How I made my Mixmag magazine using secondary research to help me

7/29/2019 How I made my Mixmag magazine using secondary research to help me

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Amy Poole Unit 54 assignment 1 LO2 task 6 and task 26

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The process I went through to make both my Mixmag front cover and double page spread

Introduction

What is important to understand before I talk about how I made my magazine cover and double

page spread is that I did vigorous research into how Mixmag structure both there magazine articledouble page in the planning stage through identifying there target audience and various conventions

such as themes through images and content used in the magazine such as free flowing articles and

V.I.P.This was important to understand as I would be making my own interpretation of a Mixmag

magazine for this project therefore I had to constantly have a copy of Mixmag magazine to use a

template when designing my front cover and article to make sure I meet my obligations to meet

Mixmag standards through the images and content being displayed.

How I used photo shop to make my front cover

The reason why Im using Photoshop to make my magazine cover is that it has all the

necessary features to make a professional magazine such as manipulating the images

an certain way i.e. hair, eyes and exposure.

Step 1- Creating a document for my front cover

So when opened photoshop to make my front cover I set my preset to

international paper because it is effective and important to my print

publication as it allows me to use the whole page to design and

structure my magazine.

Another important tool when deciding my format for this document was the sizeof paper itself.This was crucial I chose A4 as im making a professional magazine

which is normal format when making a magazine in the media industry

itself.Therefore very early on I have met the codes and conventions through

making this decision.

Here is the blank document ready for me to import my picture and really begin

the production process.

Step 2-Opening the picture into Photoshop

The first step I took when trying open my pictures was through clicking

onto file which I then open which I then proceeded to where I had

previously saved my pictures I took already in the not edited folder. Once

in the folder I scrolled down to the image I had previously highlighted within

my assignment task 17 to which also showcased the images that I would I use

be using for within my magazine in get detail.

Here is the picture


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Step 3 : Placing the image into the position I want for my front cover

So once my I have placed my image after inserting it onto the cover I

need to enlarge the image to fill the whole page as it is A4 format. But

in order not to distort the image when enlarging it I have to hold the

shift button and only stretch the corner of the box which you can see to

the right of the page because if I was to stretch the side of the box

then it wouldnt look presentable and professional for the magazine as

it would be distorted and over stretched. The reason why my image is

positioned in the centre of the paper and space left at the top of the

page is because when looking at a Mixmag magazine they often have their

main image in the centre while also there is also a large focus on the facial

expression of the artist whilst also there is room at the top for the masthead

cover while in turn the main image can overlap this title

Here is an example of a Mixmag Magazine convention

In regards how I would fill this space I had to be creative yet while also try

to work around the background I have itself as I really have to capture the

subject in itself element as I do have good shot of the subject.Therefore I had to be wary that I dont

complicate the shot with tacky effects as it wouldnt have made an effective magazine cover which

mixmag strive to do.

Step 4/5:How to cover the empty space and add effects to the image,

while rectifying mistakes

As previously mentioned in assignment unit 54 Assignment 1 LO2 I

mentioned the tools I had used within photoshop to edit my photo.

However what contributed me to use the clone stamp was that when looking at my background of

my photo I could take advantage and continue the continuity of the theme of magazine by using this

tool through taking advantage of my background features such as the sky and

colour. Already established within my photo was a building which I could use in

creative a manner by simulating reflection effect by cloning the section of the

real building In which the tool would clone the colour to near perfect match

which would mean in the section wanted to cover I could continue to use the

same colour which was effective.

The impact this had on my photo was that I showed creativity and fair in

creating the effect for my main image which was important to do as the image

had to stand out and be attractive, if I had used this tool I do believe my main

image wouldnt be effective and striking as the tool had provided with amazing results through

cloning the sky which I could then transfer to the empty space and simulate to the audience that it

had already been there.

Another advantage this tool had when using was that I still had that same effective of

my original image without having drastically changing it too such as the outline of the

subject remained smooth and precise around the edges of the subject. However I do


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acknowledge at times there were instances where the clone stamp overlapped the parts of the

subjects hair which required me to rectify this superficially using the spot healing tool which I also

talked about in detail in assignment unit 54 assignment lo2. Again this required time and patience to

fully to make sure it looks professional although it is only a minor

mistake regarding the subject hair I didnt want it to stick out that it

didnt look right on the front so I made sure I took advantage of this

tool to which I did you look to your right it looks perfectly in line of

continuity of the already established subjects hair. It is only when

you look close you can see that that it has been manipulated to suit

the cover of the magazine.

