1. Construction Diary Front Cover
Before opening and creating the front cover page, I had to decide on a image from
my shoot to be the cover image. This
image had to have a plain
background to make it easy for me
to cut out and drag onto the cover
page. I decided on using this image
as it is a mid shot, and has enough
headroom around the image so that
I will not have to change the size and
position. I also like the pose and
expression on the model as well as it
shows him in the correct way to
attract the target audience and
represent the type of music the magazine is for.
Edited image
Image cut out and on cover Edited image
When editing, I wanted to keep it realistic
and so I decided not
to use any effects
and instead to keep
it natural. I used the
levels and curves
tools on Photoshop
first to get the
colours, tone and
shadow how I wanted them. As the image
was too orange, I then used the photo
filter tool. Once I got the tones
and colours how I wanted them,
I used the clone stamp tool to remove any blemishes and even out the skin
tone. Once I was happy with that, I made the makeup around the eyes darker, to add
more shadow and make the image more edgy. I then used the magnetic lasso tool
and eraser/paint brush to cut out the image and drag it onto the cover. I
also used the feather tool so that the outline was not too harsh. Once the
image was on the cover, I used free transform to scale and position the
image where I wanted. I chose to have it to the right slightly so that the
coverlines can fit along the left without obstructing the image.

2. Once the image was on the cover, I then
added the straplines. This was so that I
could then add the logo, insert and text
after, as the straplines act as a sort of
boundary. To add the straplines I used
the rectangle shape tool and created one
along the top of the cover. So that they
were both the same, I used the duplicate
option along the right selection bar. As I
knew what I wanted in the straplines, I then added the
text. For the text here and throughout the magazine I
am using the font style “Capitals”. This is because it is
bold and stands out, while still being neat so it will
appeal to a wider audience and fits in with the type of
magazine. I also used
free transform to
resize the text so it
fitted well across the whole of the strapline. I then
added the logo. I decided to put it in the top left corner
for a few reasons. Firstly, because I didn’t want it to cover up the image too much,
but also use advise from J McKay (2000) The Magazines Handbook, which states that
the emphasis needs to be on the left hand side, due to the fact that is the side that
will be on show on a shelve or stand in a store. I did this so that people will see the
logo and recognize the magazine, therefore picking it up.
Too add the logo, I had to drag it from a jpeg onto the
cover; this meant there was some white space. To remove
this I used the colour selector tool to choose the colours on the logo,
then the spray style brush to touch up the blank areas. I then added
the insert. I decided to put this in the top right corner, as all of the
coverlines are going to be along the left, so it will stand out more
there. At first it was just grey, but to make it stand out more – like it should - I added
Some effects to it to make it stand out more and appear 3D.
This also helped the text to stand out more. I put the “Win” in
the insert as advertising a win feature on the cover would
encourage people to buy the magazine.

3. I then moved onto adding the coverlines. I left
these till last as I wanted to fit them in the blank
space on the left as I did not want to crowd up the
image. As I wanted to keep the font style consistent
throughout the magazine, I used
“Capitals” again. I added the coverlines
and the main coverline separately so I
could move them more freely. For the
coverlines along the left side, I first added the text
all the same size with just one gap separating them.
I decided to use the artists name as the coverline as
it is more to the point and will attract people more
than saying some long explanation without
mentioning the artist. I added the brief summary
under the artist’s name underneath so that once
someone picks up
they can see it
and be more
interested and
want to find out more. I decided to make the
artists name and the summary
different sizes so that it is clear who
the feature is about, but I still
wanted to keep it clear that the
summary and the artist are link, so I
put a bigger gap between the different
coverlines.
When adding the main coverline, I wanted it
to be the same as the other coverlines, yet I
wanted to make it clear that it was the main
coverline. To do this I simply made to the text
bigger so that it stood out more and caught
attention. I also positioned it away from the
rest of the coverlines, without overlapping
the image too much. I did try a few different
positions for the main coverline before I
settled on this one, but they either made the
cover look too cluttered, or took away the clarity of the fact
it is the main coverline. I decided the overall layout of the
coverlines so that they did not overlap the image too much
or make the page look too cluttered, which is also another reason why I kept the
main coverline separate – to avoid the page looking cluttered.