8. Before thinking about the design aspects of creating my first tabloid layout I had to re-write an extract from my
broadsheet article to make it more appealing to the tabloid audience. I too the opening paragraph to my broadsheet article
and changed the wording of some of the sentences to make the language more formal, as formal language is usually found
within tabloid newspapers. After I had changed the copy to fit the audience I was then able to start thinking about creating
my spread; when creating my first tabloid page layout I decided to follow the first layout flat plan, which was created by
looking at current tabloid newspapers so that I could clearly see how usual tabloids are laid out. I started creating my first
layout by using the process that I used to produce all of my broadsheet layouts within InDesign as I found this way to be
very time effective as well as simplifying the process in general. I opened a new A4 document and changed the margin to
1cm then once this had opened I changed the grids so that I was using six rows and three columns as guides to create my
page. After this I then went on to insert all of the different content boxes in the correct place for the images and text that I
was going to be including within my spread, I found that I did have to alter the original layout that I created in my flat plans
in order to ensure that the page looked balanced and organized, such as adding the tabloid masthead as well as the title to
the story instead of just having one header to the page. After I had created the layout to my page I then started to work on
the design on the spread, I decided that I would first create a page with a reverse background, meaning that the
background would be black and the copy would be white. I created this effect by simply creating a content box covering the
whole page and changing the colour to black, ensuring that the arrangement of the box was sent to the back of all of the
other aspects of the page. I then went on to chose a font from the ones which I had sourced when developing my copy and
inserted my re-written broadsheet extract into its allocated content box within the columns on the page page making sure
that the font colour was set to white so that It would be visible on the black reverse background. The font that I chose for
this particular page was a simplistic, legible font with no irregularities to it, I needed this to be a strong foundation when
choosing my fonts as within all news stories that are being put across to the audience in written form must be in a clear font
in order for al people to be able to read the story clearly. When I had changed the font I then added a drop capital to the
beginning of the extract, I think that this is a very good way to make the beginning of the story look eye-catching and will
draw people in to read the copy. Due to the fact that the copy was only a small extract, this meant that there was no need to
insert a pull quote or any other aspect to the copy as there was no need to break up the text as the text : image ratio is so
small, which is a regularity within the front page of a tabloid. I then went on to insert the title of the story, the only change of
this aspect of the page is the font, in comparison to the broadsheet this font is very bold, big and, for want of a better
phrase, ‘in your face’. This is the way in which most tabloids communicate their story to their readers, a short, punchy title
will also help when partnered with this. After this I inserted the official mast head for the ‘Mirror’, to make the page seem
more realistic, I also added some small adverts for other stories included within the tabloid as this is what is usually found
on the front page of all current tabloids. I made sure that everything was in line with the grids and margins. I inserted an
image which was relevant to the story, eye-catching and attractive to my audience, into the specific place that I had
allocated for the image to be, however because the image that I had sourced was not visually informative enough, I added
two smaller images to help illustrate the story more, I think that this makes the page as a whole look more interesting and
balanced.