Parts of superficial hair created using the spot healing Brush

Step 6:Choosing the banner for my magazine

For choosing my banner I had to go on the Dafont website which showcased manystyles to which I could experiment with to find the best one for the title Adam

WHO? This process look some time to considerate because I would need to

choose the best banner to sum up Adam Who? therefore I wanted to make sure

that it was effective in both showcasing Adam who as new artist while also little

bit of his personality as when in the research stage of Mixmags banners was

effective and had cleverly showcased the artist personality and stage presence

which was effective and I wanted to emulate this for Adam Who?

In the end I chose this style called Action of time now because I it

stands out and is effective as it reflects parts of Adams who?Biography which will be featured within my article showing hardships

he has overcome. What this banner will also give me plenty time to

experiment for a theme for my front cover while it gives me a change

to take advantage of exploring Photoshop to achieve the best result for my banner and front cover

when using the effects.

After choosing my banner it was time and important to start to copy and

save the image in order to be able to manipulate the image within

Photoshop as if I didnt do this correctly I wouldnt be able to manipulate

the image.

Step 7: Inserting the banner into Photoshop

In order to open my banner in photoshop I had to open the file where I

saved it within my folders which was easy to access and didnt take too

much time, as I clearly labelled the file I wanted to use, all I had to was just

click open

Once opened within photo shop it was time to start changing the colour of

the Adam Who? banner which required 3 different colours as stated within

the assignment brief unit 51 LO3 ASSIGNMENT 1 OF 1.


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In order do this I clicked on select and then scrolled down to

colour range which allowed me to change the colour scheme

via using the other side photoshop using the colour scale bar.

It was very easy to manipulate the colours by using both these

tools to manipulate text due to that my style of text which was

distorted which allowed me to choose a certain colour I.e red as main the colour whilst also having

hint of black and white which was effective and made attractive banner.

When considering what colours I would be using for the banner required me again to rethink who

my target audience who were they? , therefore within the research process I would have identified

this in a previous assignment which was the Mixmag report called Unit 50 Task 3. Within the

assignment I highlighted important information regarding the target audience tastes and desires.

This was important to establish this information because I needed to able incorporate within

designing my banner to be able fully target my audience as Im trying to promote an upcoming artist

Adam Who?

The reason why I chose these colours red ,black and white as my theme for

my banner was previously mentioned within my proposal task 4 the reasons why because

it looks attractive and bold while also acknowledging the colours of banner needed to be

attractive as within each Mixmag magazine there is a different theme

running across the front cover with the colours being displayed in what

the main image is wearing. By incorporating this this into by magazine I was able to create continuity

within my front while also making sure that I know how a structure in place to follow throughout

designing process.

Step 8- Placing the banner onto front cover and adding effects

Once I had chosen the final colour for my banner it was now time to copy the

banner into the where I would be creating my front cover again I needed to

click copy and hold shift into order not to expose the banner itself I wanted it

to be clear and precise so the audience could read about it in great detail.

The reason why I have positioned my banner within the centre the main

image because in almost all mixmag front cover magazines like the example I have

previously highlighted on page one. In that particular example they havepositioned there banner within this position the centre which is effective as it gets

the audience to take notice about the artist they are displaying and while it also

emphases the body language of the subject itself showcasing the altitude of the

artist which gives the audience a taster of what expect within the article in the

magazine. Therefore I wanted to incorporate this within my front cover to create a

my own meaning of mystery as who is Adam Who? to fully emulate how Mixmag

structure there magazine effectively towards the audience .

The reason why have chosen to leave space around the banner and not to increase the size of the

banner is later on in the designing process I will add further boxes which will form important coverlines highlighting important events that would be discussed in magazine while I will also take time in

Before

After


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also creating hype for the artist Adam Who? around the banner in question. The reason why I have

decided not to get rid of the white background that surrounds my banner using the magic wand is

that white banner does make my text out which is effective and grabs the attention of the

audience.However in when I looked at it closer for the second time it does seem very overpowering

the white background I like have just copied, therefore I needed to tone it down it a little bit but not

to take too much attention away from the banner itself.

So the steps I undertook to make my banner less overpowering by the

white background of the banner was to double click the layer of banner

itself to which a window opened giving me various options regarding

effects I could use such as blending options which dealt with the

opacity.

The opacity effect was important and crucial as it allowed me to

manipulate how strong the opaque the object i.e the banner would be

such as by moving it away from 100% on the scale it became less lighter and more darker therefore I

had be wary I would position this

as I dont want it to be too dark or

too bright so I settled for number in

between 100% and 50% i.e 76%

which can be seen on the right.

Here is the end result of that manipulation of the banner

As you can see the banner

is still striking and less

opaque as you can see very

slight detail of the clothing

the subject is wearing while

also the it still remains

striking and effective .

You can also notice that

the effect of the opacity

regarding the banner

continues the theme of

magazine cover as by it

looking it resembles the

background of front coverwhich is effective.


