shadows and lines present. Including shadows and lines are important as this is what can attract the target audience and add energy to the photo. To make the photo look professional, I had to ensure that the subject was in full sight and the photo focused.

The second photo that I had taken was of my subject standing in the sunlight. I placed my subject in the sunlight as this created a large shadow. Creating a large shadow is essential as it helps make the subject look important. In order to make this photo look professional I had to make sure the subject was in focus. If the subject or any part of the image was not in focus, the photo would not attract the target audience as their eye sight would be drawn elsewhere. When taking the photo I also thought about distance. Distance is important as it can connote different things. I took my photo at a long distance, I have done this as I can capture the full subject and his shadow. If I took a close up, the camera would not be able to catch the full effect of the shadow.

The third photo that I had taken was of the subject lent up against a tree. This is an attractive photo as there is an interesting background and shadows and lines are present. The photo has captured the full subject but at a close up angle. I have taken a close up image as you can see the details on the subjects face and every crinkle in his clothing. An image that holds these features attract the target audience as customers like to see details within an image. I have made sure that there are shadows and lines present within the image. There is a large shadow on the tree as the sun cannot get round the side of the tree and subject and light the rest of the photo. This is a benefit as a bright background and a darker lit subject makes the subject stand out against the background and therefore look important.

The last photo that I had taken was of the subject looking up at the camera. This makes the subject look powerful and important. This is important as this will catch the customer’s eye. I also took into consideration the lighting. Lighting behind the subject has many advantages. The first advantage is that it makes the subject stand out. This is essential as the subject needs to jump out to attract the attention of the customer. Another advantage is that the lighting of the background is the correct brightness. Lighting the background efficiently makes the photo look professional. Creating a professional image is important as it will make the magazine have an overall professional look and feel. I also took the subjects eye line into consideration. The subject’s eye line needs to be in the top third of the page in order to attract the attention on the customer. This is because the reader’s eye line is attracted to the top of the page as the top of the page is more in proportion to the customers overall eye line. If the subject’s eye line was at the bottom of the page, the customer would not engage with the magazine, therefore not selling many copies.

Photoshop Image Editing

I was asked to edit an image in Photoshop. I was asked to transform was a women into a vampire. This is the original image that I am going to edit. I downloaded the image from the internet and imported it into Photoshop. The image is ideal as you can easily see the subject’s eyes and teeth. 

This is the outcome of the editing process. The woman has been transformed into a vampire. I used many techniques in Photoshop. To start I opened the smudge tool and chose the de saturate mode. I them changed the brush size to the appropriate width. I gently applied the brush to the woman to make her de saturated. This feature is essential to make the woman look scary. I then opened the dodge tool and made the woman’s lips redder. This is also essential as vampires have dark vibrant lips. To make her teeth longer and more vampire looking, I opened the magnetic lasso tool. This allowed me to grab a section of the tooth and stretch it down a desired length. I then navigated to edit, transform and warp. This allowed me to complete the editing of the tooth. To make the subjects eyes glow red I first created a new layer. I then coloured the eyes red with the brush tool. I then selected the layer and selected the option linear burn. This made the colour blend in with the eye and create a vampire effect. 

Photoshop Spot Removal Tool

I was asked to use the spot removal tool to remove the infected areas of the subjects face. I downloaded the photo of off the internet and loaded it into Photoshop. Once the image was in Photoshop I navigated to the spot removal tool. I selected and changed the size of the tool. I needed to change the size of the tool to treat both large and small infected areas. The tool is designed to remove spots and marks from the face.

This is the end result. I used the spot removal tool to remove all of the blemishes on the subjects face. This tool is widely used in the fashion industry as it makes models look more attractive. This is a cheap and easy editing technique that is widely available. To use the tool you simply select the brush tip size and ctrl click next to the infected area and then you click on the infected area. It is important to ctrl click next to the infected area first as this gives Photoshop the correct color that the tool needs to use in order to heal the face. If you did not ctrl click next to the infected area, Photoshop would not have a color to use to heal the spot.

