1. Column Guides + Text Flow
One convention of a magazine is column guides as they make the page appear organised and professional. Text flow was another important technique when it came to making my double page spread look professional which is the process carried out when text is longer than the width of a column and is continued on another part of the page.
InDesign provides set column guides on a new document however I needed to alter some of the settings to make sure they were appropriate for my double page spread.
Before I could do this I needed to insert the text onto the page. To begin with I inserted a rectangular box where I wanted the first part of the text to be placed. Making sure the shape spread across the width of the first page column, I did the same with the adjacent columns on the page. I left numerous empty spaces in some column which allowed me to pace images in-between the text. The next step was to ensure the shapes were able to hold text. To do this, I highlighted the three rectangles and right clicked on one of them. This left me with a number of options, one of them being 'Content' on which I needed to make sure 'Text' was selected. I could then paste text into the rectangle.
Once the text was placed into the first rectangle it was evident the text was overflowing the shape; this is when text flow is a necessary skill. At the bottom right corner of the rectangle there is a small, red plus icon. Clicking on this icon enabled me to drag the remaining text that didn't fit in the first rectangle into the adjacent rectangle. This created a text flow as the text continued into the next column successfully.
3. Text and Images
The ideal font and font size used in Total Film magazine is Times New Roman in size 11 so I chose specifically to replicate this over my double page spread, continuing to follow the themes I have picked up from analysing the magazine.
Regarding text, I also made use of drop cap which is another convention of a double page spread in a magazine. I did this by using the drop cap tool and increasing the size of the first letter of the text in the columns. This is used to make it clear at what point on the page the article begins which creates an organised layout for the benefit of the readers.
It was also necessary that I resized and positioned the images I used correctly. I accurately measured the smaller images on the pages in order to continue the neat and organised layout. I used the 'Ctrl' and 'T' keys to resize the images along with the 'Shift' key which allowed me to avoid stretching of the images which could affect the picture quality. I also used larger images on the double page spread in order to create page variety and used the same resizing techniques.
I used the images and list headers to create diagonals on the pages and a way of directing the reader to look at parts of the article in a certain order. This is frequently used in Total Film magazine as it helps the target audience to read the article in the intended fashion almost automatically.
3. Additional
One additional feature of my double page spread was the breakout box or sidebar story at the bottom of the final double page of the article. I made use of different fonts, Japanese dot lines to separate each point and overlapping images which also helped to create page variety. I used smaller images that would attract the attention of the target male audience and also to end the article on a light and slightly humorous note, allowing the readers to reflect on the subject.
I also added captions to the larger images on the double page spread which were added either to create subtle wit which is often found in Total Film magazine or solely to add detail about the image. I assessed the layout of an issue of Total Film magazine in order to place my captions correctly and used a similar font and font colour in order to replicate the magazine as much as possible.
I also chose to add dotted lines to separate the text and images along with a headline which dominates the first page. These features were able to fill empty space that on the page that made the article look unfinished and less appealing.
Due to my article being a round-up, list headers were required. I used the Eagle Bold font which is commonly use in Total Film magazine as it stands out and makes it clear to the reader where each section of the article begins and ends. I also made sure I kept page variety with the list headers by creating diagonals with the list headers. I left space underneath each section of text for a definitive moment which is a convention of round-ups, in particular, in the magazine and also provides a conclusion to each part of the article.
The main strength of my double page spread, in my opinion, is the breakout box I created as it contains a lot of the additional features that were inspired by various issues of Total Film magazine.
On the other hand, a weakness of my double page spread is the lack of enlarged quotes in between the text in the columns which is a feature I could have added to create even more page variety and it is also a way to tease the readers about what is to come in the article by highlighting the most interesting quotes. There was also a problem of unnecessary empty space during the process of creating the double page spread which needed to be filled meaning I added more images and used patterns and lines to fill in the gaps between the columns. Finally, due to the fact my article was reasonably long it was difficult to fit the entire text onto 2 pages as well as include images. To fix this I decided to stray from my initial layout plan and add 2 more pages to the article in order for it to appear as organised, sophisticated and professional as possible to impress such a high standard male audience.
First In Design Experiment: Text Flow
My first In Design experiment involved discovering how to insert an image to its best quality. To insert the image I had to begin with creating a rectangular shape and afterwards I placed the image in the shape. At this stage the image was not a suitable size for the shape so I needed to resize it. To do this I used the white tool to move the image to where it needed to be and resized it appropriately, spreading across the width of one page. I had to make sure that I didn't use the black tool for this as this tool is to move and resize the rectangle outlining the image.
As I am beginning to use the In Design programme more I am learning and picking up more skills. Some of these skills involve text and the use of text flow which is when text is longer than the width of a column so is continued on another part of the page.
Before I could do this I needed to insert the text onto the page. To begin with I inserted a rectangular box where I wanted the first part of the text to be placed. I made sure it spread across the width of the first page column and I did the same with the adjacent columns on the page. I left an empty space in one column to allow me add an image. The next step was to ensure the shapes were able to hold text. To do this, I highlighted the three rectangles and right clicked on one of them. This left me with a number of options one of them being 'Content' on which I needed to make sure 'Text' was selected. I could then paste text into the rectangle.
Once the text was placed into the first rectangle it was evident the text was overflowing the shape; this is when text flow is a necessary skill. At the bottom right corner of the rectangle there is a small, red plus icon. Clicking on this icon enabled me to drag the remaining text that didn't fit in the first rectangle into the adjacent rectangle. This created a text flow as the text continued into the next column successfully.
InDesign provides set column guides on a new document however I needed to alter some of the settings to make sure they were appropriate for my double page spread.
