LESSON 1: STARTING InDESIGN

At the end of the lesson, you will be able to:

• determine the use of Adobe InDesign;
• identify the parts of Adobe InDesign workspace;
• identify the tools as well as its functions in the Tools Panel;
• identify the items in the Panels dock; and

GEAR UP!

WHAT IS InDESIGN?
Adobe InDesign is a design application program that allows you to integrate text,
graphics and images to produce professional quality documents for print, for the web and
other applications. InDesign is primarily used today in desktop publication applications
including book layout, newsletters, brochures, and magazines. It is primarily used for
these functions simply because of its powerful capabilities and flexibility for seamless
integration of publishing components in many layout and design styles.

STARTING InDESIGN
Starting InDesign:
1. Click the Start button.
2. Choose All Programs.
3. Select Adobe then choose Adobe InDesign. Some installations of InDesign are part of
an Adobe Suite. Select the Adobe Suite and then scroll to where InDesign is found and
selected.
4. Click Adobe InDesign CS6 to open it.
 Upon opening the InDesign program, the program’s welcome screen will appear and you
can choose to create a New Document, Book or Library or you may open a recent item
or an existing file which opens previously saved document. You may also open and start
your document from a template. You can also open the InDesign community which gives
you access to its Exchange, User Group, Partners and Plug-ins. There is also an option in
Getting Started, view new features of CS6 and available resources. Finally, you can opt
not to show the welcome screen next time.

THE InDESIGN WINDOW

The workspace is the arrangement of the various elements in the program including
the panels, bars and windows. The menu bar which is located at the top, organizes the
different commands by arranging them in menus. The tools panel contains the various
tools for editing, creating, page elements, drawings and others. They are grouped together
according tp their use or function. The Control Panel of InDesign is very versatile and it
contains the various options you can use to edit the present document you are working
on with a click of a mouse. The document window or work area shows the present
document you are working on. The Panels Dock shows various tools for use on your work.

CREATING A NEW DOCUMENT

There are two ways to start a new document in InDesign. One is to choose the File Menu,
then click New, then click Document, or you can use the shortcut, CTRL + N. Another
way to open a new document is to go to the Create New area, then click Document from
the welcome screen of Adobe InDesign.

The dialog box of the New Document allows you to create the character and qualities of
the new document. Fill in the desired values of the page size that you can choose from
the default or you may create your own project size. The number of pages, the margins,
the page orientation, number of columns and other options including bleed and slug can
be selected and set.

The choices you have in opening a new document in InDesign iclude New Document,
Book, Library and New Document from Template.

You can also create a document from a template that will give you a document with
various preset designs and settings which you can modify. Go to the Menu bar, click New
from Template, choose the template and click OK. On the welcome screen, click Create
New from template. The template contains several choices including books, brochures,
business sets, catalogs, certificates, newspaper, flyers, forms, etc.
THE TOOLS PANEL
The Tools Panel in InDesign is displayed by default at the left side of
the screen. You can move the tools panel by dragging the top part of
the panel. You can display the tools panel in two columns by clicking
the double arrow on the top of the title bar. You can also hide and
display the tools panel from the Menu Bar by clicking Windows and un-
check Tools. The tools in InDesign include tools for selecting, editing
and creating elements in the page. Other tools are used to select type,
shape, lines and gradients. A tool is activated by simply clicking on it
from the tools panel. aside from the visible tool, a tool may contain
several other related tools hidden behind the visible tool. Other hidden
tools are indicated by a small arrow at the lower right corner of the tool
icon. You can select the othe hidden tools by clicking and holding, the
hidden tools appear, then choose the tool needed. The tool name and
keyboard shortcut are visible when you hover the mouse over the icon.

The different tools on InDesign include:

• Drawing and Painting Tools - these tools allow you to draw basic
shapes including rectangle, circles and ellipses, polygons and free
form shapes.

• Type Tools - these tools allow you to create and edit or format the
text or type that you use in your document.

• Selection Tools - are tools that allow you to select objects on your
active workspace.

• Navigation and Zoom Tools - allow you to move around the work
area and to control the view of the selected area.

• Transform Tools - these tools allow you to reorient, reshapeand

change the size of the object.