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Step 9- Drawing boxes for coverlines

The reason why I have chosen to create and use boxes on my mixmag front cover is because when

looking at certain Mixmag magazines such as one on the right it makes the structure of magazine

cover look clear and precise as the coverlines are categorised in a certain way to grab the audience

attention.This technique had inspired me to interpret this colour scheme within my front cover of

red,white and black to make attractive magazine front cover.

So in order to create shapes for my magazine I had to click on the tool

bar onto a rectangle tool to which I then had to right click the button to

be given a whole range of options shapes I could use.

When deciding my first shape for my front cover I decided I would make

it the elipse tool because I wanted something unexpected yet effective

for my magazine as I would place text that would feature promotional content such as the Special

editionetc and the elipse would be the main point.However when deciding the colour of the box itneeded to be striking yet effective in trying to remain with my

chosen theme red,black and white.So I decided the best colour for

this promotional coverline would be red not too bright or dark,

which lead me to have this colour. The reason why I decided not to

use black as my shape because it would be attractive and vibrant instead it would have looked dark

and depressing and not the type of mixmag magazine I want to produce.

I still had problems with the colour it was still too bright and a bit superficial so again I double clicked

on the layer this shape was on and went blending options to sort out the

opacity for this shape. Once the window opened up for the opacity I again hadto decide what spectrum of the scale my shape would be so I decided that the

best option would be to again use 75% because I really wanted focus on the

brightness of the colour red as it is known as the best colour attract peoples

attention in this case the mixmag audience while also I wanted in way again

allow abit of transparency to see a bit of the background to again continue the

theme I mentioned previously in my proposal a sense of mystery.

After creating this shape I decided it was time to continue making shapes such as rectangles in order

to give me clear idea of how my structure of front cover would turn out such as by highlighting this

information I was able decide how specifically the colour scheme of the coverline shapes would turnout such as these below that have different meanings and purposes for the magazine and opacity :

Creating main coverlines shapes

I then afterwards decided to change the colour of the main coverlines from red

to white by right clicking the colour square on the toolbar and choosing from a

wide range of colours. I decided to change the colour from red to white because I didnt want the

red to over power the cover whilst also wanted certain sections i.e coverlines to stand more than

others as they have different purposes.I again tried to remain with my theme of red,white and black

when creating the coverlines to continune the continuity as with all mixmag magaxines they a

constant theme running there there main coverlines and front cover.


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However I must also address the issue why I choose have white shapes for my main cover lines

instead of the colour black which is also in my theme for the front cover.The decision why I chose

not to have black is that it will overshadow what is happening on the front cover and wouldnt keep

continuity with the same colour the banner and wouldnt make the banner effective.

How I made the shapes for the coverline was easy and simple all I

did was drawn them with using the style of the shape I wanted

from tool bar to which I mentioned earlier on page 6 of this

assignment by moving the curser to make any size I wanted to

for my cover lines.

For the reasons that made me choose the shape for the first main

coverline above the banner is that when it comes to the text it

there will be a deep empathise on the text and meaning as the text

will be short and precise. I had chosen not to further make this

shape even bigger because it would produce unwanted space

which isnt professional for mixmag standards or other magazines

because in reality there shouldnt really be an empty space it

should be filled. Again I made sure I that my other main coverline underneath the banner was small

and precise in allowing not too much empty space as I would be adding text in later which needed

depth empathis. The reason why I decided I needed a shape underneath a banner as I saw

previously in a mixmag magazine the coverline came to life and

really had an impact so I wanted to incorporate that within my

magazine through the theme I creating.

Here is an example of a Mixmag main coverline that inspired me

Effects added to main coverlines

Again as previously mentioned earlier within the assignment paragraph 3 on page 4 I had clearly

highlighted steps I undertook for sorting at the opacity for my banner ,this important to understand

because when creating the two main cover lines using the drawing tool, the colour of the white was

to overpowering, so I needed to change the opacity of these shapes, which I did keeping continuity

of the front to 75% to which I had previously highlighted in my promotional banner and the Adam

Who? which was important because I didnt want anything to drastic to disrupt the front cover.

Creating other coverline shapes

As previously mentioned on this page in paragraph 2 are the steps I went through continue to draw

and make the following boxes on the right.

What is important to understand about the first box on the top right is that unlike the previous

boxes I have made and designed I had decided not to effect the opacity because I wanted this box

to really stand out as it has an important meaning,which is important as Im advertising a

competition. This was important to include and add because in both mixmag magazines they often

feature bold colour to fully get the audience attention when advertising competitions. I had also

decided to continue to change the colour scheme back to white for the plus coverline which is

another mixmag convention for a coverlien because I wanted the white to stand out which I did as I


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had chosen not to effect opacity which was effective and crucial because it wouldnt be effective if I

had effected opacity as it would made it less bright as I had did you this effect

underneath the white box within the red box because this is where the important

information showcasing the artist involved within the magazine and by separating the

opacity between the two I was able to showcase important tones of the two boxes to

grab the audiences attention which again is another mixmag codes and convention as if you look to

your right underneath the my printscreen.

