Frida Waywell analyzed the strengths and weaknesses of her skills in creating a magazine front cover in Photoshop. She identified strengths like effectively incorporating the magazine's color scheme of black, red, and white. However, she noted weaknesses like the positioning of her statement and cover lines not standing out enough. Frida also discussed what she found easy, like placing design elements, versus difficult aspects like precise spacing. The main Photoshop tools used were adjustments to edit images, the text tool to add words, and layers to organize elements. Comparing to her preliminary cover, Frida recognized improved understanding of design principles and more efficient use of Photoshop functions in her final project.

1. Skills Development-Front Cover
FRIDA WAYWELL

2. Strengths and weaknesses:
There are strengths and weaknesses of my production work when creating my front cover. When
I began to make my front cover using Photoshop I was clueless as I have never fully understood
all of the tools included on Photoshop.
Strengths Weaknesses
A strength which I found whilst creating my front cover was my use of colours. I knew
that the colour scheme of my magazine was black, red and white so I made sure to
incorporate them on my front cover using Photoshop. I made the masthead on my front
cover a bold red. I went through different shades of red and found that this red was the
best for hooking the readers eyes onto my magazine. My cover lines are in the same
shade of red so that me readers immediately see them after looking at the masthead.
Also in red I highlighted my banner which was at the bottom of the page. This makes the
banner stand out more. As well as red I thought that white was a good colour to include
as it contrasts very well with the black background. This makes the writing on my page
easy to read. I learnt how to make all of these things follow my colour scheme using the
tools on Photoshop.
A weakness for my front cover is my positioning statement. Firstly I designed my cover so
that the positioning statement would be above the mast head. Then I realised that I did
not like the way this looked. I got feedback from this from people in my target market,
and decided that it would be best to have it directly under the last letter on my
masthead. I don’t mind the way this looks, however I feel it doesn’t stand out to the
reader as much as id like it to and it is not very easy to read.
Another strength with my front cover I feel is my main image. I had to make my
background bigger to fit the masthead and cover lines in. To do this I placed my image
over a black background so that I had created space for my writing. This was a strength as
it turned out very well and I like the way it looks.
Another weakness is my main cover line. I felt that this cover lines does not stand out as
much as id like it to. The colour grey stands out slightly from my main image, however I
feel that white would have been a better colour option.

3. What did you find easy?
In the making of my front cover I found that deciding where my masthead and cover lines are
going to be placed was easy. Because it is a code and convention that the masthead must be at
the top of the page and the cover lines must be around the main image I found it easy to place
them on Photoshop.
What I found easy: What I found difficult:
In the making of my front cover I found that deciding where my
masthead and cover lines are going to be placed was easy.
Because it is a code and convention that the masthead must be
at the top of the page and the cover lines must be around the
main image I found it easy to place them on Photoshop.
I found that making the measurements between each one of my
cover lines was difficult as the spacing between each one had to
be exactly the same. This was hard as I had to use a tool in
Photoshop to help me.
In addition, I found that deciding a font for my font cover was
easy. I went onto a font download website and looked through
many fonts until I found the one I wanted. I find this font very
affective as it stands out just the way I want it to. It was not
much hassle at all to find which font I wanted.
I found that positioning my main cover line was difficult as I
wanted it in the centre of the page. I tried moving it around to
get it as accurate as I could. Then I realised that on Photoshop I
can get the measurements on the page up so that I can make it
accurately in the middle. It was difficult at first but then I realised
how to work it.

4. Main tools used in photoshop:
There were three main tools which I used in Photoshop to make my front cover successful.
One of the tools I used was ‘image’
then ‘adjustments’. This tool was to
edit my front cover image so that it
looked better. This made the colours
on my image stand out more which I
really liked.
Another tool which I used was the
‘text’ tool. This was used to add all of
my text onto my cover. I used this tool
frequently as it was needed a lot.
The layers on
Photoshop were very
important so that I
knew which layers were
which. It was good to
know which layer I was
on so that it was easy
to select something and
edit it.

5. How does your use of Photoshop compare to
the preliminary front cover you produced?
My use of techniques and tools used on Photoshop have improved when I compare them to my
preliminary front cover that I produced. When creating my preliminary front cover I did not know
what most of the tools were used for so I was still learning how to create a successful front cover.
When looking back at my preliminary task I can clearly see the development in skills and use of
tools on Photoshop. The codes and conventions on my prelim front cover were not clear nor
correct. My masthead did not catch the readers eyes enough and my cover lines were not intriguing
to make my audience want to read the magazine. Creating my final front cover made me
understand the importance of every code and convention being correct. Also during the making of
my prelim task I did not realise the importance of planning. I did not create a sketch for this prelim
front cover, but when creating my final cover I made a sketch so that I would know exactly where
everything was going. This also saved time as the process was done a lot quicker. Not having a
sketch makes the making take much longer which is very time consuming. Also the camera shots on
my prelim front cover were not following the correct codes and conventions for a magazine cover.
The main image must draw the audiences attention, on my prelim task mine failed to do this. The
prelim task did help me realise what to do and what not to do ion order to make a very successful
front cover, I am glad we did the prelim task as I did learn about Photoshop so making my final
front cover was done a lot quicker and easier.