Project-based Learning with InDesign (IND_ATC101)

If you have a group of five or more people who need to get up to speed on InDesign quickly, this project-based InDesign course is what you are looking for. After introducing your team to the InDesign interface, one of our expert instructors will guide you through multiple real-world InDesign projects.

The course can be customized to help you get started on a project of your own.

1. Getting to Know the Interface
   1. The InDesign User Interface
   2. Explore the InDesign Interface
   3. Understanding the Application Frame
   4. Customizing Keyboard Shortcuts and Menus
   5. Explore the Arrangement of InDesign Panels
   6. Identifying and Accessing Tools in InDesign
   7. Create a Saved Workspace
   8. Explore InDesign Document Views
   9. Understanding InDesign View Options
   10. Controlling Display Performance
   11. Explore the Arrangement of Multiple Documents
2. Project 1: Letterhead Design
   1. Stage 1: Setting up the Workspace
      1. Define a New Layout File
      2. Understanding Document Presets
      3. Create Ruler Guides
      4. Understanding Resolution
   2. Stage 2: Creating Basic Page Elements
      1. Create a Simple Line
      2. The Control Panel in Depth
      3. Create Bézier Curves
      4. Understanding Anchor Points and Handles
      5. Change Color Values
      6. Create a Basic Graphics Frame
      7. Clone, Align, and Distribute Multiple Objects
      8. Understanding Object Distribution
      9. Create a Rounded Rectangle
      10. Editing Live Corners
      11. More about Working with InDesign Objects
      12. Tips and Tricks for Working with Layout Objects
   3. Stage 3: Placing External Images
      1. Place an Adobe Illustrator File
      2. Place Images into Existing Frames
   4. Stage 4: Creating and Formatting Basic Text
      1. Create a Simple Text Frame
      2. More about Working with Fonts
      3. Place an External Text File
   5. Stage 5: Printing InDesign Files
      1. Print a Sample Proof
      2. Project Review
      3. Portfolio Builder Project
3. Project 2: Festival Poster
   1. Stage 1: Building Graphic Interest
      1. Set up the Workspace
      2. Define Color Swatches
      3. Working with Color Groups
      4. Create the Poster Background
      5. Define and Apply a Gradient
      6. Using the Gradient Tools
      7. Create an Irregular Graphics Frame
      8. Create Visual Impact with Transparency
      9. Create a QR Code
      10. Understanding Blending Modes
      11. More about InDesign Effects
   2. Stage 2: Importing and Formatting Text
      1. Define Multiple Layers
      2. Control Text Threading
      3. Define Manual Frame Breaks
      4. Apply Character Formatting
      5. Designing with Placeholder Text
      6. Apply Paragraph Formatting
      7. Understanding the Baseline Grid
      8. Applying Optical Margin Alignment
   3. Stage 3: Working with Text as Graphics
      1. Place Inline Graphics
      2. Working with Anchored Objects
      3. Create Type on a Path
      4. Type on a Path Options
   4. Stage 4: Adjusting Layout Size
      1. Adjust the Layout Size
      2. Fine-Tune the Adjusted Layout
   5. Stage 5: Outputting PDF Files
      1. Using the Flattener Preview Panel
      2. Export a PDF File for Print
      3. Resolution Options for PDF
      4. Project Review
      5. Portfolio Builder Project
4. Project 3: Aerospace Newsletter
   1. Stage 1: Working with Templates
      1. Manage Missing Fonts
      2. More about Managing Missing Fonts
      3. Replace Missing and Modified Graphics
      4. Understanding the Links Panel
      5. Edit Margin and Column Guides
      6. Understanding Master Pages
      7. Create a New File Based on the Template
      8. Implement the Newsletter Template
      9. Place a PDF File
      10. Place an InDesign File
   2. Stage 2: Working with Styles
      1. Working with Microsoft Word Files
      2. Apply Template Styles
      3. Manage Local Formatting Overrides
      4. Edit a Paragraph to Span Columns
      5. Control Automatic Text Frame Size
      6. Edit Text Inset and Wrap Settings
      7. Understanding Text Wrap Options
      8. Format Numbered and Bulleted Lists
      9. Working with the Tables Panel
   3. Stage 3: Working with Tables
      1. Place a Microsoft Excel Table
      2. Format Cell Attributes
      3. Manage a Table as an Anchored Character
      4. Define Table Fills and Strokes
      5. More about Working with Tables
   4. Stage 4: Preflighting and Packaging the Job
      1. Check Document Spelling
      2. Define a Preflight Profile
      3. Using Dynamic Spelling
      4. What’s in a Preflight Profile?
      5. Evaluate the Layout
      6. Create the Job Package
      7. Project Review
      8. Portfolio Builder Project
5. Project 4: Museum Exhibits Booklet
   1. Stage 1: Working with Master Pages
      1. Create the Booklet File
      2. Understanding Master Page Icons
      3. Create Master Pages from Layout Pages
      4. Import Master Pages
      5. Understanding Relative Object Positioning
      6. Edit the Default Master Page
      7. Understanding the Gap Tool
      8. Add Common Elements to a Master Page Layout
      9. Place Automatic Page Number Markers
      10. Special Characters and White Space
      11. Keyboard Shortcuts for Special Characters
   2. Stage 2: Controlling the Flow of Text
      1. Import and Auto-Flow Client Text
      2. Understanding the Primary Text Frame
      3. Review and Replace Imported Styles
      4. What’s in a Paragraph Style?
      5. Edit a Style Definition
      6. Understanding Paragraph Rules and Borders
      7. Control Page and Frame Breaks
