Duration 3 days

Objectives

If you’re thinking of using InDesign CS2 to create or amend publications such as brochures, leaflets and newsletters etc, then this is the course for you.

InDesign CS2 is a very user-friendly yet powerful package. Over three enjoyable days, you’ll to get to grips with the key tools you need to get you quickly up-and-running with Adobes’s flagship page layout application. By the end of the course, you’ll be able to create eye-catching and professional-looking documents.

During the course, you’ll learn many of InDesign’s powerful yet easy-to-use tools and how to find your way around the logical and friendly user-interface, helping you to become productive straight away.

You’ll also see how easily InDesign CS2 integrates with its’ stablemates, especially Adobe Photoshop CS2, the industry standard graphics package that forms the bedrock of the design industry, making it easy for you to edit and integrate high quality images into your publications.

At the end of the course you’ll create your own complete page layout document, which could be a brochure, leaflet or other design. The project brings all you’ve learned into practice, helping you get the most from this course and making sure you take your new skills away with you.

Requirements
This course is for those who have a good knowledge of PC or Mac. Limited experience using Adobe Photoshop CS2 an advantage but not essential.


Course Outline

Introduction to InDesign
• The InDesign Workarea
• The InDesign Workflow
• Document views and presets
• Managing the user inteface
• Getting to know InDesign tools
• Comparison with QuarkXPress

Creating Documents
• Create a document layout
• Create a document structure
• Create Master pages
• Placing Text and Graphics
• Using Layers

Handling Text in InDesign
• Using files from Word, Excel and InCopy
• Linking with external text files
• Using the Story Editor
• Using text formatting features
• Flowing text in InDesign
• Creating text frames
• Spell Checking

Formatting text in InDesign
• Working with character and paragraph properties
• Using Open type in InDesign
• Creating and Editing Styles
• Applying Style Sheets
• Local Styles

Using Imagery in InDesign
• How do we import an image?
• Rotating Images
• Scaling Images
• Placing Images
• Putting a border around and image
• File formats - Vector vs Graphic
• Alpha channels
• About file sizes in InDesign
• Manipulating Images in InDesign CS2
• Using Photoshop with Images for publication

Using Bezier Paths in InDesign
• What are Bézier Paths?
• Draw and Edit Bézier Paths
• Creating Compound Paths
• Creating Clipping Paths
• Creating Type Outlines

Using Colour
• Overview of InDesign colour Management
• Handling CMYK, Spot and Process Colour
• Using Additional Colours
• Using Gradients
• Swatches - editing, saving and opening
• Using the Eyedropper Tool

Using Adobe Bridge
• What is Adobe Bridge and why do we need it?
• Using Adobe Bridge to manage assets for your publication
• Accessing Stock Photography
• Using Comps in InDesign

Creating Adobe PDF files
• What are PDFs and why do we need them?
• Exporting PDF for Web
• Exporting PDF for Printing
• PDF Presets

Managing Documents
• Using Sections to Divide Long Documents
• Create a Table of Contents
• Generate and Index
• Inserting and Formatiing Footnotes
• Add and Edit Hyperlinks
• Creating a Booklet

Sending your work to the Printer
• Overview of workflow
• InDesign pre-flight checks
• Exporting to PDF
• Printing Files
• Previewing Separations and Overprint
• Proofing Setup and Inks Manager

Wrap-up
• QandA
• Further reading and resources
• Recommended next steps