Construction Of Double Page Spread

Step 1) This is the first step I took for constructing my double page spread. I started off by importing the main image I was going to use, and resized it so that it fitted exactly onto the double page. As the photo was taken as a landscape, it fitted almost perfectly and was a suitable image to use as my background.

Step 2) For the second step of the construction I created a skyline header that went across the top of the page as a design. This created a theme for the page, making it equal to a recurring feature that is published in every magazine. Just like "In Cinemas" in the Empire Film Magazine. I used the shape tool to draw out the rectangular bar running across the top, then the selection tool to cut out the smaller rectangles on the left hand side of the page. I imported the masthead into the file and resized it to fit within the boundaries of the rectangular bar. Just like I did in the construction of the contents page, this continues the recurring theme of "FTR" throughout the magazine. By using the text tool I added in the title "New Music" within the gap available.

Step 3) I then added the page numbers and "For The Record to both of the bottom corners adjacent to the centre fold line. This was done via the text box tool and the text toolbar. I made sure the colours of the fonts contrasted with the background, yet still stayed within the colour scheme. After, I began creating the backing on which I would write my article. I used the same concept from the front cover construction and already had the torn paper saved on a different file. So this sped up the whole process as I only needed to import it into my photoshop document and adjust the size and angle.

Step 4) I continued to add the rest of the torn paper backing until it formed two columns and a title space. Of which I then added the title and sub-title, of which are exactly the same on the front cover and contents word. By keeping the wording the same it avoids any confusion that might occur when reading through the magazine. This stage was fairly quick and easy to do because I had already learnt the techniques earlier on in the construction process.

Step 5) Once I had all the backing correctly in place, I started to write my article. The style of article was an interview, which meant I had to write it with question and answer. To make sure it was easy to read, the question was made a different colour to the answer. This ensured to notify the reader which text is which, as well as looking visibly better. This was done via the "Text Toolbar" and the article was written onto the backing directly by the use of a text box.

Step 6) I then finished writing the article and had to check it all through for spelling mistakes or any other possible errors. After it had been checked over twice I moved onto the trickiest part of the spread construction. This was pull out quote that had to stand out from the background and catch the readers attention. At first I tried it in a straight line, however it just didn't look right due to the changing background colours as the sentence went on. After thinking of other possible solutions to the problem, I came up with the idea to bend the text, so that it curved around the shape of the hat. Which is why I found it tricky, as this was my first time bending text on photoshop. However it seemed relatively easy once I got the hang of it. I then moved the edited text onto the picture, just below the curve of the hat. This was the final action to the construction of my double page spread.