Prelimary Cover and Contents

This is my front cover for my college magazine

This is my prelimary contents page. I added the page numbers and titles to make it easy to navigate through it.

There are not many goods things about my prelimary task, but one that I like is how clear the titles are on the front page as they are spaced from eachother and different sizes. However, most of it is negayvie due to only being given an hour and a half to make it, including taking the pictures. I feel the font in the contents does not stand out clear enough and is bland, while the pictures are too stiff and boring, with no editing in it to improve them. The positioning of the image also makes the cover very packed and hard to focus on. There is not much texture for the backgrounds and font in both the contents and front page, making it very basic.

Photoshop Testing

On Photoshop, I opened a background image of the man on the cover. I then duplicated the layer of him and used the Magic Wand tool to delete the bacjground around him. Creating a new layer, I added a Masthead (by using the Text tool) and by putting this layer behind the duplicated one, the man was able to cover the Masthead slightly. I then added another layer for the Coverline (again, using the Text tool) and repeated this for the Subheadings and Subcoverlines. I then opened a new folder for the barcode, dragged it into the magazine cover's tab and correctly resized it by using shift and drag to keep the proportions exactly alligned.

Preliminary Task Flat Plans

I placed the masthead in the top left corner as the eye automatically reads from top left to right and as such will see the title much clearer. The essential info and barcode are placed in their positions as it conforms to the standars of magazines. The main image is in a clear place in the middle as it is easier to see and as such will be able to grab the audience's attention better. The coverline is next to it and in the largest font as it will grab the attention of the reader and make them want to read in, follwed by the subheading which gives a little information on the story. The subcoverlines are placed where they are as it will be able to list other articles in the magazine without taking up too much room. Finally, the gifts are where they are as it was a clear spot and promises the buyer something other than an article, making it more likely they will buy it.

The main articles' images are placed in the centre, taking up over half the page as it gives a visual representation of the main stories within the magazine, followed by the coverlines and page numbers to give more information on it and where to find it. Essential information is also on this part as it will say things such as issue number and where to contact them (webaddress and such). The editor's image and note are in the left corner not taking up much room as it makes it slightly more personal to the reader as it addresses them directly and usually thanks them. The page number is in the bottom left corner as it shows it's the third page of the magazine (as an advert would be the first, being on the back of the front cover). Coverlines, subheadings and page numbers take up most of the lower half as it is a contents of the articles and tells the reader a small part on what they're about and also where to find them.

Music Magazine Front Cover Deconstruction

I have deconstructed 3 magazine covers on Powerpoint and then uploaded it to SlideShare, so it its embedded below.

Magazine research from mikeylilley