Before I could do this I needed to insert the text onto the page. To begin with I inserted a rectangular box where I wanted the first part of the text to be placed. Making sure the shape spread across the width of the first page column, I did the same with the adjacent columns on the page. I left numerous empty spaces in some column which allowed me to pace images in-between the text. The next step was to ensure the shapes were able to hold text. To do this, I highlighted the three rectangles and right clicked on one of them. This left me with a number of options, one of them being 'Content' on which I needed to make sure 'Text' was selected. I could then paste text into the rectangle.
Once the text was placed into the first rectangle it was evident the text was overflowing the shape; this is when text flow is a necessary skill. At the bottom right corner of the rectangle there is a small, red plus icon. Clicking on this icon enabled me to drag the remaining text that didn't fit in the first rectangle into the adjacent rectangle. This created a text flow as the text continued into the next column successfully.
3. Text and Images
The ideal font and font size used in Total Film magazine is Times New Roman in size 11 so I chose specifically to replicate this over my double page spread, continuing to follow the themes I have picked up from analysing the magazine.
Regarding text, I also made use of drop cap which is another convention of a double page spread in a magazine. I did this by using the drop cap tool and increasing the size of the first letter of the text in the columns. This is used to make it clear at what point on the page the article begins which creates an organised layout for the benefit of the readers.
It was also necessary that I resized and positioned the images I used correctly. I accurately measured the smaller images on the pages in order to continue the neat and organised layout. I used the 'Ctrl' and 'T' keys to resize the images along with the 'Shift' key which allowed me to avoid stretching of the images which could affect the picture quality. I also used larger images on the double page spread in order to create page variety and used the same resizing techniques.
I used the images and list headers to create diagonals on the pages and a way of directing the reader to look at parts of the article in a certain order. This is frequently used in Total Film magazine as it helps the target audience to read the article in the intended fashion almost automatically.
3. Additional
One additional feature of my double page spread was the breakout box or sidebar story at the bottom of the final double page of the article. I made use of different fonts, Japanese dot lines to separate each point and overlapping images which also helped to create page variety. I used smaller images that would attract the attention of the target male audience and also to end the article on a light and slightly humorous note, allowing the readers to reflect on the subject.
I also added captions to the larger images on the double page spread which were added either to create subtle wit which is often found in Total Film magazine or solely to add detail about the image. I assessed the layout of an issue of Total Film magazine in order to place my captions correctly and used a similar font and font colour in order to replicate the magazine as much as possible.
I also chose to add dotted lines to separate the text and images along with a headline which dominates the first page. These features were able to fill empty space that on the page that made the article look unfinished and less appealing.
Due to my article being a round-up, list headers were required. I used the Eagle Bold font which is commonly use in Total Film magazine as it stands out and makes it clear to the reader where each section of the article begins and ends. I also made sure I kept page variety with the list headers by creating diagonals with the list headers. I left space underneath each section of text for a definitive moment which is a convention of round-ups, in particular, in the magazine and also provides a conclusion to each part of the article.
The main strength of my double page spread, in my opinion, is the breakout box I created as it contains a lot of the additional features that were inspired by various issues of Total Film magazine.
On the other hand, a weakness of my double page spread is the lack of enlarged quotes in between the text in the columns which is a feature I could have added to create even more page variety and it is also a way to tease the readers about what is to come in the article by highlighting the most interesting quotes. There was also a problem of unnecessary empty space during the process of creating the double page spread which needed to be filled meaning I added more images and used patterns and lines to fill in the gaps between the columns. Finally, due to the fact my article was reasonably long it was difficult to fit the entire text onto 2 pages as well as include images. To fix this I decided to stray from my initial layout plan and add 2 more pages to the article in order for it to appear as organised, sophisticated and professional as possible to impress such a high standard male audience.
After
Final Version of Double Page Spread
Final Version of Double Page Spread
First In Design Experiment: Text Flow
My first In Design experiment involved discovering how to insert an image to its best quality. To insert the image I had to begin with creating a rectangular shape and afterwards I placed the image in the shape. At this stage the image was not a suitable size for the shape so I needed to resize it. To do this I used the white tool to move the image to where it needed to be and resized it appropriately, spreading across the width of one page. I had to make sure that I didn't use the black tool for this as this tool is to move and resize the rectangle outlining the image.
Another thing I learned was how to insert and edit text. I inserted a text box and typed the headline for the page inside of the box. I selected a font and font size and the next step was to add the final effects. I wanted to make the text look 3D so I used Drop Shadow to add a vague shadow behind the text. I made sure the shadow was exactly how I wanted it to look by changing the opacity to 20% and altered the colour and positioning of the shadow.
Finally, I added an outline to the text to make it bolder and attention-grabbing. To do this I used the stroke and colour tools to alter the colour of the outline and also the text inside. I was also able to alter the width of the outline in order to make the text a lot more bold so the reader's eyes are immediately drawn to what the review is about.
Before I could do this I needed to insert the text onto the page. To begin with I inserted a rectangular box where I wanted the first part of the text to be placed. I made sure it spread across the width of the first page column and I did the same with the adjacent columns on the page. I left an empty space in one column to allow me add an image. The next step was to ensure the shapes were able to hold text. To do this, I highlighted the three rectangles and right clicked on one of them. This left me with a number of options one of them being 'Content' on which I needed to make sure 'Text' was selected. I could then paste text into the rectangle.
Once the text was placed into the first rectangle it was evident the text was overflowing the shape; this is when text flow is a necessary skill. At the bottom right corner of the rectangle there is a small, red plus icon. Clicking on this icon enabled me to drag the remaining text that didn't fit in the first rectangle into the adjacent rectangle. This created a text flow as the text continued into the next column successfully.
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