Front cover so far

Step 10- Adding text to coverlines shapes

First of all I had to click on the text button on the toolbar and then slowly draw

out the text on the shape before I can start writing the text out. Once I have

begun this process I can then start to write out my text on the eclipse shape.

Before I started to type for on eclipse tool I had to use a significant colour to make

the banner stand out more so I chose the black which was effective and important

that include the colour because partly it is one of colours within my theme. I decided

the white wouldnt be really effective because it is already has a strong presences on

the front cover and the black would bring an another element to the front cover.

What I also had again take into consideration was space within the box as although

my text did fill the shape fully to begin with I had to change the size at times as there was alot of

space.

Main coverlines

Again I repeated the process when writing the text on the shapes

unlike continuning the black text theme throughout the shapes I

decided that the best opotion for magazine would to continue

the red theme as it again helps with the continuinty of the

banner while also brings to attention of sharpness to the coverlines whilst also trying keep with thetheme of front cover black,red and white which is needed to make my magazine effective.

As you can see very slowly my front

cover is coming to together, whilst

also certain themes is being creating

on the front cover with the use of

colours and tones. This is important

as the magazine is starting to look

attractive and bold with sections

being created for coverline.


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Effects added to main coverlines

What is important to understand about the main cover lines text is when I did start write the text

the red wasnt that particularly good and the size was to big so I had to manipulate the text colour

by double clicking the layer and the same window that I previously talked about opened but this

time I clicked on drop shadow.

The reason why I clicked on drop shadow because It makes the text stand out more giving it the

extra edge needed to be more bold and effective title through the sharpness it creates. So once the

window opened I clicked on drop shadow and again scale came

up for me to manipulate my text accordingly. What I had to

keep in mind was that I still wanted that sharp focus on the red

whilst also I didnt want my text to be distorted with constant

manipulation , by making in direct decision regarding the text

on these banners they would have huge impact on my front

cover as the following text on the coverlines which I will talk

about later will need to continue need the same level of impact to continue the continuity of the

front cover colour scheme. So in the end I chose that 84% would be best as it is still high within

exposure of the text while it also shows the colour of the text within its element which is effective

and needed to make the text stand out.So the next stage was to apply to all the text within the

banners and here are the results.

What you can see from me using the

drop shadow on the special edition

text is that is brings attention of

importance to special edition which is

crucial selling point to the magazine as

Im trying to attract the audience to

this issue.

There is a strong bold

alerting atmosphere when

looking at the text which is

much needed to

emphasize the pint while

also you can see that the

text it closer together

allowing no large amountspace to be visible which is

not needed.


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Step 11: Selling line

What is important to understand about mixmag magazine selling line is that it has a precise

meaning and importance therefore I needed to able to showcase this to a high standard in order to

make my front cover look like a professional mixmag magazine as there unique selling line is The

Worlds Biggest Dance Music and clubbing Magazine What also important to understand that by

leaving space at the top of the magazine my front cover this allowed me to insert my text for selling

line and fill the space as all mixmag magazine place there selling line there.

When deciding the colour of the font I decided that white wouldnt be suitable due to the

background of the image be lighter and you wouldnt be able to read it clearly,therefore I chose the

black as the colour

as it very clear and

precise.

If you look into this into the printscreen above you can that I have chosen the font of 20pt because

when thinking of the size I did want it smaller however you wouldn t be able to read clearly the

selling line, so I slightly went for a bigger text to fill the space of magazine in order to not forget that

underneath the selling line there will need to be room for the Mixmag mashead. You can also see

that also I went for a sharp effect for my text using the toolbar about to really make one effective

selling line as within Mixmag magazines they use the selling lines to make them stand out the crowd

and attractive to the audience which is what I want to do in my magazine.

Here you can see the image the selling line is having on the front cover.

Step 12: Importing / editing theMixmag logo

When I reached this stage I had to go

online and search for a Mixmag logo, whilst also bearing in mind the

colour scheme I was implementing within my magazine. Once I typed

this into Google I received a whole range of searches of Mixmag logos

to which I was torn between the black Mixmag logo and the white

logo as both of them really were attractive, however I had decide so I chose to go with the white

logo that had a black background, which didnt matter as I could rid of this in Photoshop as best

suited the front cover the best with its strong colour.

Its sharp and easy to read and

there is plenty of room to get the

masthead, while also keeping the

continuity within the magazine.


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Once I clicked on the my chosen logo it was now time to save

the image into my folder and then to open in photo shop to

where I can begin the editing.