• Measuring Tools - these tools are needed for accurate measurement

in the document.

• Scissor Tool - this tool cuts or splits paths and frames.

• Button Tool - this tool serves as an activation to some interactive

environment.
InDESIGN TOOLS
ICON NAME DESCRIPTION

Selection Tool Selects the entire object, text and images

Selects point or path segements within

Direct Selection Tool
objects

Page Tool Select page/s and adjust them as desired

Pen Tool Contains different drawing tools functions

Type Tool Contains different type tools functions

Line Tool Draws individual line segments

Draws figures or images just like a pen on

Pencil Tool
paper

Rectangle Frame Tool Draw square and rectangle placeholders

Rectangle Tool Draws squares and rectangels

Controls gap/s between selection of

Gap Tool
objects

Scissor Tool Cuts or splits paths and frames

Rotates object to desired angle or

Rotate Tool
orientation

Scale Tool Allows one to resize an object to scale

Adjust the start and end gradient in an

Gradient Swatch Tool
object

Free Transform Tool Scales, rotates, skews or shear a selection

Note Tool Writes down notes on this tool

Samples color or attricute of an object and

Eyedropper Tool
apply them to other objects
Moves the page view of the document
Hand Tool
window
Increases and decreases the view of the
Zoom Tool
document
 ICON NAME DESCRIPTION
Fills colors on an object. Storke sets color
Fill/Stroke
to paths or contours of objects
Color/None will be applied to the selected
Apply Color/None
objects
The view mode, you can choose which one
Normal
to use

THE PANEL DOCK

The Panel Dock located at the right side of the window is a collection of panels or panel
groups. You can add and remove panels. You can view all functions available by clicking
Window under the Menu Bar. You can check or un-check panels you want to view or hide.

NAME DESCRIPTION

Pages Show the available pages of the layout

Info Shows the current page information

Organise layout into different stacks or

Layers
layers

Links The bond of objects, status of information

Collection of strokes you can use also set

Strokes
its weight
Pre-selected colors you may select for your
Swatches
object

Object Styles Modification and style setting to any object

Color selection on a palette, edits color of

Color
an object
Applied effects or modification to an
Effect
object

Gradient A series of color stops on the gradient bar

Character Text or font look including size and type

Character Font style or characteristic, bold, italics,

Styles etc.
Group of words and how it would look as a
Paragraph
group
 NAME DESCRIPTION

Paragraph Styles Formatted appearance of the paragraph

Table Styles Manner in which the table is formatted

Cell Styles Manner in which cell is formatted

Table Create tables which are from text objects

SAVING YOUR DOCUMENT

You can save your work by going to the Menu Bar. Click File. Choose Save or Save As. A
dialog box will appear. Choose the directory where you want to place your file. In the File
name, type the name of your file and click OK.

CLOSING THE InDESIGN PROGRAM

You can close the InDesign program by going to the File under the Menu Bar, click Exit or
click the close button on the upper right corner of the window.

OPENING A PREVIOUSLY SAVED DOCUMENT

In the Menu Bar, click File and then click Open. A dialog box appears. Select the file to
open and click Open. Also, in the Open Recent under the file menu, select file recently
saved. Choose from the list of file/s the file name and then click.

MOVE FURTHER!
Identify what is being described by the following sentences. Write your answer on the
space provided.

__________ 1. Organizes layout into different stacks or layers.

__________ 2. These tools allow you to draw basic shapes including rectangle, circles and
ellipses, polygons and free form shapes.
__________ 3. These tools allow you to reorient, reshape and change the size of the object.
__________ 4. Draws individual straight line segments.
__________ 5. This option is an additional space added to your design for your notes or
name of the project.
__________ 6. Selects the entire object, text or image.
__________ 7. The measure of the distance between columns.
__________ 8. Creates button as trigger to actions in an interactive document.
__________ 9. These tools are needed for accurate measurement of distances in the
document.
__________ 10. Scales, rotates, skews and shears a selection.
Identify the following tools. Write your answers on the space provided.
LESSON 2: WORKING WITH TEXT
At the end of the lesson, you will be able to:
• identify the steps on how to place, type, and edit text;
• identify the ways on how to import text;
• identify the different methods of importing text documents;
and;
• identify the methods of selecting text items.