      8. Define Parent-Child Style Relationships
      9. Control Widows and Orphans
      10. Overriding Automatic Hyphenation
      11. Understanding Paragraph Composition Options
      12. Define Bullets and Numbering Options
      13. Working with OpenType Attributes
      14. Working with Alternate Glyphs
      15. Redefine Styles Based on Local Formatting Overrides
      16. Make Manual Layout Adjustments
      17. Place Images into Master Frames
      18. Unify Spreads with Color
      19. Working with Color Themes
   3. Stage 3: Outputting Variations of Files
      1. Create a Folding Dummy
      2. Print a Booklet Proof
      3. Create a PDF with Page Transitions
      4. Project Review
      5. Portfolio Builder Project
6. Project 5: Folding Travel Brochure
   1. Stage 1: Building a Folding Template
      1. Create the Outside Brochure Pages
      2. Add Slug Information and Fold Marks
      3. Place Text Variables
      4. Understanding Text Variable Options
      5. Create the Inside Master Pages
      6. Save a Template
      7. Understanding Pages Panel Options
   2. Stage 2: Advanced Frame Options
      1. Convert Text to Outlines
      2. Control Object Stacking Order
      3. Work with an InDesign Library
      4. Working with Adobe CC Libraries
      5. Edit the Basic Graphics Frame Style
      6. What's in an Object Style?
      7. Create a New Object Style
   3. Stage 3: Advanced Text Formatting
      1. Import and Flow Client-Supplied Text
      2. Import InDesign Styles
      3. Create a Custom Text Wrap
      4. Create a Style for Pull Quotes
      5. Nested Style Character Options
      6. Understanding Nested Styles
      7. Control Tab Formatting
      8. Create Variations with Conditional Text
      9. Define Paragraph Shading
      10. Create Dynamic Captions
      11. Clean and Finish the File
      12. Export Variations as PDF Files
      13. Project Review
      14. Portfolio Builder Project
7. Project 6: Digital Layout Variations
   1. Stage 1: Controlling Color for Output
      1. Color Management in Theory and Practice
      2. Define Application Color Settings
      3. Assign Color Settings to an Existing File
      4. Assigning and Converting Color Profiles
      5. Preview Separations
      6. Enable Track Changes
      7. Find and Change Text
      8. Find and Change Text Formatting Attributes
      9. Entering Special Characters in Dialog Boxes
      10. Find and Change Object Attributes
      11. More about the Find/Change Dialog Box
      12. Review Tracked Changes
      13. Soft Proofing to Custom Profiles
      14. Export a Color-Managed PDF File
   2. Stage 2: Creating Interactive PDF Elements
      1. Define Interactive Bookmarks
      2. Define Hyperlinks
      3. Create Text Form Fields
      4. Create a Radio Button Form Field
      5. Create a Combo Box Form Field
      6. Create Check Box Form Fields
      7. Create Form Control Buttons
      8. Export an Interactive PDF
   3. Stage 3: Exporting an HTML File
      1. Anchor Graphics to Text
      2. Define Articles
      3. Tag Styles for Exporting
      4. Export HTML
   4. Stage 4: Exporting an EPUB File
      1. Create Versions with Layers
      2. Controlling Text Wrap on Different Layers
      3. Create a Basic Animation
      4. The Animation Panel in Depth
      5. Define Object States
      6. Create a Multi-State Text Frame
      7. Create Buttons to Control the Animation
      8. Export a Fixed-Layout EPUB
      9. Using the Publish Online Service
      10. Project Review
      11. Portfolio Builder Project
8. Project 7: Reproduced-Content Layouts
   1. Stage 1: Working with XML
      1. Tag Frames for XML
      2. Tag Content for XML
      3. Review XML Structure and Attributes
      4. Understanding Options for Managing XML Files
      5. Place Unstructured XML Content
      6. Update Linked XML Data
      7. Import Structured XML
   2. Stage 2: Creating Alternate Layouts
      1. Create a File for Digital Publishing
      2. Use the Content Collector
      3. Manage Linked Object Options
      4. Defining Style Mapping Rules
      5. Create an Interactive Overlay
      6. Understanding Interactive Overlay Options
      7. Define Liquid Page Rules
      8. Understanding Column Options
      9. Understanding Liquid Page Rules
      10. Create an Alternate Layout
      11. Project Review
      12. Portfolio Builder Project
9. Project 8: Multi-Chapter Booklet
   1. Stage 1: Combining Documents into Books
      1. Build an InDesign Book
      2. Add Book Chapters
      3. Managing Book Chapters
      4. Control Section and Page Numbering
      5. Understanding Book Page Numbering
      6. Section and Chapter Numbering in Depth
      7. Synchronize Book Files
      8. Smart Matching Style Groups
   2. Stage 2: Building a Table of Contents
      1. Define a Table of Contents Style
      2. Build and Update a Table of Contents
   3. Stage 3: Building an Index
      1. Tag Basic and Reversed Index Topics
      2. Add Multiple Page References
      3. Add Page-Range References
      4. Add Multiple-Level References
      5. More About Defining Index Entries
      6. Build the Book’s Index
      7. Options for Generating an Index
      8. Export PDF Files for Print and Digital Distribution
   4. Stage 4: Merging Data into a Page Layout
      1. Create a Merged Document and Load Source Data
      2. Understanding the Data Source File
      3. Complete the Merged Document
      4. More about Working with Data Merge
      5. Project Review
      6. Portfolio Builder Project

Each student receives a comprehensive set of materials, including course notes and all class examples.