Photoshop 2 Column Magazine layout tutorial

For this Photoshop tutorial we are going to do a very simple layout for a magazine or newsletter. We will have a heading at the top, with 2 columns of text and a graphic or photo in the center of the page, with the text wrapping around it.

• Start by selecting File -> New. Select cms as the measuring specs. The width will be 18 cms and the height 28. This is a safe printable area for A4 which has a maximum size of 21 X 29.7 cms. Make the resolution 300 dpi, which will give a reasonable picture quality when printed. Select color mode of CMYK which is a standard for printing.
  Click OK
  
• Select from the main menubar "View" -> "Show rulers". The rulers will appear at the top and left side of the page.
  
• Drag the guidelines down from the rulers by left clicking inside the ruler and dragging the lines down.
  
• Open the graphic or photo you wish to use and copy and paste it into the layout document.
  
• Select the square Selection Tool (M) and drag a selection around the edge of the document. Press the "ALT" key down and you will get a minus (-) sign near the mouse cursor. Click about 30 pixels from the top left corner and drag to about the same from the bottom right corner. You should have a frame around the document.
  
• Select a Color , Swatch or Style from the relevant window and using the Fill bucket (G) fill the frame with the colour or texture you have chosen.
  
• Select the Text Tool (T). From the main toolbar, select "Window" -> "Show Paragraph". Select the font you wish to use and the size of the font. I chose Bank gothic font and a size of 180 pixels.
  
• Click inside the top guidelined header section, and type your title.
  

Making the double columns in Photoshop

• With the Text Tool (T) still selected, click on the top left corner of the left column and drag to the bottom right of that section. Start typing away. When you come to the image you will have to wrap the text manually by hitting the return key just before the edge of the graphic.
  
• Do the same with the right column.
  

That's it! You've done it. You can tidy things up by drawing a few lines or flourishes here and there. And doing a few sub-headings.