Photoshop CD Cover

I was asked to create a CD cover. I opened Photoshop and set the page size to 120mm x 120mm. I set the page this size as this is the size of an average CD case. In order to create an effective cover I had to open a website called www.brusheezy.com the website allowed me to download a wide range of brushes. I downloaded a range of brushes in order to create my CD cover. I inserted the brushes into Photoshop and used them on my CD cover. To create a unique CD I downloaded brushes that would attract the customer and relate to the CD. The text that I used connotes the genre of the DVD as it is a casual yet effective font. Overall, looking at the CD cover, the design is very effective and attractive. This has been done by inserting white text on a dark background and inserting black text on a white background. These colours contrast well with each other and make the CD cover look important.  The colour scheme of the CD is de-saturated. I have chosen to create a de-saturated CD cover as it makes the cover look casual yet important. I have placed the main image on top of a plain white background, by doing this I have made the image look important as it is the only main feature on the cover. The text is also laid out in a way to attract the customer, I have placed the name of the CD on top of the main image as the text connoted the image. I have also placed the track name along the side of the CD, not the top or the bottom. By doing this, it allows me to angle the text so it is not straight. This is effective as is makes the cover look interesting and unique. This method also fills white space and makes the CD look important.

Photoshop Image Development

This is my original image. The image has not been edited or altered. I have selected this image to edit as the subject is an ideal size and has a clear shot of the eyes. This image is the image I would like to use for my magazine front cover. The image is ideal as there is a clear show of the subject and his eyes are the in the top third of the page.

I loaded the image on to Photoshop and started to alter the auto colour and the auto mask. This increased the depth of the image and made it stand out from the background. This is an advantage as it would make the magazine front cover jump out and grab the attention of the customer. As you can see the image is sharper and more vibrant. This makes the subject stand out from the background and create a 3D effect.

This is the third image that I edited in Photoshop. The image has been brightened. Brightening the image prevents the image from looking grey and flat. I also vignetted the image, vignetting the image created a dark area around the image. As you can see I have used this feature to make the subject stand out and catch the attention of the reader. I also lightened up the lighter parts of the image, for example I have made area on the subjects face and jumper whiter by highlighting key areas. This makes the subject stand out drags your eyes to the image.

This is the final outcome. The fourth image that I created has been totally altered. The image has a number of effects present. The main effect is de saturation. I have de saturated the image to give it a classic olden day type look. This would make a magazine interesting as magazines don’t usually use de saturated images. I also used the dodge and burn tool to darken the shadows on the image and highlight the whites within the image. This makes the image look professional and fit for a magazine.

Magazine Front Cover

I was asked to create a magazine front cover for my A-level assignment. The front cover needed to be based on music. I recorded my ideas and went on to create my magazine.

Firstly I needed to take the main image that would be placed on the magazine cover. To take the best image possible I used the manual focus option on the camera. Using the manual focus ring allows me to sharpen the image and create an outstanding cover. If I used the auto focus option, the image may come out blurred, making the image unusable. I was taught a set position in to take the photo. This was called the T stance. The T stance is a unique standing position that photographers use to keep their body steady when taking a photo. Using the T stance allowed me to crouch down and still take a steady photo. I was also asked to take the photo in portrait mode. Taking the photo in portrait is essential as it will allow the image to fit on the front cover perfectly, as the front cover is portrait. If I had taken the photo in landscape mode, the image would not fit on the cover and I would have to stretch the image to make it fill the page. Lighting is also very important when taking a photo. Taking a photo in the correct lighting makes the photo stand out. If a photo was taken in very light or dark conditions, the subject would be distorted and dull. This is not ideal as images need to be eye catching in order to sell the magazine. When taking the perfect photo, eye line needs to be taken into consideration. I used the rule of thirds when taking my photo, the eye line of the subject needs to be in the top third as this area will match the proportion ratio of the customer’s eyes. This allows the customer to engage with the magazine and feel that they are a part of it. The background of an image is essential. I carefully thought about the location that my image was to be taken. The location I had chosen was in front of a row of houses. Taking the image in front of the houses makes the subject stand out and at the same time adds character to the photo. Taking a photo in the correct location will attract the customer as the image will jump out and attract their attention. When taking the photo I handled the subject very well. I told the subject where to stand and how to stand, in order to create an outstanding photo. I don’t think the lack of photographic skills that I had affected the image, as I used all of the instructions that I was given in order to create the best possible image.

