InDesign Training Course

Getting Started with Adobe InDesign

While the basics of creating a new document is fairly simple in InDesign, having a complete understanding of how to navigate the program and to take advantage of its rich toolkit takes a bit more time. We start by giving you an overview of the interface, and then guide you through simple hands-on exercises so that you’ll be able to:

Navigate InDesign’s windows and panels with confidence
Create a new simple document
Set up custom document pre-sets to save time and effort
Place elements precisely

Working with Text

InDesign offers powerful features for placing and editing text in complex documents. You can edit text and move graphics without disrupting paragraph flow, and automatically update textual elements like footnotes and tables of contents. In this InDesign Fundamentals training class, you will learn how to:

Correctly place and edit text
Create text frames to thread longer blocks of text
Format paragraphs and create eye-catching text styles
Add design flair by placing text on a curved path

Adding Graphics & Color with InDesign

Well-designed graphics give your document both visual appeal and professional polish. InDesign allows you to import existing graphics (both vector illustrations and photographs) and create new vector images. Since InDesign fully integrates with Photoshop, you can edit imported .psd files and immediately see the results. This section of the InDesign training class guides you through exercises that will teach you how to:

Place graphics in various formats
Scale, crop and rotate graphics
Wrap text around graphics, or anchor a graphic with a specific section of text
Create custom shapes using vector paths
Mask images with clipping paths
Embellish your text and vector graphics with color and gradients

Structuring Multi-page Documents

Most long publications, like books and magazines, contain some pages that have common features, like headers and page numbers. You can make working with long documents more efficient by setting up InDesign master pages that automatically insert and update your document’s common elements. In this part of the InDesign training class we teach you how to:

Set up a multi-page document
Insert new pages, and add or import new items
Design and modify master pages
Develop sections within longer documents
Create an efficient work flow using object libraries and snippets

Formatting textual objects

InDesign gives you superb control over the creation and editing of elements like tables, indexes, footnotes and headers. By the use of styles and master pages you can keep formats consistent throughout a publication; you can also create and modify specific elements as necessary. This training course will teach you to:

Add formatting for footnotes and headers to master pages
Design and update an index and table of contents
Create new tables and insert existing ones
Convert text to tables

Preparing Documents for Print

Since InDesign is used primarily to create printed documents, it is important to correctly prepare your files for the specific type of printing you will use. This program has a comprehensive "preflight" process that ensures your documents are ready for a commercial printer. However, there are other steps required to finalize your document, and this section leads you through all the steps, including:

Exporting PDF proofs
Run Preflight and check all linked fonts and graphics
Use Adobe Bridge to manage files

Prerequisites:

Basic Mac or Windows skills: copying/pasting, right-clicking (contextual menus), finding files, switching between programs, exploring windows

InDesign training is offered at four locations::

InDesign Fundamentals Training