GEAR UP!

PLACING, TYPING, AND EDITING TEXT IN INdESIGN

The most powerful feature of InDesign is its text handling capabilities. In this section, we
will study different ways of text handling in InDesign.

TEXT FRAMES
The most common method of placing text in InDesign is the creation of the text frame.

The following steps will allow you to do that:

1. Click on the Type Tool in the Tools Panel (represented by the letter T).
2. Click and drag a text frame of your desired size then release. Blinking arrow indicates
you can start typing.
3. Start typing your document.

Notice, that when you select the Type Tool, the Control Panel changes to comtrols that
will allow you to manipulate paragraphs, text and styles.
Another way to create text frame is through the use
of the Rectangle Frame Tool and the Rectangle Tool.
These tools not only allow you to draw figures but
they can also be used to create your text frames.
To do that, perform the following steps:
1. Click on the Rectangle Frame Tool.
2. Make your rectangle from this tool.
3. Select the Type Tool.
4. Click inside the rectangle.
5. The x guide is now gone and the type cursor is visible indicated by a blinking line.
6. You can start typing your document.

You can also create a text frame from the rectangle tool. Follow the steps:
1. Click on the Rectangle Tool (hold to show other options).
2. Select the Ellipse Tool (this is hidden under the Rectangle Tool).
3. Create an ellipse.
4. Select the Type Tool (notice the cursor is now ready to recieve, words and tect, now type
your words).
5. Type in your words.
Notice that the text typed followed the outline of the ellipse. This wil be a freat way to
style your text.

IMPORTING TEXT IN InDESIGN

Many authors and writers prefer to write their work in a word processing program such as
Microsoft Word, but for the layout artist they do the pages design in InDesign. Therefore,
it is important to learn about importing text and documents from a word processor to
InDesign.

There are three ways of importing documents to InDesign. The following methods of
importing texts are:
1. Place Command found under the File Menu
2. Select, Drag and Drop
3. Copy and Paste

IMPORTING USING THE PLACE COMMAND

The place command is the most common and the best way to import files to InDesign,
because you have better options and control over the imported file.

Do the folloting steps:

1. Select the Place Command from the File menu.
2. Click on it.
3. A dialog box will open; usually this will open the My Documents. Select another
location if document is somewhere else.
4. Select the File to be imported
5. Click Open.
6. You will see a preview of the beginning part of the document and on the left topmost
part an arrow with a paragraph symbol. This is also known as the place cursor.
7. Select the location where you want the document to start as you import.
8. Click to the location.
9. InDesign will create a text box and the document will flow inside the box.

SELECT, DRAG AND DROP

This import method lets you select any file say Microsoft
Word, select that file, drag it and then drop the document to
the InDesign window. InDesign again creates a text box and
places the document into that text frame.
COPY AND PASTE
This is a popular method if you are using Microsoft Word or
other Office programs, and this could also work in InDesign.
However, for longer documents the first two methods
discussed are preferred, but with one or two paragraphs this
method would be acceptable.

NAVIGATING IN THE PAGE

When you have the Direct and Indirect Selection Tool active, simply double click on
a text document, this converts the tool to the Type Tool immediately (a convenient
shortcut). The flashing cursor will be placed exactly where you clicked. You can
already start typing.

SELECTING WORDS, SENTENCES AND PARAGRAPHS

1. DOUBLE CLICKING SELECTS A WORD

2. THREE CLICKS SELECTS A LINE

3. FOUR SUCCESSIVE CLICKS SELECTS A PARAGRAPH

Keyboard shortcut to select a paragraph is Shift Ctrl Down Arrow, repeating this shortcut
selects the next paragraph.
4. FIVE CLICKS SELECTS ALL DOCUMENT

To move around in an InDesign page, use the following shortcuts:

• The arrow keys allow you to go left, right, up and down by one space at a time.
• To navigate from one word to word simply click CTRL and Left Arrow and Right
Arrow, this will bring you to the beginning of each word.
• Ctrl and Down Arrow or Up Arrow, brings you to the beginning or end of the
paragraph, respectively.

