Adobe InDesign - Intensive Course (AIND1)

Graphics, Adobe

The intensive Adobe InDesign course shows how to create simple, semi-professional and complex print PDFs with a top page-layout app. You will learn document setup, page layout, typography and print preparation workflows.

It covers font anatomy, building multi-file books and web typography, plus advanced features for styling, images and output. You will practice font structure, book creation, styles and automation to deliver ready-to-print and interactive PDFs.

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Customized Training (date, location, content, duration)

The course:

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• Introduction
1. Getting to know Adobe InDesign
2. Comparison with other DTP/page-layout programs

• File formats
1. Overview of graphic file formats for import
2. Characteristics of ephemeral/social printed materials
3. Business and administrative print materials

• Document setup
1. Preparing for layout — page sizes
2. Margins
3. Type area and layout grid
4. Creating master pages
5. Pagination
6. BONUS - preferences for large and special documents (folded sheets, inserts, etc.)

• Typesetting text
1. Choosing the right font
2. What a font contains
3. Character panel
4. Creating text frames
5. Threading frames
6. Font size, weight and leading options
7. Alignment and bullets
8. Text on a path
9. BONUS - using left and right tab stops in one paragraph

• Character and paragraph styles
1. Creating character and paragraph styles
2. Deriving additional styles
3. Using styles and establishing hierarchy

• Drawing
1. Pencil and Pen tools
2. Bezier curve mode
3. Converting points
4. Selection and direct selection tools
5. Stroke panel

• Simple shapes
1. Rectangle, ellipse, polygon, star
2. Pathfinder panel — unite and subtract objects
3. Object styles
4. BONUS – shadow and glow effects

• Images
1. Importing images
2. Links panel
3. Updating and auto-fixing links
4. Image transparency relative to text
5. Graphic frame vs. image frame
6. Transforming images

• Page flow and wrap
1. Creating custom shapes for text and graphic frames with the Pen
2. Text wrapping options and parameters

• Colors and gradients
1. Creating and editing colors
2. Applying color to simple objects
3. Images and text
4. Fill and stroke for frames or text characters
5. Creating gradients
6. Swatches panel and editing colors
7. Transparency
8. Blending modes
9. BONUS – swatch libraries

• Tables
1. Creating and working with tables
2. Table panel
3. Merging and splitting cells
4. Importing content from MS Excel
5. Cell and table styles
6. BONUS – importing and linking XML files

• Additional features
1. Spell check
2. Interactive PDF — generating TOC, indexes and external links
3. Synchronizing character, paragraph and object styles across book files
4. BONUS – custom graphic library files

• Typography
1. Basic font terms
2. Paragraph rhythm and structure
3. Page composition with text
4. Entering special characters
5. Keyboard shortcuts
6. BONUS – graphic compositions: centering, symmetry, focusing, head/lead room, s-curve, rules of three, golden mean, posters, and client-facing layout considerations

• Actions and automation
1. Creating actions
2. Recording and running actions (macros) by mouse
3. Links to plugins and scripts
4. Creating calendars, protective elements
5. Corner effects
6. BONUS – Viktor typesetting cleaner and Windows alternatives, image galleries, text-to-path, text property counters and more

• Print preparation
1. Preflight panel
2. Color conversions
3. PDF export options
4. Recommended workflows for small and large print jobs

• Additional information
1. Advanced settings
2. Online help

Assumed knowledge:

Windows or Mac OS, basic MS Word skills and experience with a graphics editor (e.g., Photoshop, Illustrator, Zoner Photo Studio, or GIMP).

Recommended subsequent course:

InDesign GREP - Efficient text editing (GREP)

Schedule:

2 days (9:00 AM - 5:00 PM )

Language: