Page Spread in InDesign

     

Walter Wick: Hidden Wonders Page Spread

             I began designing my page spread by adding the header and text box that will be filled with placeholder text for when I put in the article’s story. I make sure that my text boxes are set to three columns per page, keeping the font at Myriad Pro as body text, Engravers MT Regular for the header, and Book Antiqua Bold and Book Antiqua Regular as subtext. Then I went to “Walter Wick: Hidden Wonders!” article, copied the text and pasted it into my page spread. Making sure to remove the excess text that wasn't able to fit on the spread. I went back to the article to look at the images and pick the one that I wanted to put on the spread. 

Afterwards, I went into Photoshop to view the image’s size and change it to 300pi; luckily, my image was already set to 300pi, so I added curves to enhance the image and downloaded it as a TIFF. After placing my image into my InDesign spread, I went and started to reframe the image I wanted, to then be in the center of the page. This is when I imaged wrap texted and sent the text wrap to .125. After that, I zoomed into my TIFF image to see what other parts I wanted placed onto the spread, taking screenshots of it and framing them to fit in the columns. However, I had to find a different image for the jester since it was too blurry; I found the same jester just in a higher resolution. After this, I added a rectangle and colored it a reddish brown to be the background and added two red lines, one to frame and a header and the other to frame the bottom of the spread. 

The columns were essential to help break up the text since having two big blocks of text and a random image slapped in the middle would make it harder for the viewer to read. If they were in columns, it would be much easier for the viewer's eye to move through the page, even with images being in the middle of it. I also made sure that my images wouldn't clog up the fluidity of the text, while still being eye-catching for the viewer, making sure that the images didn’t cut up words in the middle of the columns. Not only that, but columns added another visual element to the spread, allowing for playfulness to take place. This goes for using grids in the spread since they help me know where the text boxes are supposed to be. They also helped me know how far to take down the gumball machine, so it would still be in the “safe zone,” so I won’t have to take it all the way to the bleed. Well also helping me align my subheader to my header while still being more prominent than the body text. Which is why using InDesign for these projects is so important. 

InDesign is the program to go to when designing page layouts, postcards, and anything text-heavy with precise measurements. I especially found the column feature to be very useful when it came to quickly and effectively framing the text. Not only that, but the preflight window helped me find mistakes I didn’t even notice when working. While having multiple different work formats like typography, showing how flexible this application can be.

Walter Wick: Hidden Wonders Page Spread Reworked 

When I rework my spread, I make sure it's a click-as-spread in my InDesign presets. So that when I downloaded the PDF, it would show both pages as one unit. I also did the dates and times when it came to the article. I made sure to look up references to have a better understanding of how to approach my design. Putting in columns to help visually separate the material from the text made it easier for the viewer to understand. I also made sure to bold and increase the font size of the titles of the workshops while having the date and time be subtext. This will condense the information but also highlight the important part, which was the workshop name. I also make sure to bold words like Members Only to help regular customers know what they can and can't go to. I also make sure to title the Q&A with Walter Rick since it was part of a different section of the article. This would help break up different sections of the article while also highlighting it as an important piece of the article.

Monogram and App Review

 

The most challenging part about designing a monogram in three different applications is that each app, although a part of the same company, works differently from the other, so one technique might not work in the next application. Adobe Illustrator was the easiest one to use compared to the other applications. Although it was a bit difficult when I was changing the anchor points on the monogram to look like one symbol. Photoshop was a bit trickier; I could easily place and embed my monogram eps into the document. However, while trying to reconstruct the monogram, the swatches had fewer color options than the Illustrator one.  Photoshop has a set palette, and if I wanted to use a different color, I would have to use the Solid Color panel to get the same color and create a new swatch. Making it harder for me to find a color match to my Illustrator monogram without using the color picker. Recreating the monogram was also hard. I had to change my cursor to a Direct Selection one in order to change the anchor points, and making the text that went around the monogram was also harder to do compared to Illustrator.  For InDesign, it also had a different layout with the color Swatches panel, making it harder for me to pick the right yellow-orange color I had on my Illustrator monogram, so I had to color-pick it from Illustrator instead. But it was the 2nd easiest to use, with how the text went on the path to modifying the anchor points on the monogram. With that, I finalized a project for print-ready use, making sure that my document has been flattened and is in CMYK format before saving it as a PDF for the printer to use. Making sure the document is in a PDF file means that the document is a finished piece and will be compatible with the printer, since that is the only document it will expect when printing. This will also make sure that there are no issues with your document before printing. 

Returning To Blogging

 

       Original                                          Restored                               Pattern Making Cover

Currently, my experience with Graphic Design is very amateur; however, I’m working on  broadening my understanding of it. This especially goes for learning more about different forms of Graphic Design, like packaging, website building, or printing, in order to be a well-rounded graphic designer. As well as practicing with the Adobe applications I’m familiar with (Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign). I was able to make a cover for my pattern-making class final, which was an organized notebook with a cover, table of contents, and examples. Recently, I was able to restore my uncle’s photo for my cousin, even though I have a lot to learn; it was a good way to practice with the software.

I have only taken VC 100, VC 118, VC 112, and VC 129, so I have a basic understanding of how to use Adobe. However, I am a fine arts major, allowing me to have a smooth transition into Graphic Design since they have the same design principles, only with slight variation. Overall, I had a great experience with Graphic Design, learning about the different techniques and history, while challenging my own creativity has been extremely insightful. However, I have started to take precautions with my screen time, making sure to wear my blue light glasses, using eye drops, and taking breaks to stretch in order not to strain my eyes or body while working. 

By taking Graphis Design II, I hope to learn more about the different applications that graphic designers use while practicing with the applications I’m familiar with. Going as far as seeing how my projects print out in order to know what I need to improve on. I hope to be inspired by different graphic designers and learn how to implement their techniques into my own work. While also building a strong digital portfolio that will go alongside my physical one.