Once in photoshop it was time to start manipulating the image, while

previously acknowledging beforehand that the mixmag logo came with a

background it was time to cut it out because I already had a background and

needed the text .So I used the quickest way using the magic wand tool.

What the magic wand tool does automatically when you highlight a section

you want cutting you press delete and gets rid of unwanted things.

Here you can vaguely see the outlines of the magic wand doing its job of

getting rid of the unwanted background. What happens now is that wants

it has done the process not all of the time does it gets the job done as ifyou look in the following print screen you can see that I have to repeat the

process again to get rid of the tiny black background. Once that was done I

had to now copy the image within where I was manipulating my front

cover.

Once on my front I inserted the Mixmag logo to which when

looking at it didnt look or feel like Mixmag standard. So again I

double clicked the layer my logo was on and went on drop shadow

because I wanted to add important depth needed to make my

Mixmag logo standout while keeping the continuity of the

magazine. As you can see I have set the scale to 83% to allow the

highest exposure regarding the title while also again allowing the original colour of the Mixmag logo

to remain intact while trying to not make it look too superficial.

And here is the result and what the magazine looks like so far

As you can see the drop shadow

has reinforced the logos presence

through creating a minor shadow

that makes it clear and precise and

effective. The colour white is bright

and effective which makes it stand

out the way a Mixmag logo and

magazine should be attractive.


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Step 13: Coverlines texts effect

As previously mentioned within my main cover lines section I will continue to use the drop shadow

effect for my cover lines whilst also using the same colour scheme red, white and black throughout

the coverline process.

Key Coverlines

As can you see I have continued the theme from my Mixmag masthead logo by

keeping the same density of the drop shadow on these particular coverlines I.e the

main white title of the coverlines is white whereas within the red text it less bold

because in order try and not overpower the white. When doing this I aimed to continue and

perfect the continuity within my magazine cover by making that all drop shadows within coverlines

were equal and fair in the range of the drop shadow while also making sure remained

attractive . Through various stages of writing the coverlines came obstacles such as are

the colours im choosing are right for the magazine?.By choosing the white text as themain corresponding coverline which you can see on the right side of this page,I wanted

to catch the audience attention with importance of the subject being covered within the

coverline.I also had to contend with the impact of the red would interact with the

white as I didnt want to conflict message being shown to the audience so I had to tone

it down but continue theme of the front cover ,which looked affective by making these

colours interact with on another.

When looking at the Win Box where the win is white it shows the perfect example why these two

colours fit together and are effective as it draws the audience attention

into what is being displayed on the cover.

Plus coverline

However when it came to the plus coverline which is mixmag convention within there front cover

this required me to be creative and take full advantage of my theme for the magazine, as the plus

coverline is important not only for the detail of the text but the way could add effects and make

them magazine cover even more interesting .

So first of all I again changed the colour of the text of the plus coverline toblack to again create separate section on the front cover whilst making the plus

coverline stand out in its own right within the magazine front cover. What is

also another creative decision I made was when writing the other featured

artist within the magazine I decided ,I would make them different colours such

as black and white because they complement one another on red background while also Im

showcasing all of my colours for the theme of my front cover. What is important

understand why I have choose this font particular font for all my coverlines is that

you get clear readable text while also it allows me to fully manipulate the text

with any effect of my choice to produce an effective piece of text. Again the drop

shadow for these text featured within the plus box remained the same as the

coverlines.


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Step 14: Using Ruler

After completing the coverlines for my front cover I had feedback from my tutors saying I needed

to rectifying my coverlines so that they were in line corresponding one another rather than an

untidy coverlines which would be a professional magazine .Therefore I had to use a ruler to make

sure all my coverlines were aligned in the right place which is specific code and convention when

making any publication .

So firstly I had to scroll on the toolbar onto analysis to which I could then

scroll to the ruler to which I then could draw and position the ruler to the

affected area which my coverlines to where I can see where my coverlines

are not aligned and rectify them.

Below is the print screen of my coverlines I have rectified using the ruler.

Step 15: Barcode

As required on any print publication a

barcode is essential so I have to look online

and copy barcode an insert into

Photoshop. When typing online I have to

choose realistic barcode as Im making

professional magazine cover.

What I had to now was copy the barcode into

Photoshop where Im not adding any effects to

my barcode as it is label in its own right and I will

place underneath the plus section featuring the

artist as that another Mixmag convention placing the barcode here.

