Poster one
The first poster I designed reflected quite strongly the ideas I presented in my mood board and the process of making this up helped me to have quite a fixed idea of how this poster was going to look. I wanted to use as many of my own images as possible and with the chosen subject it was possible for me to source most of these,only having to obtain some from archives due to the fact that they represented seasonal images that could only be obtained at other times. There was also one image that I thought would best be drawn myself and photographed than trying to find it elsewhere.The focus point of the image was to be the gateway inviting the viewer into the poster,I had this image from when we went out with the cameras. Because I only wanted the gateway and not the street behind I needed to use quick mask to isolate the part of the image that I wanted although this allowed me to select the part of the image that I wanted when I had put the rest of the poster together its limitations as to tidiness had to be corrected this was done by creating a mask on that layer and then using my brush on soft just blurring the edges to reveal the images underneath giving a smoother more blended image.
On the gateway image I had a good section of the pathway leading into the poster and I needed to blend that into the drawn image of the roadway using the gradient tool. This is where the drawn image payed off. I had taken a print of the draft poster with the gateway on and could draw my image in relation to this. I could then move the road image under the pathway photo so the edges of both ran in a continueas line then once graded into each other it gave a smooth pathway leading into the poster. I only needed the drawn roadway so a bit of deleting the unwanted part of the image was needed by again masking and punching the unwanted part to reveal the images underneath. To finish of the background of the image I wanted a more natural background. I had initially done a green background layer when I had started the document but felt that this looked unnatural so I took photo of a lawn to use instead. This is where being able to move layers about was useful,as I would create a new layer later in the process and be able to insert this later where it would be more effective. This wasn’t due to poor planning more that sometimes you initial idea although good doesn’t look quite as you need it.
At first I was going to have quite a few signs pointing to the different aspects of the poster but once I had inserted my images of galleries,parks etc I was in danger of overcrowding the poster making it hard to isolate the main focus. I decided that one signpost pointing to the key features would be more effective.
Using Google image search under “highway signs” I found the image to the left. With a little bit of tweaking I would be able to use this. Firstly the sign needed to be straightened to be more upright. To do this using magic wand I cut the sign out of the background. This was effective as there was only two tones in the sign, white and gray. Once cut out it was inserted into the poster then switching transform controls on the image could be slightly rotated to look more upright,by pulling out the image it could be slightly enlarged to fit the sizing needed. the original image had some lettering over it so to remove this
I used the paintbrush tool to paint over the lettering on the sign having to adjust my palette to white and a matching gray.
TEXT
When inserting the text onto the sign I wanted to keep the size the same but some headings had more text than others and wouldn’t fit neatly onto the sign. To allow it to overshoot yet still stand out I used the stroke effect to give my blue text a white outline allowing it to be associated with the sign. Again I could rotate the text to fit onto the sign yet some wouldn’t look right so these had to be slightly straightened so they could be easily read without twisting your head off.
Again on the gateway to blend the main title ” HUDDERSFIELD” I used the stroke effect. As this was the main heading using the embossed tool helped it to stand out that bit more. The outline colour had to be adjusted to match the original signs background and a slight rotation of the text so it would sit neatly on the sign.
IMAGES
Although I was using a lot of images if they where blended into each other they would make up two montages one on each side of the roadway looking like each was a complete image in itself. This meant grouping the images so they overlapped each other then creating a mask in the layers panel on the top image and then with the brush on soft setting slowly taking the edge of to reveal or blend into the image beneath the top one. Then doing the same to the bottom layer to reveal the original background layer,which had been replaced with
the photo of my lawn.
I tried to obtain as many of the images myself which meant going up to castle hill,driving by parks and museums. This way I could minimize the use of stock images. I had to be careful not to get carried away as there were so many great ones I could use,enough to do a series of posters.
This first poster was a process of trial and error playing with the various tools finding what work well and a lot of playing about. The more you play about the more you discover which tools are more effective for particular processes than others. I felt more confident and focussed on how I would make up my second poster.
Poster two
In the first poster I had a lot going on in it on, this one I wanted a more simple cleaner image. I wanted it to be clear and direct.
The poster was to be made up of one main image as a background with the key points standing out boldly over it.
I opened up my document ensuring that I chose the correct size for the finished product,which was to be A4 and setting the pixels per inch to 300 so that it was to a standard required for poster submitted to printers.
I wanted to have castle hill as my background but did not want it to be the main focus,I felt that if the image was softened it would allow the main text and images to stand out. To do this a soft pale blue layer was created. A second layer with the castle photo was made up. I had been up to castle hill and had taken a few photos so I had a few images to chose from,one of which I had used in the first poster. The one I chose to use showed the tower as standing out dominantly with the grass as a nice foreground over which the posters caption would sit. By ensuring that the tower was positioned to the right this would allow for other images and text to sit on the left so that they could be easily seen and read.
These to images needed to be merged into each other so a mask in the tower layer was created then using the gradient tool the two layers could be merged. A little trial and error was needed to create the effect how I wanted it. Sometimes the pale blue layer was not revealed enough other times it was to overpowering. Fortunately I could go back a step by going up to edit and step back the try again until it was as I wanted. The result to the left,even though only using two layers,is very effective.
Images
As I wanted this image to be more simple I chose only to use four images to represent four main headings. Although I had quite a few of my own I needed to make sure that they were direct and to the point. From my first poster I had a few photos that I had got from google images. I had typed in Huddersfield festivals so the images were true to representing the subject. Also they portrayed the requirements set out in the brief I had at the beginning of the project i.e the diversity of cultures and appeal to all ages.
As we can see to the right the images were arranged in a column on the left, sizing and spacing them to look uniformed. These stood out a little to boldly and felt that a little blending was required to draw it into the image. A adjustment layer was created for each image and using the brush tool to make a mask revealing the pale blue background, I had to make sure that my brush setting was very soft as I only wanted to take the hard edge off the image.
Text
I put each part of text on its own layer, this was so I could move them and edit the wording without it affecting each other. For each of the images the text needed to be clear, so a deep blue heading and black text was effective and uncomplicated. However this is different with the main headings. These were specific to the brief so needed to stand out. To do this I used the layers styles to selected a stroke effect. My heading colour was pale blue in line with the rest of the poster,but by adding the stroke effect I could give it a deep blue outline. By adding the emboss effect,again in the layers styles the text was given a slight 3-D look helping it to stand out.
File types
The two main file types we used were PSD and JPG/JPEG.
The difference between these two types is shown by the way we use them. PSD files are created in photo shop and shows the processes used in creating a new image. This file can be edited so allows us to change and correct any mistakes,to alter to improve our image. This means that if we send this file to a third party they can alter our work making it vulnerable.
This cannot be done to the JPEG file as this compresses the PSD file and making it uneditable. It could be added to, but your original work cannot be changed. Because it has been compressed this makes it more suitable to move around i.e by e-mail posted on face book. The problem this creates is that some of the information of the image is lost and is not as detailed as a PSD.
