Constructing the Digipak-CD Cover-

1. I scanned the drawing onto the computer so that I could save it as a PNG image which can be accessed by Adobe Photoshop. I needed to make sure the image was of high quality to reduce the risk of pixilation.

2. Next I opened the image on Photoshop, cropping it to size so that it followed digipak dimensions of 5.5” x 5”. To check the size was accurate, I also altered the canvas size.

3. I began removing the background of the image so that only the text was left. This would allow me to layer it over an image. I used the magic wand tool to select the white areas and then delete, altering the tolerance levels to ensure I could be as accurate as possible without removing parts of the text I need.Some areas were difficult to select due to them being so small, therefore I used the fill tool in black to remove any remaining background.

4. After removing all the background and the circular guidelines, I was left with the image to the left.

I decided the font needed further adjustment because it was a grey colour as opposed to black. Therefore I used the effects panel to adjust the exposure of the image so that the text went darker, and will be bolder on the layered image.

5. After opening a new page, I opened the image of a song sheet which has already been edited on Pic Monkey using the ‘Vintage’ filter. I used the select tool, but changed it to a circular shape which will act as the CD. After selecting a circle on the music sheet, I inverted the section using the tool bar across the top of the document, which will allow easy and accurate removal of the background.

6. I then selected the rubber tool and adjusted the size to quicken up the process. After removing all the background I was left with a perfect circular shape thanks to the inverted tool.

7. Next I cropped the image to resemble that of a digipak. Using the transformation tools I rotated the image 45 degrees counter clockwise so that the music notes were on a slant. I felt this looked a little more quirky and indie.

8. After tilting the image, I decided to alter the opacity to make the layer translucent looking which will allow the text to remain eye-catching and readable, with the music notes being more subtle.To do this I double clicked on the layer which opened the control panel (left). I moved the opacity slider to achieve a level I was happy with

which was 62%.

9. The next step was opening a new tab and blank document where the chosen image of plants could be opened. I altered the canvas and image size to match that of the digipak, then using the cursor, I moved the image so that the section of leaves was the best looking out of the entire image. I tried to get a variety of leaf shapes and tones in the image to give depth and interest the back of the CD cover case.

10. I then selected the shape tool and chose the circle, adjusting the style so that it had no fill, yet a strong outline in black. I then dragged the circular shape to fill the square, which will act as the position of the CD.

I then duplicated the layer to ensure I had a circle of the same shape, and shrunk it to act as the hole at the centre of the CD. This image now acts as the perfect template when adding the previous documents to it.

11. I added a warm filter to the photo to make it look more summery and muted which will go better with other elements of the digipak, particularly the cover image which will have various filters over it to look more vintage and

vibrant. The level of orange I added to the image was 56%, and I felt this degree have a

natural looking finish yet definitely added warmth to the green.

12. I opened the previous document of the music song sheet onto the leaf image using a new layer. Then I positioned it so that the circle was aligned with the outline. I also tweaked the opacity slightly so that the leaves could still be seen through the song sheet. Using the select tool I also removed the inner circle to allow the leaf pattern to be visible, and the image to resemble a digipak CD.

13. Finally I selected the text which had previously been edited and layered it above the other images. After using the cursor tool to reposition the text so that it fit well with the circular shape and spiralled evenly, I was pleased with the final result. I trialled the original background image to ensure I had made the right decision with the leaves, and after comparing the two, I much preferred the leaf design because it looks funand synergises with the rest of the album, and the outdoor locations used in the music video.