Step 16- Dateline / Mixmag conventions

The dateline is another important feature on display any print publication

therefore It was quite important that I established this within my front. Taking

on board Mixmag dateline being monthly I had to interpret this within my

front cover, as well as displaying it the same area they position it next to the

barcode. Again I chose to have my font small and white as it characteristic

Mixmag imply on their front covers to display this information as well as the year, month, price,

After aligning the ruler near the text

you can see that all my coverlines are

perfectly in sync and tidy which shows

the ruler has been effective in making

my front cover look professional


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website. What is also important to acknowledge it that it vital I had included the model credit who

took the photo and who was in photo as Mixmag showcase this information within their magazine

for the audience to see. Another characteristic I had to include was

the how Mixmag structure there left third through having model

credit and caption alerting the audience if they received the cd cover

included magazine I had to interpret this within my magazine which I

did successfully to complete to a Mixmag high standard .

Here is the final magazine cover

step 17: How I made my cd cover

Again as previously mentioned In this assignment unit 54 task 5 for my record label i highlighted in

large amounts detail what I went through various process using the magic wand to get rid of

unwanted background to create a erie and mysterious theme for my cd around the song The Abyss

by creating a black background using bucket tool I.e as highlighting within In the first paragraph of

unit 54 task 5

As you can see my magazine a vibrant yet attractive

theme running through the decision of colours and

the style text that would be best suited within a

Mixmag magazine.

What is also important to notice is that I have

purposely left the left third space free for the cd to

be placed as that is the position cd is positioned in a

typical Mixmag magazine.

Once i had set the background black it was time tofurther develop my cd cover to which I enlarged the

image of my subject facial expression while holding the

shift key, as I wanted the artist expression as the main

focus for the cd.I did this because wanted to create a

major theme around as who is Adam Who? and what is

the Abyss? I did this by clicking on the whole image itself

then scroll on auto levels to manipulate the image

effects to distort and the ripple effect which created this

effect on the next page in great detail


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Step 18- The making of the record label

As previously mentioned in unit 54 assignment I highlighted all the relevant steps I went through to

make my record label like for instance I had drawn my logo for then to into scan the label into the

label into Photoshop for further manipulation.

But for reasons why I designed the label the way I did was that I wanted something

that would stand out as I am creating a dance label for a dance music artist Adam

Who? by having bright coloured people dancing I am simulating the dance music

genre and involved the artists are with the fans which made my record vibrant get

effective in sync with the mood of the dance music genre. I had already decided

once designing the label that once in Photoshop I needed to make further

improvements such and enhancements to my original such as the colour and

sharpness to my drawing as the colours were weak and not strong .So I used the

brush tool to which brightened and made it stand out more through the similar

colours I originally used in my drawing.

So l used other tools such as manipulating the levels of the image to make it stand

out more and look bright and effective. This was important was within the design

process of creating the figures dancing using coloured pencils didnt look right and it

needed rectifying using the brush tool and adjusting the layers.

This logo is imported

rom the internet I

have chosen to usehis logo because

when you a look

Mixmag magazine

hey feature this logo

o signify that they

created this specific

album art to stop any

copyright as collection

of track has be made

or t of tracks have

been made for the

magazine. Therefore I

wanted to interpret

his within my

magazine to make my

magazine look and

eel professional to

Mixmag standards.

I decided to white bold text

which the size was 36 to cover

the top of the cd cover as I

thought it would be effective

whilst also adds to the already

established Adam who banner

I had already established

earlier on the process I went

through manipulate this

image for both my front cover

You can very slightly see

the effect of the ripple

effect in it element

creating the mysterious

atmosphere.


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Creating my article using InDesign

The reason why Im using InDesign in that is it the best format in producing my article for the

magazine as it offers a whole rang e features for when designing my article. What is important to

understand is that I will be showing you how I was able to structure my free flowing article using

Mixmag codes and conventions.

Step 1: Creating InDesign document

What was important for this process was that

set my document to three pages because Im

making a double page therefore in order to

correctly get a double page fully I needed a

extra page which I wont use but use the

double instead.

Another important option I decided to call very

early on was the number of columns I would

use for my article which was 3 because I wanted to keep in symmetry of a Mixmag double page free

flowing article which is often three columns with pictures in between. I could of organised this later

on in production stage , but I wanted to make sure that I didnt want to waste important time

organising this whereas by organising this now I had plenty of time for creating my article.

Step 2: Creating Guess Who? Adam Who? title

First of all I clicked on the text button on the tool bar then started drawing the

text box across the two pages. I did this because I want my text to have strong

prescense across the two pages as Im wanting my audience to be hooked into

the article very early on as im writing about a new artist could Adam Who?

Once I had I finished designing my text box it was time to start

writing my main title GUESS WHO? ADAM WHO? across the two

page.What was really interesting in choosing the font Bookman

Old style and the font 60pt is the provided me with a bold , yet big

title which needed enhanced to really sell the promotion of Adam

Who? as within Mixmag articles that have bold and meaningful

titles.


