2. Contents
Slide Content
3 Post production software
4-5 Post production skills
6 Safe working practises
7 House style
8 Font styles
9-11 Changes to Production work
12 Conclusion
3. Post Production Software
• The software which I had used throughout the production and post production of my
magazine pages would be Adobe Photoshop. I had used this software for creating my
magazine pages because it is a programme which allows you to manipulate images to the
way you want them and also by using the range of tools which it has allows you to create
high quality magazine pages.
• Adobe Photoshop however is a good software to use for magazines due to its range off tools
such as the rulers (CTRL+R) which allows you to be able to insert lines which can line up the
conventions with each other so its not out of shape or out of line and looks odd.
• The eye dropper for example allows you to copy an exact colour and saves it in the swatches
which you can use for later use on the pages to manipulate the same colour onto to the DPS
from the front cover.
• Another example would be the quick selection tool, this is a very helpful tool as it allows you
to outline an image or part of an image and crop it down so you only have the outlined part
and then can add the image on a background etc.
4. Post Production Skills
• Ruler tool – I used the ruler tool (CRTL+R) to enable me to drag loads of lines onto the canvas to allow and
show were each of my conventions were going to go on my front cover and DPS. This is done so that I can
have all the conventions inline with each other so it looks professional and also allows space for perhaps
another code/convention. I had used the ruler for all parts of my magazine especially for the main image,
main headline, masthead, barcode and the puff promotion. By having the rulers on the canvas allowed me
to split up each of these convention s and allow each of them to align with each other to look fit for
purpose and professional.
• Pen tool – I used the pen tool (P) to go around an image for example on my DPS I used the pen tool going
around the arm of the artists so the text doesn’t come in contact with the image which will make it look
unprofessional. However the pen tool was beneficial because it can allow you to draw around certain
images, conventions on the page to avoid the text clashing with any of them.
• Eye dropper tool – The eye dropper tool (I) was used significantly for my magazine front cover and DPS,
this was because I had to get the same colour from my masthead for example and manipulate that colour
onto the brand identity on the bottom of the DPS by the page numbers to make the magazine look original
and professional.
• Eraser tool – The eraser tool (E) was used on mainly the images because after I used the quick selection
tool some of the background from the image was still there so by using the eraser tool allowed me to go
around the images and remove any unwanted parts of the image, mainly the background so the image
stands out on the page and looks realistic and fit for purpose.
• Quick selection tool – The quick selection tool (W) came in handy for manipulating the images for my front
cover and DPS because it enabled me to outline the images based on these pages and got rid of the
background rather than using the eraser tool and rubbing it all out. It works as a shortcut to getting a main
part of an image therefore helped me getting the artist out of the image without the background so it
looks professional and realistic.
5. • Move tool – The move tool (V) was used throughout both of my pages this was because it allowed me to
click on any part of the front cover and DPS and move it to wherever I wanted/needed it which gave me
ideas to test what looks best were and moved it all around. The move tool however is a very handy tool on
Photoshop because you can drag any convention you want anywhere and see where it looks best if it
didn’t look right CRTL+Z undoes the mistake and move it again.
• Text tool – The text tool (T) was used on both of the pages for the text. This tool works by allowing you to
draw a text box were the text wants to go and then you can change what font style you want and the size
of it. This tool was used for the masthead, main headline and all text on the conventions also on the page.
• Gradient tool – The gradient tool (G) however was a useful tool to use in the production of my magazine
pages because as my magazine had to have a black to grey background the gradient tool came in handy by
allowing the black to go to grey and contrast to what I was going to have on the pages such as the images,
text, puff promotions etc.
6. Safe working practises
(Photoshop)
• Safe working practises for Photoshop would be the quick selection tool, the text tool, the eye dropper
tool, the font styles and the rubber tool.
• The quick selection tool is a safe working practise because it enable you to be able to click on something
on one of the pages and move it to where you want it from the use of the ruler tool, so that the product
will be inch perfect and will look suitable on a shops shelf.
• The text tool however is a safe working practise also because it enables you to put text on the magazine
pages where the pen tool can come in handy as it enables you to draw a text box around an image or title
so that the magazine looks professional and allows the text to be easily read without conflicting with the
image.
• The eye dropper however allows you to be able to click on a specific colour on the front cover and have
that same colour on the DPS to follow the house style of the magazine to make it effective and
contradictive to other issues, however the house style will change throughout the issues.
