MM110 Demo Swiss Design in Photoshop

Introduction to Swiss Design in Photoshop

• Overview of the tutorial led by Professor Curtis Stage at Los Angeles Mission College.
• Purpose: Recreate a classic Mueller Brockmann poster in Adobe Photoshop, with a mention of an alternative tutorial using GIMP for students without Photoshop.

Setting Up in Photoshop

• Creating a New Document:
  • Click "Create New".
  • Select "Print" and choose 8.5 x 11 inches at 300 pixels/inch.
  • Set color mode: RGB, 8 bit (or CMYK if desired).
  • Background: White.

Using Reference Images

• Referencing the Mueller Brockmann image:
  • Place it to the side for color picking and composition guidance.

Adding Background Color

• Creating a new layer for background:
  • Use the Fill function:
  • Go to top menu: "Edit" > "Fill" > Choose Color.
  • Select blue: Use hexadecimal #3C86E1 or RGB values (60, 134, 225).

Setting Up Grid and Guides

• Show Grid:
  • Go to "View" > "Show" > "Grid".
  • Modify grid settings via Preferences:
  • Set grid lines every inch with one subdivision and change grid color for visibility.

Creating Shapes

• Adding Shapes:
  • Select the Rectangle Tool.
  • Choose Shape from options bar.
  • Draw a large blue box (dark violet blue) on a new layer:
  • Set size to 3x3 inches for consistency with design layout.
  • Use Command + T to transform and rotate shapes:
  • Rotate to 45 degrees as per reference.

Copying and Adjusting Shapes

• Duplicate shapes:
  • Hold Option and drag to copy.
  • Adjust size and alignment using the grid.
  • Ensure boxes maintain adequate spacing and alignment with the grid for aesthetics.

Creating Smaller Green Boxes

• Repeat the shape process for smaller green boxes above blue ones:
  • Change color to a shade of green during the fill.
  • Layer order: Move the green boxes to be above the blue boxes in the layer stack.

Blending Shapes

• Select all green boxes:
  • Change blending mode in the layers panel to Hard Light for desired visual effects.

Adding Text

• Text Tool Setup:
  • Select Helvetica Bold for typography.
  • Change text color to black.
  • Example text: "Los Angeles Music Scene"
• Adjust text sizes accordingly, approx. 140 pixels.

Aligning Text with Shapes

• Align text with the corresponding shapes:
  • Use grid and visual alignment for neat presentation.

Adjusting for Precision

• Consider using more grid subdivisions (4 or 8) for finer adjustments.
• Use zooming (Command + / -) for closer inspection of alignment.

Final Adjustments and Export

• Rotate the document for easier alignment and fine-tuning.
• After final adjustments:
  • Save the document as a PSD file for editing.
  • Export the project as a PNG for submission.
• Suggestions for variations in colors and designs encouraged, emphasizing creativity.

Conclusion

• Successfully followed tutorial to create a Swiss design poster inspired by Mueller Brockmann.
• Final promotional suggestions for using social media platforms like Behance for showcasing completed work.