InDesign Basics
Learn the ins and outs of the industry-standard page layout program
Publishing brochures, newsletters, reports, and other print pieces can be a challenge without the right tools. Along comes Adobe InDesign with all the features and flexibility and you'll need to publish professional-quality layouts. Whether you're new to layout design or making the switch from QuarkXPress, InDesign Basics will help you get your creative ideas on the page.
In this 6-lesson class, you'll explore fundamental techniques for Adobe InDesign and develop your print design skills. The course will impart a working knowledge of the main InDesign tools and features, everything from basic features to using master pages, importing and manipulating objects, controlling text flow and style, to graphic effects such as transparency, drop shadow, and feathering.
Projects give you training in a range of desktop publication applications from creating a single-page menu to catalog design, visual identity, promotional design, even a wedding invitation. This experience will leave you with an understanding of the software and a slew of great portfolio pieces. The course is co-developed and taught by InDesign pro John Feld and top designer Thom McKenna.
Tuition: $900 US
Course Instructor(s):
Requirements:
- Computer with Internet connection (56 Kbps modem or faster).
- Adobe InDesign CS4 or CS5.
- Adobe Photoshop or equivalent digital imaging program.
Course Objectives:
- Use settings and preferences to create single and multi-page documents, and master the vocabulary and tools associated with navigating the InDesign work area.
- Create and properly utilize text frames, graphic frames, columns, grids, and guides for laying out page content accurately.
- Utilize master pages as templates for multi-page documents and present content consistently over a series of pages.
- Use selection tools to effectively manipulate, move, and transform layout objects, and use grouping and stacking to arrange them.
- Draw graphic objects using path and shape tools, and manipulate them with the Transform panel and specialized transformation tools.
- Master methods of adding and manipulating color fills, strokes, and gradients, and store colors using the Swatches panel.
- Properly flow text through a series of frames and wrap it around other layout objects including graphics and pull-quotes.
- Use leading, tracking, and kerning effectively for strong type readability and apply type formatting quickly and consistently using saved styles.
- Properly import a variety of graphic types, organize graphics and other objects with layers, and import documents for use in data presentation.
- Manage imported content such as graphic files using links and libraries.
- Apply transparency, drop shadow, and feathering effects and flatten them properly for print.
- Use preflight checking and on-screen proofing to prepare a document for print.
Course Outline
LESSON 1 Overview of Adobe InDesign
Why is InDesign fast becoming the new professional layout design foundation? In this lesson you'll take a look at the many applications for InDesign and learn how it integrates with your other favorite Adobe programs, Photoshop and Illustrator. You'll begin with a comprehensive tour of InDesign's workspace, learning how key tools work and how to prepare for your first page layout. In the exercise, you'll create a restaurant menu, learning how to use guides and format text along the way.
LESSON 2 Setting Pages for Layout Design
Lesson Two is all about creating multi-page documents. You'll be pleasantly surprised at how easy InDesign makes it to prepare, number, and organize your multi-page layouts, carrying design elements from one page to the rest using a master page. As you'll discover, text and image frames are flexible tools for creating these design features on each page. The exercise takes you hands-on through the layout and production of an eight-page art catalog.
LESSON 3 Tools of the Trade
Once you get beyond the basics, you'll discover that InDesign is brimming with esoteric tools, commands, and features. How do you make sense of them all? This lesson tackles the many complex panels and tools in the program so you can learn to select, duplicate, transform, and color objects within your layout with ease. Did you know you can also draw new objects in InDesign, much like you can in Illustrator? You can use drawing and shape tools to add graphic elements without ever leaving InDesign. These tools will be used in the exercise as you create a logo and apply it to business card, letterhead, and envelope layouts.
LESSON 4 Working with Text
As you'd expect from any page layout tool, Adobe InDesign has a wide array of options for typography, allowing you to make very specific typeface and text layout choices in your projects. You'll explore the ins and outs of various powerful type features in this lesson, including Autoflow, placeholders, wrapping, and paragraph and character styles that you can apply to blocks of text with just a click. In the exercise, you'll take an up-close look at book typography, then revisit your catalog, applying styles to implement your new type vision.
LESSON 5 Images and Content Management
Today's publications are increasingly graphics-intensive, taking full advantage of the profusion of digital images and illustrations. Lesson Five explores how to handle the many types of graphics you may be asked to work with. You'll learn InDesign tips and techniques for placing images, working with resolution, and managing color, exploring the creative freedom afforded by the program. Other types of content are also covered in this lesson including data tables and linked files. You'll create a series of graphics-intensive marketing pieces in the exercise including a poster, a flyer, description cards, and a price list for an art gallery.
LESSON 6 Production and Workflow
As you enter the final lesson, you're ready to learn how to improve your production process and make your workflow more efficient. Tips on creating and saving customized InDesign workspaces as well as using Quick Apply show you how to put your favorite tools at your fingertips. The uses of Story Panel, Lock Frame, and Find/Change features are explored, as are various techniques for managing type. Finally, you'll examine how to troubleshoot your system in the event of a crash and how to use preflighting and manage transparency. The final project is a wedding invitation and a newsletter design.
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