• As the font styles are downloaded from www.dafont.com it is essential that the font stays on the
Photoshop document as you can then repeat the same font style for the drop capital on the DPS and the
main headline on the front cover.
• The final safe working practise would be the rubber tool, this is essential for the images because it allows
you to rub out any parts of the image on the outline which you do not want and makes the image look
appropriate for the magazine.
7. Colour (House style)
• Throughout my magazine pages I had to maintain the same colour scheme so my magazine
Revolution! Looks appropriate and professional in order to get in competition with the likes
of Kerrang! And NME.
• The house style I had ‘repeated – (Steve Neale 1980) from my magazine of inspiration,
therefore I followed this same colour scheme throughout my magazine to make it look
professional and a top competitor to Kerrang! And NME in years to come.
• In order to maintain the same colour scheme throughout my pages on Adobe Photoshop, I
had to use a very useful tool called the eye dropper. This tool allows me to click and select a
colour from one of my pages and saves it into a file called swatches, were from their you can
duplicate that same colour and put that saved colour onto another part of the magazine.
Once the colour you have selected from one page is saved in the swatches file on Photoshop
you go on the paint bucket tool and apply that colour to the area which needs to have the
same colour for example the masthead from the front cover and the brand identity on the
DPS.
8. Font Styles
• The website which I had used in order to get the different font styles for my magazine front
cover and DPS is www.dafont.com. This website gives you a very wide majority of font styles
to choose from and the fonts which stood out most and looked the most visually appealing
would be Shut’em down and Broken Detroit. The Shut’em down font was used in the
masthead for my magazine Revolution! And the Broken Detroit font was used on the DPS for
the headline “Resurrection” and the stand first.
• The fonts which I had chosen for Revolution! Were very similar to the fonts used in my
magazine of inspiration so therefore by ‘Repeating’ (Steve Neale 1980) These font styles I am
creating a greater competitor to the magazines of Kerrang! And NME. For the masthead I
have chosen a very similar font style to the Kerrang! Masthead, however the headline for the
DPS font came from a later issue of Kerrang! So by combining to two allows Revolution! To
have a stepping stone to what fonts are used in the Kerrang! Magazine and can be a top
competitor to them as well as NME.
Shut’em down Broken Detroit
9. Changes to production work
Before After
A change which I had to make
during my production work would
be the front cover image as I used a
deodorant can instead of a
microphone and didn’t look
professional so needed to change
this. I needed to do this so the
image looks professional and make
sure it stereo types the sub-genre.
Another change which I needed
to make was the headline size and
positioning, as I had the headline
on the right side of the page and
wasn’t big enough so had to move
it to the centre and make it bigger
so it can be seen.
10. Before After
A change which I also needed to make
was the puff promotion positioning, as
I had the puff promotion on the right
side of the page below the sub stories
so needed to move it above the
stories and cover the masthead
slightly. I needed to do this because it
is a good convention to see near the
top of the magazine as the masthead
is the first convention someone sees.
I needed to change the Drop capital at
the start of the interview because
before it didn’t look professional as well
as not making the interview stand out
at the beginning, therefore I needed to
make the drop capital the Broken
Detroit font as it is the same as the
headline so it stands out and bold at
the beginning of the interview.
11. Before After
Finally I needed to change the
background image as it makes the DPS
more appealing and doesn’t have to
much going on for the main image so the
reader doesn’t take their eye of the
interview, as well as changing the
background to the band logo shows
brand identity for the interview.
I needed to add a link at the end of the
interview so the readers can go online
and read the full interview online
because the readers may want to see
the outcome of the interview as well as
seeing reviews on the interview.
12. Conclusion
• What went well?
• Through this learning outcome I have learnt how to use each of the tools in Photoshop and
was able to explain them by saying why I had used them, what parts of the magazine I used
them for and how to use them. This was
• Another part that went well was that I was able to identify the safe working practises which I
needed to take into account when producing my magazine pages. For example I needed to
use the text tool to write on my pages rather than import different texts and the pages gets
all muddled and unprofessional.
• I was able to know and identify the changes which I needed to make to my magazine pages
therefore I was able to work on them and correct them so that the pages look appropriate as
well as professional, so they look more visually appeal to the target readership of my
magazine Revolution!
• Even better if?
• This learning objective can be improved by trying to add more detail were possible therefore
will make the other learning outcomes much easier to complete.
• Finally the last improvement which I could have done was to keep asking Mr Crafts to check
my work and make sure it has been completed to a distinction standard so that I can move on
to the next learning outcome.
