Excerpt from Adobe InDesign CS4
Digital Classroom

• Page 1
• Page 2

Links

• Additional Resources for Learning InDesign

What you’ll learn in this lesson

• Understanding the InDesign workspace
• Working with panels and tools
• Navigating through InDesign documents
• Flowing text
• Using Styles to format text and object

InDesign CS4 Essential Skills

This lesson helps to get you started with InDesign right away, covering the essential skills necessary for creating and editing documents. In this lesson, you will discover essential skills for working efficiently with InDesign documents. You’ll start by understanding how to navigate within an InDesign document; you’ll then place graphics and add formatting to text, creating a finished newsletter.

Starting up

Before starting, make sure that your tools and panels are consistent by resetting your preferences. See “Resetting the InDesign workspace and preferences” on page 3.

You will work with several files from the id01lessons folder in this lesson. Make sure that you have copied the id01lessons folder onto your hard drive from the Digital Classroom DVD. See “Loading lesson files” on page 3. If you are new to InDesign, it may be easier to follow the lesson if the id01lessons folder is placed on your desktop.

See Lesson 1 in action! Use the accompanying video to gain a better understanding of how to use some of the features shown in this lesson. Click here to view this lessonls sample video.

InDesign tools

InDesign uses tools for creating or modifying everything that appears in your document. You’ll also use tools for navigating around the document. Tools are all located in the Tools panel, located along the left side of your screen.

Many tools have related tools available for selection by clicking and holding on the tool that is displayed. You can identify the tools that offer additional functionality by the small arrow in the lower-right corner of these tools. You can also right-click (Windows) or Ctrl-click (MacOS) to access hidden tools without waiting.

If you place your cursor over any tool in the Tools panel without clicking, a tooltip appears, displaying the tool’s name and keyboard shortcut. You can use the keyboard shortcut to access a tool instead of clicking it.

The Tools panel.

The InDesign workspace

InDesign documents are displayed in the center of the work area, while panels that let you control objects or perform specific tasks are displayed along the right side of the workspace in the panel docking area. InDesign has many panels that are critical to the editing and design work you perform. InDesign includes various workspaces that provide easy access to the panels and tools you’ll use for specific tasks. Let’s take a closer look at the InDesign workspace, including the document window and panels.

The document window

InDesign pages are displayed within a black border. Anything positioned within this area appears when the page is finished. The area outside of the black border is referred to as the pasteboard. Anything that is placed completely outside this black border on the pasteboard is generally not visible when the final document is distributed.

You can use the pasteboard to temporarily hold elements while designing your project. You can move design elements such as images from the pasteboard to the page, trying different layout variations. The pasteboard can also be useful for placing notes to colleagues—or even yourself—regarding the project. To get a better understanding of the InDesign workspace, you’ll open up the completed project, reset the workspace, and look at the work area.

1 Choose File > Open. In the Open dialog box, navigate to the id01lessons folder and select the id01_done.indd file. Press Open.

2 Choose Window > Workspace > Typography. Panels containing controls that help you work with type are now displayed.

You can also use the dedicated Workspace switcher, located in the Application bar above the Control panel. The Workspace switcher displays the name of the current workspace and can also be used to change between workspaces or to reset the current workspace. The selected workspace controls which panels display and which menu items are available. Fewer or more panels and menu choices are available based upon the selected workspace.

3 Choose Window > Workspace > Reset Typography to reset the InDesign panels to their default positions for the Typography workspace. This ensures that your panels are in position, making them easier to locate during this lesson.

A. The document window. B. The page border (black lines). C. Bleed guides. D. Margin guides. E. Column guides. F. The pasteboard.

Using guides

Non-printing guides help you align content on your page and create an organized layout. Margin guides define the space around the edge of your document—a space you generally want to keep free from objects. White space around the edge of your documents creates good design, and also eliminates the risk of content being cut off if your document is printed and trimmed to a specific size at a printing plant. Margin guides are displayed in magenta by default, immediately inside the page border. By default they display one-half inch inside of the page edge, but can be adjusted as you will learn in Lesson 2, “Building Documents with Master Pages.”

Individual page guides can also be added manually by dragging them from the rulers onto the page. Both page guides and margin guides are useful, but they can also be distracting when you want to see the elements of your page design. In this case, you can hide the guides.

1 Choose View > Grids & Guides > Hide Guides, or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+; (Windows) or Command+; (Mac OS), to hide all the guides in the open document.

2 Choose View > Grids & Guides > Show Guides, or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+; (Windows) or Command+; (Mac OS), to show all the guides in the open document.

You can show or hide guides by toggling back and forth using these options.

Viewing modes

You can also use viewing modes to hide guides and other items that will not display when the final document is printed or distributed.

Just as you can hide guides, you can also have InDesign hide content that is positioned on the pasteboard. The viewing modes option lets you choose whether all content and guides display, or whether InDesign displays only content that is positioned on the page and will print. Next you’ll explore the various viewing modes.

1 At the bottom of the Tools panel, click and hold the Mode button (), and choose Preview from the available modes. Notice that the entire pasteboard displays as gray and all elements located on the pasteboard are hidden.

2 Click and hold the Mode button again and choose Bleed from the menu. This shows the allowable bleed area that was specified when the document was created. Bleed is an area outside of the page that is intentionally used by designers so that any inaccuracies in the cutting, trimming, and binding process do not create a visible white space along the edge of an object that is intended to print all the way to the edge of a document. This mode is useful when you need to make sure that all the elements on your page extend to a specific bleed value.