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Step 3- Creating sub heading/colour of text

After again following the same way I created the guess who ? Adam Who? text box I decided it was

time that I also created another text box of a brief description of what to expect within the

article.As within most Mixmag articles they often have a brief description of the artist journey to

what made them who they are today? Therefore I wanted to incorporate this method within my

article to meet Mixmag standards.

What is important to understand is that I had made the

text relatively smaller than the adam article title which

was 60pt because I didnt want this brief title to

overpower the main as this title would remain on one

page not too. As you can see the colour of the text is

black the reason I have made it black is because I was

experimenting to the find the right colour for both

article main title and this small summary.

For how I changed the colour of this text I clicked on swatches a window on

the right of indesign to which I was able to clearly change the colour to any

colour I like. I then also transformed my guess who title to black and

compared the two titles and decided what my final title should look like

which was to be white and have black background. The reason why I had

made decision was when looking at Mixmag free following article The

Genius of Miss Jones from the august issue I was inspired and wanted to

recreate this by adding my own effects and pictures in my article

Here was the Mixmag article

Here is my transformed

Guess who Adam who?

Banner


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Step 4: Changing the colour of the background /text

As previously mentioned in the in the paragraph before the black text did look effective however it

gave me an idea to flip the background colour to black and the font white because that would be the

best option to optimise my article as the white text would clearly be attractive as

these two colours white and black have a good way of complementing each other

. So in order to change the colour of the background I had to highlight the two

pages by using the rectangle box and then click on swatches which would then

transfer my colour of background. What is important now was that it was time to

change the colour titles from black to white during this process to be able to

view them within the article.

Here is the background and text after the transformation

As you can see from results

the white colour has made

my text out allowing full

exposure which was what I

wanted.

At the moment this text looks a bit dull and

needed brightening up so I click on gradient

near where swatches window to manipulate

the image by using the scale up and down due

to how I wanted it bright or dark.

As you can see the text has become a little

bit lighter due gradient tool which has been

useful as it provided me with a more

effective title which can be scene in the

picture to your left which features the main

image for article which I I will talk about

next.


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Step 5-manipulation of the images

As I had previously mentioned within my unaltered pictures assignment

I had highlighted I would be featuring this picture within my article

because I wanted to emulate clubbing atmosphere which is often

featured within a Mixmag magazine through their main artist in

specific pose. In order to get a perfect clubbing background picture I

had to go online and search for one. I eventually choose this one which was

quite dark however I could manipulate this through Photoshop

The process I went through:

First of all I opened my original photo of the subject within Photoshop to

which I then as referenced in this assignment 54 task 5 I used the magic wand to get

rid of the selection the blue green in order to be able import my internet search of

club behind my subject Adam Who? The reason for this technique is that I wanted tomake my subject appear to be in nightclub rather than appear to be in an classroom

as Im making an clubbing magazine .When using the tool it was quick and simple as it got rid of the

tricky areas I wouldnt be able to access precisely if I hadnt used the magic wand.

Here the print screens detailing the process I went through the transformation.

Before After

With the blue screen being cut out I was just able to copy and paste my image with caution in order

not to distort the image already there because I only wanted to enhance this picture not distort as

this will be going into my free flowing article. By using this tool I am able to create clubbing

atmosphere which adds to my article as it is free flowing while also it is another characteristicMixmag use in there magazines to create atmospheres and attract the audiences attention, which is

another characteristic I have used.

Another important tool I have to used adapt the lighting of the picture is

manipulating the levels of the image itself through clicking on the layer

button on the tool bar then on levels which deals with colour balance and

to a range I can either make it bright or dark. I have chosen to use this tool

because the background is dark and needs brightening up because the

image is going to be the centre of attention of the article therefore it needs to be perfect.


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Manipulating another image for the article

Again I had previously mentioned that I would be using this image within

the article within task 17 unaltered photos . The reason why I wanted

this shot because I wanted to showcase Adam Whos Djs skills in action

because in most Mixmag articles they feature the artist performing for

the photo shoot to showcase the popularity within the dance music

genre.

So how did I manipulate this image, again I opened this image within Photoshop then I used the

gradient on the part of picture I wanted the colour black which was this position. I had chosen

not colour all of the photo because when it will come to placing the image within the box I have

created within the article I will be focusing again on the facial expression not the whole of the

subject. The reason why I decided to have a black background because I wanted create a

another superficial event where my artist is because in all free flowing articles they have various

shots of the artist in various locations and poses which is effective therefore I wanted to implement

this within my article. Once I have finished creating my manipulated images I need to save them as

jpegs in order to open these photos in InDesign

Step 6: Placing images within my article

So once I had finished manipulating my

images in Photoshop it was time import my

remaining images within InDesign and in order

to this I had to create frame boxes using the

frame tool.

