Scanning tearsheets - simulating the shadows/reflections of a double page spread

Hi I'm scanning some tearsheets, mainly double page spreads (DPS), to upload to a

website.

 

Each page is cut from the magazine and scanned individually on a flatbed scanner.

It's easy

enough to seamlessly combine the two halves of a DPS in Photoshop, but I would

be happier is I could subtly simulate the shadows/reflections of the magazine's

gutter (is that the word? - I mean the seam where the pages meet).

 

Any tips on how to do this?

I'm no pro, but how about stitching them, and then making a rectangular selection that bridges the new stitch, then play with your feather amount and drop the levels on the selection? Maybe do it a few times, starting with a narrow dark selection and slowly going wider and lighter? How big on the web is it? if it?s not terribly big, the less perfectionist you need to be.

Apply a gradient on the side of each page... that should be enough to create the effect.

How big? - Pretty small - 350 pixels high...

 

Thanks Eric, that sounds like a good method. To date I've only tried darkening the

gutter with the dodge tool, and that looks messy.

 

I was wondering whether it might be appropriate to also LIGHTEN a thin strip, to

simulate a reflection?

 

I must have another look at www.spheremag.com to try and figure out how they did

it...

Why not just photograph the spreads as they are, lit the way you want them to appear,

with a digital camera?

Hmmm, I hadn't thought of that!

 

Actually, most of the tearsheets have already been sliced out of their original

magazines (I live in a small flat) - and anyway, most of the mags don't lie flat

naturally (you really need to break the spine, and then they look unnatural).

 

I don't know - in general I really hate these kind of Photoshop tricks (drop shadows,

artificial

neg rebates, simulated window mounts etc.) - but some of these tearsheets just look

wrong without a gutter...