10. I went on to create the second of my three layouts based on the flat plans that I had produced for a tabloid
newspaper. The process that I was planning to use to produce this spread was the same as all of the other layouts that I
have created using the program InDesign, meaning that I opened a new A4 document, and after changing the guides so
that I was working with three columns and four rows, I could insert my content boxes so that I had an outline for where all of
the different aspects of the page would be going before I inserted them into the spread. Once I had all of the context boxed
in place in correlation with the flat plan that I had created I could then start to insert the copy into its two specific columns, I
then needed to chose a font out of the ones that I had sourced when developing my copy. The font that I had chosen for
this specific page was very curved and slim, making the whole body of text look much more sleek and modern, this would
hopefully give a more appealing look to the page as a whole therefore making the product more appealing to its target
audience. Once I had applied this font to the body of text I then added a drop capital to the first letter of the extract as I think
that it works really well in order to draw the audience into the piece of writing, also as I have said about the previous
layout, there is no need for a pull out quote due to the fact that the extract is so small and therefore there is no need for the
text to be broken up, however this also means that there it is more likely for the text itself not to look very appealing; this is
where the drop capital comes in handy. After I was happy with the look of the copy I moved onto the titling of the text, I
really liked the reverse colours that I used within the previous design for my tabloid as I think that it made the text seem
much more bold due to the contrast in the colours. I used the same font as before also because I think that it is very
effective to be used for a tabloid as it is bold and punchy, after I had inserted the text into the content box I then changed
the box’s colour to black then changed the copy’s colour to white in order for it to be read on the background. I think that
using this reverse technique is very effective and fits in well with the ethos of a tabloid. After I was happy with the title I
could then add all of the imagery to my page. I first inserted the same mast head that I had used in the previous design that
I created as I think that it aided very much in making the product seem more realistic and professional, I also sourced an
advert for the left hand side of the page which was in the style of tabloid adverts so that it would fit in with the theme of the
page. After I had added these graphics I could then go on to insert the splash image into its correct placing within the
spread, which in this case was towards the bottom left hand corner. Once I had all of the different aspects of the page in
place I started to nudge everything in place to make sure that they were all in line with the guides and margins that I had put
in place so that the page would look balanced and orderly, this would also mean that the page would flow better and be
easier to read for the audience, I think my page layout achieves this to a high standard and I think for a second attempt at
creating a tabloid style page I have done well. I think that when creating my next page layout I will be able to explore more
aspects of how to potentially layout a tabloid page.
12. With my third and final layout design for a tabloid newspaper I followed the third flat plan that I produced when
developing my ideas. I found this particular layout to be quite boring when I was visualizing what the page would look like
finished from my flat plans, but I decided that I would follow the flat plan as I had done when producing all of my other
pages because I found the process to be very effective. First I created an A4 page within InDesign with a 1cm margin as I
had done before, once the document had opened I was then able to go to change the guides so that there were four
columns and five rows for me to work within, I estimated that this combination would work well in correlation within the flat
plan that I had produced for this particular design. After this point I then used the same technique as I had throughout the
whole of this task to create my page; I started off by inserting the copy body into its specific unit, which in this case was the
far left single column. After this I could then chose a font out of the five I had sourced, the font that I chose in the end was
more traditional that the font that I used in my previous page layout, and I think this makes the page look more classic, as if
it were for a more traditional tabloid like the Daily Express rather than the Sun for example. I created a drop capital at the
beginning of the body of text for the same reasons that I have specified within the last two spreads that I had created, it
creates some interest in the text since it is not necessary to include a pull out quote within the front page and therefore the
drop capital is a good way to draw the audience into the copy. After I was happy with the way in which the main body of text
was looking I could then move onto creating the title for the story, I already had a specific content box allocated for this
aspect of my page, and had also decided to use the reverse colours technique to make the title much more bold as I had
done in my previous design. I typed in the title and changed the background of the text to black and the copy to white. Once
I had altered the size of the title to fit into the content box with balance I was then able to move onto adding graphics and
imagery into the spread that I was creating. I started off by sourcing a footer advert which would be suitable to use for the
front of my tabloid and was lucky enough to find one which fitted perfectly into the bottom unit which I had allocated for the
footer. After I had placed this into the content box and sized t to stretch the width of the page I then went on to placing in the
mast head and another small advert to fill in the left top corner. I decided to find these adverts to fill in the space as after
conducting some research into how tabloids usually look I found that a lot of information is packed into one page and that it
is all very bold and busy, so decided that in order for my own product to look realistic and professional I would have to insert
these adverts too. After I has sourced the correct adverts and placed them into my page whole making sure that they were
all in line with the guides and margins that I had created my page was finished. I think that in comparison to my previous
designs this particular design is my favorite, I think that the way in which it has been laid out makes it floe very well and
means that it would be very appealing to the specific audience.
