InDesign WORKSHOP

*Used for layout. Anything that's printed (newspaper, magazine) is most likely laid out on InDesign or a similar programme*

Always create a new 'Document'

More options allows you to decide whether or not you want to include columns, depending on what type of document you are creating, specifying the spacing between each column - you may also create margins and decide upon bleed and slug. 

Printers cannot print right to the edge of a page, therefore documents must be printed onto paper of a larger size, then trimmed. Any work that fills the whole page, must extend, 'bleeding' over the edge of the sheet. 

Standard bleed amount that would be set is 3mm.

Slug defines an area outside of the page, larger than the bleed area, used for things like printers registration marks or colour swatches. 

Facing pages should be considered if the document is going to be in a booklet format. Checking facing pages will bring up two pages next to each other, this is referred to as "reader's spread". 

Once your document is open, you have a number of palettes to use, including:

- pages, which allows you to manage and navigate through the pages in the document

- layers

- links

- strokes

- colour

- swatches

All text going onto the document must be contained within a frame. You can also fill the frame with placeholder text, allowing you to see what your document will look like without having to do a whole load of typing. The frame can shape the paragraph and text. 

In addition to this, purple and green guides will also appear when you move the text around using the selection tool. This is useful for positioning and centring, making sure things are exactly in line with each other. 

The above overflow indicator, warns you that not all of the text is visible within the frame created. You can flow text from one page to another, or even into another column. This makes it very easy for the user to edit the text as it will just automatically go into the next available frame.

Photoshop, checklist for preparing an image for InDesign 

1. 300 dpi

2. CMYK or greyscale

3. Tiff or PSD files

4. Actual size

Illustrator, checklist for preparing a file for InDesign

1. CMYK or greyscale

2. AI file

When working with images on InDesign, you must use File > Place. This can be done with or without a frame.

When placing Illustrator artwork, it will just place the artwork itself and not the whole page.

Images on an InDesign file never look very good quality, it gives a low resolution preview of that image. It's only purpose is to allow you to arrange them on a page.

Any image that you place on the page, needs to be kept in the same place as the InDesign file, ready for print. All the images used can be found on the links palette. 

The object menu, allows you to bring frames to the front or send them to the back, so that you can arrange and position text frames in front of images and so on. Text wrapping may also be used, making any kind of layout much easier as it makes sure images or text will never obscure what's around it. 

Then, in order to see how your document will look when printed, all you need to do is press 'W'. 

Fill and stroke can be used in order to apply colour. This can be easily done using the colour swatches palette and the rectangle frame tool. 

If you're working with text, the same options apply. Colour can be applied to the frame via fill or stroke. However, you may also apply colour to the text itself. 

The colour swatches are quite limited, therefore you can make your own through the use of the colour palette, using the CMYK sliders. Alternatively, you could create your own swatch to prevent you from having to keep mixing colours up, this allows for consistency.