The document discusses analyses of several mock school magazines. It provides feedback on the magazines' quality, target demographics, use of images and text, and makes suggestions for improvements. Photoshop skills are also practiced by removing images and adding text to draft magazine covers.
1. 17 th September – Photoshop basics After my editing Original image
2. School magazine analysis This magazine is one of good quality as it is clear which demographic it targets. The image of the boy, football boots and race car are all targeted at the average adolescent boy as these are the typical objects that gender likes. The use of the white background is also a good idea as the designer could be flexible and experiment with which ever colours and fonts and not be restricted by a possible clash an alternate background colour may have caused. The communication of the magazine is also very clear. The title, price, website and promotional offers are all comprehensible from the front cover. The barcode situated in the top right hand corner of the magazine adds authenticity, however a date and issue number is not present which should be so the reader can be aware of when the magazine came out.
3. School magazine analysis take two This magazine is also one of good feature. This is because, like the previous ‘Strike’ magazine it has a clear intention of targeting a young female reader. The picture of the teenage girl, the quote “big breast gets you far” and the relevant pop stars such as Lady GaGa are all factors that would appeal to an adolescent girl. Another contributor to the high quality of the magazine is the precise colour scheme. The majority of the magazine is split between purple and blue which I believe work well together as they’re complimentary colours and do not clash with the black background colour. The issue number, website, barcode and “bumper issue” all add to the realism of the magazine. However, the first few letters in the word “international” aren’t clear, so an improvement to this magazine could be to make the model wear plain clothes in order to avoid this problem arising.
4. School magazine analysis This magazine has both good and points about it. On a positive note, the main focus of the cover image (police officers) is relevant in the magazine’s contents (“school safety”). However, the rest of the front cover image (the children) is relevant to the magazine contents, but firstly they cannot be seen properly and secondly, the reader may be distracted by them when looking at the kickers of the magazine. Also, the fact the children are there limits the number of kickers and explanatory text that can be seen on the magazine. The structure of where the kickers are laid out also implies that the children are less significant as the writing do not go over the adults’ bodies. The symbol in between the “school” and the “safety” adds originality to the magazine as it looks like it was made exclusively for that magazine.
5. School magazine analysis This magazine is in my opinion, one of a lower quality. The structure of the kickers do not compliment the eye flow of usual Western reading. The background image also clashes with the chosen colour of some of the kickers. However, the image does associate with the contents of the magazine and is a suitable image especially for the main kicker. The date, price and volume number are far too small for the reader to see and comprehend. There are too many fonts used which do not compliment the overall look of the magazine. However, the barcode is situated in a suitable area and is a good size. The quote above the magazine’s title is also effective in the selling point of the magazine as it gives a preview of what is in the magazine.
6. 24 th September – Taking pictures for the school magazine CHOSEN IMAGE
7. 1 st October – Practising Photoshop Skills Original Image I used the Clone Stamp tool* to remove the white sign in image 2, and both the white sign as well as the blue sign in image 3. Image 1 Image 2 Image 3 * TADAAH!!
9. 4 th October – Front Cover Draft Feedback from peer
10. Changes from the feedback I went to ‘View’ then ‘Grid’ in order to line up the explanatory text and get everything in at least the one box border. This was improving upon one feedback point. In order to make the new cover lines look like there is a shadow of a new colour, I duplicated the layer before simplifying it. I then added another ‘Fashion’ for example on a different layer and added the blue/white colouring. I then chose the font of Pokémon Solid (on both layers) and then applied the Move Tool* . Subsequent to this, I moved the position on the white word with my up, down, and side keys to make it look like a shadow. Before After *
11. Improvements Another one of my improvements was to add a date and an issue number. I followed this advice, adding an issue number and date as well as a barcode to increase the authenticity of the magazine. I used the Text tool to add this. To avoid the clashing of the model’s clothes with the explanatory text, I changed the colour from white to black. This was suggested to me by my test buddy.
12. Finishing the magazine The finishing touch I added to my school magazine was adding a shape on the right hand side advertising the tips to help pass exams. I used the Polygon tool* to do this and then used the Text tool to adding the writing in the shape. I tilted the shape to give it an interesting angle and also turned down the opacity of the shape so the picture behind it could still be seen. *
