Adobe InDesign CC: The Professional Portfolio

Project 1: Letterhead Design

Setting up the workspaceCreating basic page elementsPlacing external imagesCreating and formatting basic text Printing InDesign files

Adobe InDesign CC: The Professional Portfolio

Types of ImagesVector graphics:– Mathematically based– Scaled without loss of quality

Raster images:– Pixel based– Resolution determined when

created/capturedLine art:– Actually a type of raster

image with only black and white pixels

Adobe InDesign CC: The Professional Portfolio

ResolutionPixels per inch (PPI)– Number of pixels in

a linear inch– Fixed when file is

created/capturedDots per inch (DPI)– Number of spots created by

an output deviceLines per inch (LPI)– Number of lines of dots

created in a halftone screen

Adobe InDesign CC: The Professional Portfolio

Creating a New File

Adobe InDesign CC: The Professional Portfolio

Creating a New File (cont’d)

Adobe InDesign CC: The Professional Portfolio

Document GeometryPage edgeMargin guidesBleed guides

View>Grids & Guides>Show/Hide Guides

Adobe InDesign CC: The Professional Portfolio

Document RulersView>Show/Hide RulersUnits & Increments preferencesOriginX, Y coordinates

Adobe InDesign CC: The Professional Portfolio

Control panel

Context sensitiveDifferent options depending on active selection

Adobe InDesign CC: The Professional Portfolio

Selection toolsSelection toolSelects entire objects or groups

Direct Selection toolSelects pieces of objects or groupsSelects contents of a frame

Adobe InDesign CC: The Professional Portfolio

Creating FramesToolsContent typeFrame edges

UnassignedGraphicsText (selected)

Adobe InDesign CC: The Professional Portfolio

Creating Frames (cont’d)Click and drag to createPress Shift to constrain height and widthPress Option/Alt to create out from the center pointSingle-click to open related dialog box

Adobe InDesign CC: The Professional Portfolio

Moving ObjectsReference pointSelection toolCursor feedbackControl panel

Adobe InDesign CC: The Professional Portfolio

Smart GuidesView>Grids & Guides submenuGuides & Pasteboard preferences

Adobe InDesign CC: The Professional Portfolio

Transforming FramesA B

C D

Adobe InDesign CC: The Professional Portfolio

Transformation OptionsControl panel Options menu

Constrain Height and WidthConstrain Scale

Adobe InDesign CC: The Professional Portfolio

Mathematical TransformationsTransform relative to existing shape or position:

+ to add– to subtract* to multiply/ to divide

Any field in panels or dialog boxes

Adobe InDesign CC: The Professional Portfolio

Transformation toolsA

B

C

D

Adobe InDesign CC: The Professional Portfolio

Live Corner EffectsCorner ShapeCorner Radius

Adobe InDesign CC: The Professional Portfolio

Pathfinder panelWindow>Object & Layout>PathfinderCombine multiple shapes into oneCut shapes out of other shapesCreate compound paths

Adobe InDesign CC: The Professional Portfolio

Gridified toolsDivide an object into equal-sized, equal-shape objects as you draw

Adobe InDesign CC: The Professional Portfolio

Live Distribution

Drag handle to modify multiple ungrouped objects

Press Spacebar to modify space between multiple objects

Use Selection tool to select multiple objects

Adobe InDesign CC: The Professional Portfolio

Aligning OptionsSmart GuidesAlign panelControl panelAlign to: – Selection– Margins– Page– Spread

Adobe InDesign CC: The Professional Portfolio

Line toolClick and drag to create

Press Shift to constrain to 45° angles

Press Option/Alt to create out from the center point

Control panel:– Only three reference

points– No W and H fields– L field is line length

Adobe InDesign CC: The Professional Portfolio

Vector PathsClick to create a pointClick and drag to create a point with handlesClick again to create another point and connecting segment

Smooth SymmetricalSmooth AsymmetricalCorner

Adobe InDesign CC: The Professional Portfolio

Editing Vector PathsDirect Selection toolControl panelPathfinder panel

Adobe InDesign CC: The Professional Portfolio

Editing Vector Paths (cont’d)Pen tool variationsContext sensitivity

Adobe InDesign CC: The Professional Portfolio

GroupingMultiple objects treated as one unitTo select individual components:– Use Direct Selection tool – Double-click with Selection tool– Use sublayers in Layers panel

Adobe InDesign CC: The Professional Portfolio

Layers panelDouble-click to open Layer OptionsClick and drag to rearrange stacking orderShow/hide entire layersLock/unlock entire layersExpand layers to access sublayersUse Selected Item button to select objects

Adobe InDesign CC: The Professional Portfolio

Object Stacking Order

Favor Active Selection

Edge Highlighting Object>Select, Arrange submenus

Layers panel sublayers

Adobe InDesign CC: The Professional Portfolio

Fill & Stroke ColorsActive Attribute

Tools panelControl panelBuilt-in SwatchesColors panel

Adobe InDesign CC: The Professional Portfolio

Placing ImagesFile>PlacePlace multiple images at onceLoaded Place cursorNew frame created as necessaryPlace into existing frame

Adobe InDesign CC: The Professional Portfolio

Placing Illustrator FilesRecognized as PDFPages = artboardsCrop To optionsLayers

Adobe InDesign CC: The Professional Portfolio

Frame vs. ContentSelection tool = Content Grabber icon

Content position is relative to frameScale is percent of file’s physical size

Adobe InDesign CC: The Professional Portfolio

Content Fitting OptionsObject>FittingObject contextual menuControl panel

Adobe InDesign CC: The Professional Portfolio

Working with TextType framesPlace cursorInsertion point

Adobe InDesign CC: The Professional Portfolio

Working with Text (cont’d)Character formatting– Font, Style, Size, Color, etc.

Paragraph formatting– Alignment, Indents, Spacing, etc.

Adobe InDesign CC: The Professional Portfolio

Printing FilesPrinter and PPDGeneral– Pages– Non-printing objects

Setup– Paper size– Scale and Tile

Marks and BleedOutputGraphics