InDesign Comprehensive -

Course Description

This class provides you with the concepts and skills to use Adobe InDesign CS4 effectively. You get hands-on practice working with basic through advanced techniques to get the most out of your experience. You will learn type controls, graphics file management, layers and document setup. Whether you are a designer, prepress professional or just a beginner, you will find InDesign to be a powerful but intuitive page layout application. And don’t forget our ongoing student support.

Course Outline

Introduction from the instructor. Class overview. Post class student support program explanation and access information.

Lesson 1: Getting to Know InDesign and Introduction to the Workspace
Working with tools; Using the application bar and Control panel; Manage document window; Work with panels; Customized workspaces; Document magnification; Document navigation; and Use of context menus. Using Adobe Bridge; the Preflight Panel; Viewing and navigating documents; Creating, placing and styling text; Placing and manipulating graphics; and Targeting layers.

Lesson 2: Setting Up a Document and Working with Pages
Multipage Documents; Starting a new document; Create, edit and apply multiple master pages; Set defaults; Adjustment of pasteboard size and bleed area; Creating section markers; Overriding master page items as needed; Adding text wrap to graphics; and adding graphics and text to document pages.

Lesson 3: Working with Frames
Modifying frames using the selection tools; Resizing text and graphics in frames; Crop a graphic; Scaling and moving an image within a graphic frame; Converting graphics frames to text frames; Converting shapes; Wrap text around an object; Creating and rotating polygon frames; Aligning graphic objects and working with groups.

Lesson 4: Importing and Editing Text and Working with Typography
Import and enter text into text frames; Thread text frames and flow text; Load styles from another document; Apply styles to text; Handle missing fonts; Find and change text and formatting; Add a page continuation note; Check spelling; Edit a spelling dictionary; Dragging and dropping text and using the story editor. Customize and use the baseline grid; Adjusting text spacing; Change fonts and spacing; Inserting special characters from Open Type fonts; Hang punctuation outside a margin; Add and format drop caps; Apply the Adobe Paragraph and Adobe Single-line composers; Specify a tab with a leader and hanging indent; Add a rule to a paragraph.

Lesson 5: Working with Styles
Create and apply paragraph and character styles; Nest character styles inside paragraph styles; Create and apply object, cell and table styles; Globally update paragraph, character, object, cell and table styles; Import and apply styles from other InDesign documents; Create style groups.

Lesson 6: Creating Tables
Importing formatted tables; Format tables with alternating row colors; Format cell and border strokes; Deleting and resizing columns; Setting precise column dimensions; Create and apply cell styles; Placing graphics in cells; Formatting text in tables.

Lesson 7: Working with Color
Swatches panel; Apply color to objects; Create dashed strokes; Create and apply a gradient swatch; Gradient blend direction; Creating tints; Creating spot colors; Specify a color management engine; Specify default source ICC profiles; Assign ICC profiles; Embed ICC profiles in images created in other Adobe apps.

Lesson 8: Importing and Modifying Graphics
Discussion vector and bitmap graphics; Placing layered Photoshop and Illustrator graphics; Importing clipping paths with graphics and creating clipping paths; Using the links panel to manage placed files; Creating and using libraries for objects; Importing using Adobe Bridge.

Lesson 9: Working with Transparency 
Colorizing and imported grayscale image; Changing opacity of objects; Transparency settings on graphics and text; Using blending modes to overlapping objects; Feathering effects on objects; Multiple effects on objects; Edit and remove effects.

Lesson 10: Working with Long Documents
Combining documents into a book file; Page numbering in a book; Creating text variables; Adding footers; Creating cross references; Defining a book’s style using a source document; Creating a table of contents; Creating index references; Generating an index file and sorting entries; Editing index references.

Lesson 11: Output and Exporting
Confirming the InDesign file and its elements are ready for printing; Assembling all the necessary files for printing or delivery to a service provider or printer; Generating a PDF for proofing; Previewing a document before printing; Discussing printing a document that contains process and spot colors; Select an appropriate print setting for fonts and graphics; Create a print preset to automate the printing process.

Course Prerequisites

This class assumes you have working knowledge of computers and operating systems. It is assumed you know how to use your mouse, the standard menu and commands and how to open and save files. If you are bringing your own computer, make sure you have the version software that is being taught in the class. In the event that you are not knowledgeable in the use of computers, the instructor will not be able to take time away from the other students to teach you. One-on-one tutoring is available for a fee.