Adobe InDesign CS6: Essentials

Course Name

Adobe InDesign CS6: Essentials

Contact Hours: 10 (an estimated time frame devoted to a course of study from start to finish that can vary from student to student)

Course Description

This course will teach you how to efficiently design page layouts for print or screen, starting with the basics of the program and interface, then moving into more advanced topics.

Adobe Certified Expert, Randy Hagen, shows you how to set up custom InDesign workspaces, the basics of layouts, how to build, quality check and package your InDesign projects, and how to use InDesign's formatting tools to quickly and efficiently produce quality, consistent documents.

You'll also learn to work with InDesign's long document production functions, how to create and work with templates, and how to design interactive digital forms and PDFs.

Outcome

The learner will be prepared to:

1. Using Guides to Help Align Page Design Elements Perfectly, and Use Align/Distribute Functions to Cheat those Alignments by Design.
2. Quality-Checking, Fixing and Packaging InDesign Documents.
3. Using Paragraph and Character Styles, Templates and Importing Functions to Speed Production and Apply Consistent Designs to Recurring Documents.
4. How to Quickly and Efficiently Apply the Rules of Standard Document Design, as well as How to Creatively Break them Occasionally for Design Effect.
5. The Basics of Creating Interactive Digital Forms with Adobe InDesign CS6. 

Assessment

This course allows for self-directed work and does not require that you take a test. Apply what you have learned to your own projects.

Outline

WORKING WITH THE INDESIGN INTERFACE

1.  Getting Started with InDesign CS6
2.  Creating a New Document
3.  Selecting & Placing Content
4.  Working with the Type & Shape Tools
5.  Using the Control Panel
6.  Formatting Text
7.  Viewing & Arranging Panels
8.  Creating & Saving a Custom Workspace & Performing a Text Wrap

LAYOUT BASICS 

1.  Creating InDesign CS6 Document Presets
2.  Working with Master Pages
3.  Margins, Column & Ruler Guides & Zooming
4.  Placing, Scaling & Arranging Graphic Elements
5.  Placing & Formatting Text, Part 1
6.  Placing & Formatting Text, Part 2
7.  Copying Elements between Documents
8.  Printing Documents

PACKAGING & PREPARING DOCUMENTS 

1.  The Capabilities & Limitations of Spellchecking
2.  Live Preflighting & Creating Custom Preflight Profiles
3.  Correcting Preflighting Problems
4.  Packaging InDesign Documents for Remote Printing

CUSTOMIZING APPLICATION PREFERENCES 

1.  Setting General & Interface Preferences
2.  Setting Type & Composition Preferences
3.  Customizing Measurement, Grid & Guide Preferences
4.  Setting Dictionary, Spelling & Auto-Correction Preferences
5.  Setting Notes, Track Changes & Story Editor Display Preferences
6.  Adjusting Display Performance & Appearance of Black
7.  File & Clipboard Handling Preferences


CREATING A TEMPLATE 

1.  Setting Up a Trifold Brochure Layout
2.  Manipulating Page Size & Orientation with the Page Tool
3.  Creating Paragraph Styles, Part 1
4.  Creating Paragraph Styles, Part 2
5.  Creating Character Styles
6.  Adding Custom Color Swatches
7.  Understanding Differences between Templates & Documents

CREATING A DOCUMENT FROM A TEMPLATE 

1.  Placing a Picture & Adjusting Display Performance Settings
2.  Placing, Formatting & Modifying Text with Paragraph Styles
3.  Creating Bulleted Lists & Formatting Graphics
4.  Replicating & Placing Repeated Elements
5.  Placing & Scaling Graphic Elements
6.  Formatting Type & Splitting Type within Text Frames
7.  Quality Checking, Packaging & Saving in InDesign CS6

CREATING LONG DOCUMENTS 

1.  Creating Long Document Templates, Part 1
2.  Creating Long Document Templates, Part 2
3.  Auto-Flowing & Formatting Type for Long Documents
4.  Refine Long Document Layouts by Extending Type Style Attributes
5.  Building a Table of Contents
6.  Making Index Entries
7.  Combining Multiple InDesign CS6 Documents into a Book
8.  Generating Master Indexes for InDesign CS6 Books
9.  Printing Review Proofs

CREATING PRINT FORMS 

1.  Using the Tab Ruler
2.  Aligning with the Tab Ruler
3.  Using Spot Color, Inline Graphics & Fixed Space Alignment
4.  Studying Table Creation & Formatting
5.  Working with Table Styles

CREATING INTERACTIVE PDF FILES 

1.  Building Text Fields in PDF Documents
2.  Creating Check Boxes for Interactive Forms
3.  Setting up Radio Button Groups
4.  List Boxes & Combo Boxes for Interactive Forms
5.  Placing & Formatting Buttons
6.  Preparing for Digital Signatures & Saving Interactive PDFs
7.  Resetting Tab Order for Interactive Forms