After I had taken the image, I loaded it into Photoshop. Inserting the image into Photoshop allows me to edit the photo and create my magazine. There were many features and skills that I used within Photoshop in order to create my magazine front cover. I used the text edit to insert text. I downloaded a unique font from a website called www.dafont.com the website is great to use as it allows me to download a font for almost any type of magazine. I inserted the font into Photoshop and used it to create the outstanding text on my front cover. To make the text stand out I used a drop shadow and an inner shadow. These effects make the text stand out as they jump out off the page to create a 3D effect. I also used a pattern overlay and satin. Using these effects give the text a unique style and makes the magazine effective. I did not use any effects on the photo itself as the image was the correct depth, brightness and colour. The image stands out and catches the reader’s attention, if I used multiple effects, they may make the image look unnatural. Choosing the correct font colour is essential, choosing the correct colour will make the text stand out against the background and catch the customer’s attention. The colours that I used were black and pink. Using black and pink as a text colour scheme is effective as they contrast well with one another.

There are many ways in which I could improve my magazine. I could make the masthead larger. Making the masthead larger is essential as it will jump out and attract the attention of the customer. Another improvement that I could undertake is to move the subject’s eye line further up the page. Moving the subject’s eye line further up the page is essential as customers will be able to connect with the magazine.

The strengths of the magazine are that the magazine uses a good colour scheme. Using a good colour scheme is essential as it will stand out against other magazines that are for sale. Another strength about the magazine is that the magazine uses an effective background image. Using an effective image is essential as it will attract customers and make the magazine look interesting. 

Here are three photos to exemplify my photographoc skills development.

The first image that I had taken had many advantages. An advantage to the image is that it is focused. Taking an image that is in focus is essential as it will stand out and look professional. Another advantage to the image is that the lighting is ideal. The sunlight is shining from behind and reflecting off of the car, this makes the image stand out as there are bright and darker features on the image. The sunlight also creates shadows, creating shadows is essential as they add character to the image. The light illuminates the subject perfectly, he is easily viewable and details can be extracted with ease. This makes the image look professional as the photograph focuses on essential features that would be used to attract attention. Another positive about the image is that the image is set in an attractive location. The image background looks busy and interesting. This is an advantage as the image would attract attention if it was used on the cover of my magazine.

 This image could have been used as the image on my front cover. The image has the correct eye line. The subject is looking down at the customer to show his importance. This is a great way to sell the magazine as this makes the magazine look interesting.  The bad points about the image are that it is out of focus. Using an out of focus image is not ideal as the magazine would look unprofessional and would not attract the target audience. Another negative point to the image is that the subjects face is too bright. This makes the image unusable as this will not make the magazine stand out against competition. The skill that I need to improve on is to work on lighting. Lighting is very important as it can either make the image look professional or make the image look bad.

The third image that I had taken has many negative points. The image is not straight. You can see this as the doorway is not level with the top of the image. If I used this image on my magazine, the magazine would not look attractive as the image looks like it has been taken quickly are carelessly. The subject is also too small. If I used this image on my front cover, the customer would not be attracted as they could not see the small details in the image that would pose an attraction. An area to improve is to make sure the camera is angled straight. Ensuring the angling is straight is essential as it makes the photo look professional. Another area that I could improve is to ensure that I get close up to the subject. Standing close to the subject is essential as small details will become viewable and catch the attraction of the customer.