Final Double-Page Spread

Creating the Double-Page Spread.

I began by opening an A3 page on Photoshop Elements, I wanted the page this size so it could fit the entire content of the double-page spread. I chose the image I wanted to use as the prominent image and began the editing stages to enhance the photograph. I did this using Paintshop 2.0 by enhancing the sharpness and brightness of the image to intensify the colours of the overall photograph. I then followed the same pattern as I did for the Front Cover Image, Effects> Photo Effects> Film and Filters... to make the image seem more professional and clear. After this was completed, I copied the image onto the page and the adjusted the size to A4, there was concern that the image may have distorted when I stretched it, but thankfully this did not occur. My next step was to evolve the detail of this half of the page so I copied the Main Title of the magazine and then pasted it onto this document, next using the Move Tool I was able to shrink it and place it in the upper left-hand corner of the age, visible yet out of the way and not dominating the page away from the focal image. Next, I decided to add the "World Exclusive" PUG to the page to have continuity of both the exclusive of the magazine and the design from the Front Cover. So I used the custom shape tool to create a rectangular box, much like the Front Cover to act as a backdrop for the writing. I used the Font "Lauren Script" to follow the continuity of the text featured within the Contents Page, and added a shadow to the text to place more emphasis on it, and placed it at an angle to differentiate it from the 'Paparazzi' PUG above it. The next thing I wanted to was to add a quote which cam directly from the Artist, I had pre-written the text in which I was going to use on the spread so I selected the quote, typed it out in the selected font ("Lauren Script") and adjusted the style of the text so it had a shadow behind it and so that it emphasized the quote and then angled it, so it made the page and the quote more interesting. Finally, to finish off the page I added the page number in which the exclusive would be featured, I selected the same Font as I used for the quote and the 'World Exclusive' advertisement, but instead of giving the number a shadow I decided not to add a shadow because where I was going to place it, the shadow would not have been noticed.

My next move was to complete the right-hand side of the double-page spread which would have the inclusion of the featured text. I decided to make the background black to follow the theme of a black and white contrast to brighter colours and also so that the brighter colours in which would be included would stand out. The major thing I wanted to do first was create the introductory Titles to the spread to see how they work with the black background and to see how much room would be left for the text after they were completed. I first made the introductory sentence to the main title so I used the 'Lauren Script' font and the Font Tool to create the sentence, I did not include any shadows on this text as they would not be seen against the black background, I laid out the sentence out flat across the peak of the page so it would be noticed. I made the text white to contrast to the black background. Next, I added the Artist's name to the page but instead of starting from scratch I copied and pasted the 'Melodie' title from the Front Cover to show continuity and so that the audience would immediately recognize the style from the Front Cover. I positioned this text at a slight angle so it differentiated from the 'Here She Goes Again...' introductory sentence. After this, I wanted to continue the theme of the Ink Splatter as it gave the magazine a form of identification, so I copied and pasted the Ink Splurge from the Contents page, but because of the black background it would be invisible because it would blend in, so I inverted the layer so it became white and translucent. I changed the layer to a bottom layer so it could be placed underneath the Main Title text. It blended in well with the white introductory title.

For the final stages of completing the Double-Page Spread I needed to have the inclusion of the text which would parallel the article. I had previously written the text in which would be included on the page so all I had to was copy the text into the document, I then styled the text differently from the Font used for all other written elements of the product. I used a text called 'Georgia' so it looked more formal and differentiated from other elements of the page. Making the text white contrasted to the black background allowing the text to become more accentuated to the audience, but I coloured the text in Pink so it followed the bright coloured theme of the magazine and the musical genre, so it also matched the title colour too so the questions did not blend in which the answers given by the artist and so it is made apparent reader more clearly as to what the question is. To make the page more interesting and to give the writing a backdrop to lie on so it would stand out more, I used the custom shape too to create 3 boxes which would fall behind the text to accentuate them more significantly. I made the boxes white but because the text was white I needed to make them less translucent so I used the opacity option to tone down the apparentness of the boxes, I did this and it made the boxes more of a light grey colour, so it allowed the text to be seen in front of the boxes. But I obviously also had to adjust the layer so that they could be positioned behind the text.

Finally, to complete the spread I wanted to add more detail to the page by possibly adding more photos but because there was no excess room for them to be placed I decided to take heavy influence on the opacity tool to give it more an inclusion on the double-page spread. I selected the photos I wanted to utilize on the page, placed them on the page where I thought they would be appropriate and then lowered the opacity so it was not as apparent as the text was, yet still visible behind them so it filled the page and added more detail without dominating the page.