How to Create a Magazine Cover in Photoshop

Perhaps you or a client are producing a magazine--either via desktop publishing or by sending it to a print shop--and you want to create a cover using Adobe Photoshop. Here's how to create a cover by settting up the document file, placing an image and setting the type for the headlines and subheads.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Adobe Photoshop
• Computer with graphics capability

1. 
    
   Setting up document dimensions

   Determine the cover size from your available print stock, or obtain the measurements from your print shop. In this example, the magazine cover will be 7"x10". As it is intended to be printed at a professional print shop, we will need an extra bit of a border (known as a "bleed") around the edges, so that, if the cutting and trimming of the paper is slightly off, it won't show. A standard bleed is 1/8". Make the document 1/4" wider and taller than the trim area. Our document here will be 7-1/4" wide and 10-1/4" tall. Set the resolution at 300 dpi, which is standard for printed materials.

2. 
    
   Setting up the border

   We will place a colored border around our cover. Use the guides to measure and mark a border of 5/8". (With a trim of 1/8", this will leave a 1/2" border.)

3. 
    
   Select and fill border

   Select the border by first using the selection tool to select the blank area inside. Then, from the menu bar at top, choose "Select" and then "Inverse." Using the paint bucket tool, fill the selected border with a color of your choice.

4. 
    
   Deleting inset

   Make a copy of the background layer (which has the border on it) by choosing "Select" from the menu bar at top, then "All." Then, from the menu bar at top, choose "Edit" and then "Copy"; "Edit' again, then "Paste." This will paste a duplicate layer. Use the magic wand tool to select the blank inset area, then press "Delete" on your keyboard. Name the layer "border" and keep it on top. (Delete the original background layer.)

5. 
    
   Placing image

   Open your cover image in a new window. Scale, crop or re-size it to fit inside the border with a slight overlap. (Remember to make the resolution 300 dpi.) Then choose "Select" from the menu bar at top, followed by "All," and drag your image into your cover document. Switch the layers so the cover image is below the border's layer.

6. 
    
   Add headers and drop shadows

   Next add the headline and subheads. Chose your fonts and type the headline in its own layer. (Here we have a fictional title that somehow looks familiar.) Add a drop shadow to accentuate the letters. From the menu bar at top, select "Layer," then "Layer Style" and then "Drop Shadow." Use the default settings or adjust the sliders to get the effect you desire. You may also wish to add an issue number and date at the top of the document window. Your cover is ready to go!

7. 
    
   Finished magazine cover

   Save a copy of your cover as a template. For your next issue, you can just drop in a new image and re-type the header and subheads. When you are ready to output for printing, you can make crop marks for trimming by selecting the "File > Print with Preview" command from within Photoshop. In the "Print with Preview" dialog box, select "Show More Options." In the Output area, select the "Corner Crop Marks" box, then click the "Bleed" button. Specify the bleed at 0.125 inches (1/8").