InDesign - Basic Spring 2016

1/ 5 Evonne Gong ([email protected])

Indesign
Desktop Publication software. It can be used to create posters, flyers, portfolios, books, presentation slides
and etc....
Tutorials: https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/how-to/create-print-postcard-design.html?set=indesign--get-started
Setup a new document
File - New - Document
Page size - Custom... - Enter “name, width, & Height”, Select
“Orientation”

Units
6 pica = 1 inch 12 points = 1 pica 72 points = 1 inch
You can type in any unit when entering value,
InDesign will convert automatically

Work in Inches
Edit - Preferences - Units & Increments - Ruler Units

Guides
1. Ruler Guides
• Page Guide - Drag your pointer from a horizontal/ Tips
vertical ruler to your desired location • Select Preview - see the effect of your
• Spread Guide - Drag in the pasteboard / Ctrl+ drag / settings on the page.
Double click at the desired position on the ruler
• vertical & horizontal guides simultaneously - ctrl+drag • “W” - switch between preview and
from ruler intersection normal view mode

2. Grids - evenly spaced page guides

Layout - Create Guides

3. Reset Ruler Unit

Right click on the ruler - pick your desired unit

4. Reset Ruler starting point

Drag from ruler intersection
Double click on the ruler intersection to reset
 InDesign - Basic Spring 2016
2/ 5 Evonne Gong ([email protected])

Text
Frame
Use Type Tool (T) to create a text frame. All InDesign text and images exist inside
Double Click on the existing text frame to edit. of a frame.

Character formatting

Paragraph formatting

Overset Text
Click on the red cross, place another text frame.
View - Extras - Show Text Thread

Graphics
Pixelated Images?!
1. Place an image
Right Click on the image - Choose High
• File - Place - pick your desired image - click once on
Duality Display
the page (load the image 100%) / Click & drag (define a
frame for the image) These options control how graphics are
displayed on the screen, but they do not affect
• Drag from folder to InDesign directly - click once on the
the print quality or exported output.
page (load the image 100%) / Click & drag (define a
• Fast - gray box
frame for the image) • Typical - low res images, fastest performance
• High Quality - high res, slowest performance
2. Resize the frame
Use handles on the frame
• Shift + Drag - constrain the proportion
• Ctrl + Drag - resize both the frame & image
• Ctrl + Shift + Drag - resize both the frame & image while
the proportion is constrained

3. Resize the image

Hover the mouse over the image, you will see the content
grabber(the donut) in the center of the image. Click on the
circles, the image frame will turn orange, this indicates the
image is selected. Now you can start resizing/rotating the
image.

4. Edit Image
Right Click - Edit With - Photoshop / Illustrator
Links - Update link
 InDesign - Basic Spring 2016
3/ 5 Evonne Gong ([email protected])

Objects
Text Object Control Panel

Graphic Object Control Panel

1. Alignment
• Control Panel - one image object selected/ multiple
objects are selected
• Window - Object & Layout - Align

2. Arrange
Right click on the object - Arrange

3. Group
Select objects you want to group - right click - group Tips
Select objects you want to group - Ctrl+G • “Ctrl +” Zoom In
• “Ctrl -” Zoom Out
4. Copy • “Space bar” Hand Tool
Select objects you want to copy - Alt+drag • “Esc“ finish editing

Pages
1. Master Page = Template
Right click in the pages panel
• Create new Master Page
• Apply Master page to....

2. Insert Page Number in Master page

Create a text frame in Master page - Type - Insert Special
Character - Makers - Current Page Number

Tips
Edit master page items in individual
pages:
Master Page Ctrl+shift+Left click
(Template/background to
apply to multiple pages)

Page

Spread
(A set of pages view together)
 InDesign - Basic Spring 2016
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Other Tools
1. Selection Tool (V, Esc) vs Direct Selection Tool (A)
• Selection Tool - select text & graphics frames, and work
with an object using its bounding box.
• Direct Selection Tool - select the contents of a frame,
such as a placed graphic, or work directly with editable
objects, such as paths, rectangles, or type that has been
converted to a text outline.

2. Line Tool(\) - Stroke

3. Pen Tool(P) vs Pencil Tool(N) - Irregular shape

• Pen Tool - Anchor Points
• Pencil Tool - Fast sketching or creating a hand-drawn
look.

Pen Tool Pencil Tool

4. Rectangle Frame Tool vs Rectangle Tool

• Rectangle Frame Tool - Placeholder
• Rectangle Tool
Rectangle Frame Tool Rectangle Tool
5. Eyedropper Tool - Copy Text / Object color & format

SPELL CHECK!!!!!!
Edit - Spelling - Check Spelling
 InDesign - Basic Spring 2016
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Save Files
• File - Save
• File - Save as - type - (*.idml)
For people with earlier versions of InDesign to open the
file

Package Files Important!!!

File - Package Package your InDesign file, when sharing!
The package ensures that all fonts and linked graphics are InDesign doesn’t store images in your file,
included with your InDesign file. it only reference the image.

Creating PDFs
File - Export - Save as type - Adobe PDF (print)