If you want to create your own InDesign documents from inception to printing, or will be checking and editing documents created by others, this course will show you how to be effective from the word go. It will give you the solid grounding you need to make the most of InDesign's features. The course is suitable for first time users, and you don’t need any prior knowledge of other page layout software.

By the end of it, you'll be able to:

• create documents quickly and efficiently
• talk to designers and printers with greater confidence.

Using a range of exercises, you'll develop skills in using the software in specific contexts. Each delegate will have sole use of a networked Windows PC with all relevant software installed. You also have the option of sending your own materials (text and images) to us in advance, so that you can work with them in the exercises. This means you can tailor the course more directly to your own publishing needs.

Programme

Day one

• InDesign’s user interface
  • Palettes, menus and how to manage them
  • The Workspace, multiple views and Document presets concepts
• Working with text
  • Importing text and other file types
  • Editing text files
• Formatting text
  • Character and paragraph attributes
  • Styles - including nested character styles and importing styles from Word
• Colour
  • Spot, process and additional colours
  • Layers and transparency
  • Using drawing tools with the colours palette

Day two

• Creating longer documents
  • Master pages and page numbering
  • Text flow and linking text files
• Images
  • Image formats
  • Linking and embedding images
  • Links to Adobe Photoshop
• Pre-press with InDesign
  • Pre-flight checks and printing
  • Converting to PDF files with Acrobat, Export versus Print
  • Separations and overprint previews
• Repurposing and cross media publishing
  • InDesign and XML
  • Preparing files for the Internet

If you already have a good knowledge of QuarkXPress, you may find From QuarkXPress to InDesign more suitable.

Note: This course is taught using Adobe CS 3.

Your tutor
Sally Hughes is a freelance trainer and consultant specialising in DTP applications, typography and document design. She works with both Mac and PC platforms and has authored a report on the use of information technology in editorial practice. Sally also teaches on PTC's QuarkXPress and Acrobat courses as well as lecturing in publishing at Oxford Brookes University.

We also offer QuarkXPress 1.

Note that most of our open courses can also be run as in company events.

Send details of this course to a colleague.

Dates: 1-2 December 2008

Price: £619+VAT (a number of discounts are available).

Venue: The Publishing Training Centre in Wandsworth, London (see a map and a list of local hotels).

Make a provisional booking on an InDesign 1