The above shortcuts are actually the same as those in Microsoft Word.
MOVE FURTHER!
1. Enumerate the three different methods learned in placing and typing text into InDesign
and explain the complete process of each method.
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2. Enumerate the three different methods learned in importing text into InDesign and
explain the complete process of each method. Which method do you prefer to use?
Explain why?
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3. Name the ways of selecting words, sentences, and paragraphs with a mouse.
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LESSON 3: WORKING WITH GRAPHICS
At the end of the lesson, you will be able to:
• identify the steps on how to place graphics in InDesign;
• identify the ways on how to import images;
• identify the ways of importing multiple images to InDesign;
and;
• detemine the importance of Links.

GEAR UP!

PLACING GRAPHICS IN INdESIGN

A document will always be amazing and looking good with both text and graphics in a
page. The invention of digital camera, images from the internet and many other digital
image sources have paved the way for the availability of really beautiful and high quality
but cheap graphics and photos. There are three (3) recommended ways to import graphics
into InDesign. These are:
1. Using Place command under the File Menu
2. Select, drag and drop
3. Selecting and placing multiple images at once using Drag and Drop.

PLACE COMMAND
1. Choose the Place command under the File Menu (same as with text import).
2. Select the image from your file, usually under My Pictures of your My Document or
where your image file is.
3. Choose the image to place.
4. Click open.
5. Placce on the page where you want the image to be located.
6. Then click on the page.

Note:
If you place an image with a frame or image box, InDesign will create an image box and
place the whole picture there copying the pre-set size of the presentation.
If there is an existing image box and you place it inside that box, the picture will be
placed inside the frame. However, if the image size was set bigger than the frame, the
only visible image will be a portion of that object inside the frame. With the image
selected, right click on it and a selection of commands will appear, choose Fitting then
select “Fit Content to Frame” or the other options, this command re sizes the image and
fits in the frame.
SELECT, DRAG AND DROP
Adobe InDesign supports the Drag and Drop option from
images and text.
1. Select an image to import from a file.
2. Select and then Drag that image to InDesign.
3. Drop the image to the desired location.
4. To fit the image into the frame, select the image,
right click on it, then choose Fitting then click Fit
Content to Frame.

PLACING MULTIPLE IMAGES INTO InDESIGN USING DRAG AND DROP

InDesign CS6 has a feature that will alow you to place multiple images into the document
you are working on.

1. Select the pictures from your file or from the location of the images. Use shift button
to select more than one image.
2. Simply drag the image into the InDesign document. The image preview (on the [;ace
icon as you drag the images) displays only one. To view the other pictures, simply
press the up or down arrow and select the appropriate image you want to place into
the particular location of the page.
3. Release the image to the location by a click.

NOTE: Every time you place an image to InDesign, the image transfer icon will display a
curved edge if you hover above an image frame and will display a sharp edge if none. This
means that there is no image frame, InDesign will create it and place the image there;
otherwise, the image will be placed inside the frame. To cancel the image transfer, press
Esc.
LINKS
When you import image into an InDesign document using the Place or Drag and Drop,
the program does not really embed the image into the document. Rather, you actually
get a sample or a thumbnail preview and a link to the image file. This applies to all
kinds of files (PDF, JPEG, TIFF, BMP, etc.). The purpose of this link is to avoid making
your InDesign file “heavy” (large file size), since most high resolution image have large
memory sizes. Sometimes when we open an InDesign document, we encounter messages
such as “missing link” or “modified link”. The “missing link” error may be due to the
image file having deleted or renamed. It can also be attributed to the image file not
being included in a file transfer. With the “modified link” error, you have to re-link the
image to correct the error.

When you try to print an InDesign file with the missing link, you will be able to print
only the low resolution thumbnail of the image and not the full file. This will result to
a pixelated output.

LAYERS
When working on a complex layout design (consisting of multiple text boxes, several
images and guides, and other elements), organizing these elements would allow you to
work efficiently. Multiple layers allow you to organize your objects.