On the screen to your left are the frame boxes I create for my images the reason

why I have a massive frame near guess who? title is because

that is where my main image is going to allowing full exposure

and attention from the audience. The reason why on next print

screen after theGuess who Adam Who? banner these boxes

are small and there gaps in between them is because Im only

going to be focusing on facial expressions of the crowd and the

artist Adam Who? rather than full exposure of the whole image

unlike the main image of the article. Another reason there are

gaps to make room for important quotes from article which

make an effective as it will break up the text and pictures to

bring life the journey of the article.

Placing the main picture into the article

In order to place an image within the box I have to highlight the box I want the

picture to be placed then click on file and scroll down to place to where I can


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specifically open the file I want for my article from my folders to which my photos I had

manipulated within Photoshop would be saved as jpegs which can see in the print screen to your

right.

Once I found the image I inserted the main image to

where I wanted within my article which was in the large

box I previously mentioned on the previous page. As you

can see once I have inserted the image a problem has occurred my two main titles are behind the

picture I have just inserted. Therefore I have to bring them forward, in order to do this I must right it

click the Guess who Adam who? title and scroll

down to arrange and bring to front to be able

clearly read the text and I will need to repeat the

process for the other title to be able to make this

text visible for the audience to read the title.

Here is the print screen showing the effect of bring

forward the text box. This has been effective as by

manipulating the main image it has added a

brighter colour needed in the article to make this

attractive article.

Placing the remaining images within my article

After previously mentioning on the previous page I

wanted to focus on the crowds reaction to the

Adam Who? performance, I decided that the best

option would be to go online because they have a

whole range of different locations that could benefit

the article. By using these pictures they would bring

to life the article and make a superficial yet effective

article as there would be deep empathise on Adam

who? Which is another Mixmag convention when it comes to their free flowing articles they show a

variety of images surrounding the artist.

Here are the pictures that I would be using in the article which I have circled

and saved as jpegs in order to open them within InDesign.

Again I had to repeat process where I would insert the work within my the

article to first print screen on the right is where I will position the rest of my

photos.

Positioning the pictures again required time and patience because I had to be

careful when positioning the images in order to not to distort the image. Sowhen trying to fit the image I had to use the corner of the orange grid which


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allowed me to size the image I wanted for the frame rather than use

sides of the orange grid which would have overstretched the image

and wouldnt be effective for the article.

I continued to place the images within the frames which provided

me with this result,which can see below.

The next step now after this process was to copy my text into the

into the article itself.

Final step : Copying text into the article

As previous mentioned within paragraph 3 on page 16 I have

already made columns for my article to be copied into .Therefore

once I have copied my word document all I have do then is make

any necessary changes to make my article look professional.

To print screen to your right im about to copy all of my article within the columns .What is important

to understand is that when copying the text into the

columns some of the text wont be visible to read due

that fact the column cant accommodate the text which

means I may have to resize the font or simply copy

sections of the text that way I can moniter the space in

between the columns and make changes there and then.

As you can see I have

a mixture of pictures

showcasing different

tones which makes

my article stand out

which was the

purpose of choosing

these pictures.

The reason why stuck the crowd pictures

together rather than separate them with

Adam Who pictures was because I wanted

to show different view points of the gig

because within my introduction my article is

very detailed and needs the those images to

be clearly visible to make my points know.


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Once my text was inserted within the article I had to make further decisions regarding my font size

and text to which I decided that my

colour of the text should be white. I

chose the white to continue the theme of

continuity whilst also it does make the

article stand out and look profession.In

order to make this white I had to go on

swatches then manipulate the colour

which made my font white.

As you can see within this printscreen

some of the paragraphs are untidy and

not presentable. Therefore I need to

space them out using the space bar on

the keypad.

Another thing that caught my eye is within the paragraph there is another big A featured within my

article other than first sentence within the first paragraph of my article. In order to rectify this I had

to click on the toolbar which was the print screen underneath and highlight the letter in question

and change the 1 into the zero which made the letter a regular and fit in within the article

Here is my final article and the

transformation I had made after identifying the mistakes.

I have decided to include the

picture of Adam Who? cd to partly

advertise his music as that was thepoint of the interview. While also I

used it to try and fill large amount

of space by making the cd big.

You can also see that I

have included a page

number, the month

and year, which is key

Mixmag code and

convention within

there magazines.

The text has become

much more clearer

and precise as there

is space for the

reader to take in the

information.


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To be able to print these pieces of work I had to:

Export my front cover and article as adobe formats because we

were using the macs in the classroom and inorder to print them

outside the classroom I could either save my front cover as jpeg or as

adobe.Whereas for my indesign article I decided Acobe would be

best.I then had to change the colour of my printing opotions to

colour to see the work in its element.

How I made my Mixmag magazine using secondary research to help me

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