What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

Yes, I have definitely learnt a lot about the following programmes: Photoshop and Indesign, before starting this coursework I had never used either of these programs before, so they were both very new too me. At the start I struggled a lot with using these programmes, I found that I did not understand fully how to use most of the features on both programs so I could not do the things I wanted to do which was frustrating. It all seemed very complicated because we where using Apple Mac's instead of the normal computers that I am you'st to.

After a few lessons went by and with the help of others in the my class that new how to use both programs I gradually began to pick up the skills quite quickly, I soon started to understand how to use the different features within the programme and could make my magazine look how I wanted it to. I took all my own images at home and made sure each of the backgrounds were white making it easier for myself to edit the pictures. After I had taken my images, I choose the best ones from the bunch and edited them on my laptop at home, for example making the contrast darker, turning the brightness up etc, I was comfortable using my own editing programmes at home.

Photoshop allowed me to remove any marks or objects on the wall, for example for my front cover image there was a lamp on the wall behind the models, I used the stamp tool which allowed me to select a patch of the background and basically colour over the lamp, as you can see in the image below.

 The stamp tool helped me to create an overall more professional image which I wanted. I also learnt how to place images into a rectangle frame text box which was used a lot in the programme Indesign. I also used text boxes for my headlines and headmast for my front cover design. To give my front cover a more professional look I edited the headlines on the left hand side by adding a shadow to the writing.

For my contents page I wanted to copy the exact design of the headmast, I did this by writing out the text "contents" I then dropped the opacity and uploaded it into Photoshop and used the free transform tool and changed the direction of text I then saved this as a layer and posted it into indesign, the images below show the original writing and he effect I created.

Also with Indesign  I learnt how to layout my cover and found out how to use layers in the creation of ym product such as using a different layer for my image and my masthead to allow me to edit them separatly. I also was taught how to use transparency in colours which helped me to create a more professional look, I got taught how to change the gradient of the background and how to feather it also.