MOVE FURTHER!
1. Explain why layers are important.
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2. Which of the two methods of placing graphics into InDesign (Place command or Drag
and Drop) do you prefer? Explain your answer.
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3. Why is linking of images in InDesign important? What do you do if the link is missing
or modified?
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LESSON 4: CHARACTER AND PARAGRAPH
FORMATTING
At the end of the lesson, you will be able to:
• determine where to find Character styles control;
• identify the different ways of styling your character;
• Identify the different types of paragraph formatting;
• Identify a Drop Cap and its uses;
• Identify the ways on how to use indents to your paragraph; and
• Identify a text wrap and how to use them on your images and
documents;

GEAR UP!

BASIC CHARACTER STYLING

Indesign has a wide range of Character styling controls to make your characters attractive,
distinct or whatever you want it to be within the confinement of the program and all the
other possible text modifications available.

These are three locations of the character styling controls.

1. Panel Dock - the Character panel is located there, click on the Character panel a fly
out menu will appear.
2. Type Menu - under this drop down menu, you will find character style options.
3. Control Panel - just under the menu bar are the Character style controls. To activate,
simply select the type tool and the Character style control is active and visible.
The third control option has better visual grasp of the character styles available since you
can see it right in front of you and you can simply click on the option or command you
want to choose. The first option is the Font Selection. Click on this drop down menu and
you will see different fonts available in your computer. The fonts available are dependent
of what have been pre-installed in your computer.

The font style option will determine the look of your font whether it is normal, bold,
italics, condensed, narrow, etc. Different fonts may have one option or several options.
Click on the drop down menu to view what is available.

1 2 1. Font name
2. Font size
3. Font style
3 4 4. Leading
 1 3 5
2 4 6
1. Kerning 4. Baseline Shift
2. Tracking 5. Horizontal Scale
3. Vertical scale 6. Skew (False Italic)

PARAGRAPH FORMATTING
Paragraph Formatting is found at the Control Panel with the character styles. Click on the
icon that looks like an inverted p and the paragraph formatting buttons are transferred
to the left of the Control Panel. The effect of the paragraph formatting is applied to the
paragraph where the cursor is. If none is selected, it is applied to the paragraph.
• Left align - the document is aligned to the left or flushed to the left but the right side
is not or it is rugged.
• Center - the document is centered on the page.
• Right align - the document is aligned or flushed to the right of the page but not on the
left, the left side is rugged.
• Justified Paragraph - three options are available for this selection and with these
icons on the paragraph are flushed to the left and the right except the last line.
• The first option - the paragraph is justified except the last line which is flushed
to the left.
• The second option - the paragraph is justified to the left and to the right except
the last line which is centered.
• The third option - the paragraph is all flushed to the left and to the right including
the last line. This is also called “forced justified”.
Alignment in Reference to the Spine - there are two alignment options that pertain
to facing pages or spreads.
• Align toward the spine - this button brings the paragraph closer to the spine, in
the case of books, or where you bind the books.
• Align away from the spine - this optionis just the opposite; the paragraph is
aligned away from the spine.

INDENTS
• Left indent - this button, by simply clicking on the up and down arrow adjusts the
distance or indention of the paragraph from the page margins on the left side.
• Right indent - this option controls the right side indention of the paragraph, either
by placing values into the blank space provided or by clicking the arrows up or down.
• First line indent - this control affects only the first line; instaed of using Tab this
control should be used for small and calibrated control.
• Last line indent - control the last line as how far should it be indented.
• Space before paragraph - controls the space between paragraphs; this icon determines
the space before the start of the paragraph.
• Space after paragraph - determines the space after each paragraph.
DROP CAPS
• Drop Cap number of lines - this determines the number of lines that Drop Cap will
occupy thereby also influences the size of the Drop Cap character. Drop Cap is used
to highlight the first letter.
• Drop Cap one or more characters - this option highlights more than one character so
that it is bigger than the rest of the text in the paragraph.

TEXT WRAP
Text allows you to control how the text will behave
when an object or image is along or with the text
on the page. The following text wrap options are
available.

• No Text Wrap - in this option, of course, the text

will just go through the object or image.

• Wrap Around the Bounding Box - the text in this option will go around or wrap the
bounding box or rectangle of the object.
• Wrap Around the Object Shape - this option will around the contour of the object.

• Wrap Around the Object Shape - is wrapped above and below the object or the
image but not to the left or to the right of the image

• Wrap Above then skip the next column or next page - this option will only wrap
above the image then will go to the next column or page of the document.