3 Click and hold the Mode button again and return to Normal.

You can also use the shortcut key W to toggle between Preview and Normal modes in InDesign or you can use the Screen Mode button in the Application bar. Keep in mind that keyboard shortcuts do not work if you are using the Type tool and working with text inside a text frame.

Working with panels

Now that you understand the different parts of the workspace, you can begin working with the interface to learn more about the different panels. You can access panels by clicking on their name in the panel docking area, or choose the panel you want to access from the Window menu.

The Tools panel

The Tools panel is located on the left side of your screen and contains all the tools necessary to draw, add, or edit type, and edit items in your document. The Tools panel appears as a single-column attached to the left side of your screen. You can modify the appearance and location of the Tools panel to accommodate your needs.

1 Click on the double-arrow icon at the top of the Tools panel. The Tools panel changes from a single column to a double column. If you click again, it changes to a horizontal layout, and then back to a single column.

Clicking on the double arrow icon at the top of the Tools panel changes its appearance.

2 Click the gray bar at the top of the Tools panel, and while holding down on the mouse, drag the panel to the right, into the document area. Release the mouse button when over the document area. The Tools panel is repositioned at the location where you released the mouse. You can position the panel anywhere on your display, or return it to the docking area on the side of the workspace.

3 Click the gray bar at the top of the Tools panel and drag the panel to the right so that it is positioned just to the left of the panels. A blue, vertical bar appears. Release the mouse button and the Tools panel is docked to the right of your screen.

Managing panels

InDesign contains panels that help you create the layout and design you desire. The various workspaces include several panels that are docked at the right side of the document window. The available panels change based upon the selected workspace. When the panels display only their name, they are in collapsed mode. Collapsed mode saves screen space by allowing you quick access to many panels, and only displaying the full panel options when you need them.

1 Press the double-arrow icon () at the top-right corner of all the docked panels along the right side of the document window. Notice how all the docked panels expand to reveal their options.

2 Press the double-arrow icon again to collapse the dock and return the panels to their previous state.

3 Press the Pages button in the dock. This reveals the entire contents of the Pages panel. By clicking a panel button, only the individual panel expands.

4 Press the Pages button again, and the panel closes and is displayed only as a button.

5 Click and drag the Pages button, moving it to the far left side of the document window. When a vertical bar appears, release the mouse button. The Pages panel is docked to the left side of the document window.

You can place panels anywhere on your workspace, including over the document or on either side of the work area. You may customize panels in any way that makes it easier for you to work. Don’t worry if you make a mess, as you can always return to the default layout of the panels by choosing Window > Workspace > Reset.

Working with the Control panel

The Control panel appears across the top of the workspace. The panel is contextual, so the content of the panel changes depending on what tool you are using and what object you have selected.

1 Choose the Selection tool () in the Tools panel. The Control panel changes based upon the tool being used and the items selected in the layout.

2 Using the Selection tool, click the headline, Fending off the winter blues, positioned at the top of the page. The Control panel now displays information about this text frame.

3 Double-click the same headline. By double-clicking the text frame, the Selection tool switches to the Text tool. The Control panel now displays information relating to the text.

The Control panel displays information about objects in your layout. The information displayed changes based upon the tool used for selection and the object selected.

Saving your workspace

Once you have selected the panels that you need, and positioned them in the locations that let you work most efficiently, you can save the location and panels being used as a workspace.

Once you have saved a workspace, you can quickly access the exact panels displayed and their location by returning to the default setup of that workspace.

1 Click the Workspace switcher drop-down menu located in the Application bar to the left of the Help search window. From the workspace drop-down menu, choose New Workspace.

2 In the New Workspace window, type My Workspace in the Name field, then press OK.

Saving your workspace allows you to easily restore the panel positions.

You’ve now saved the locations of your panels.

3 From the Workspace menu, click the drop-down menu and choose Typography. Note how the panel locations revert to their default location.

4 Click the Workspace switcher menu and choose My Workspace. Alternatively, choose Window > Workspace > My Workspace. All the panels are restored to the workspace that you saved earlier in this project.

InDesign allows you to create and save multiple workspaces. Workspaces are not document specific, which allows them to be used in any document. Before proceeding to the next section, reset your workspace to the default Typography workspace using the Workspace switcher drop-down menu. This allows the panels to match the descriptions used in the remainder of this lesson.

Navigating through an InDesign document

In this exercise, you’ll continue working with the id01_done.indd file, which is the completed newsletter that you opened at the beginning of the lesson. You’ll explore the tools used to navigate to different pages in an InDesign document, and learn how to change the document’s magnification to see more or less of the details in the document layout.

Using the Pages panel

The Pages panel provides a quick overview of what is displayed on each page of an InDesign document. You can use it to navigate between document pages, rearrange pages, and also add or remove pages.

1 Press the Pages button () in the dock at the right of the workspace to display the Pages panel. The bottom-left of the Pages panel indicates that there are four pages displayed in three spreads within this document.

The Pages panel is used to add and delete pages as well as navigate between pages within your InDesign documents.

2 Double-click page 2 in the Pages panel to display page 2 of the document. The left page of the inside spread, which is page 2, appears in the document window.

3 Double-click page 4 in the Pages panel to display page 4 of your document.

If you are unable to see all the pages displayed in the Pages panel, you can make the panel larger by clicking and dragging on the bottom-right corner of the panel to enlarge it. Additionally, InDesign allows you to scroll through the pages in the Pages panel by using the scroll bar in the document window or the scroll wheel on your mouse, or you can click and hold to the side of the page thumbnails and drag up or down to navigate through the pages.

Changing the magnification of your document

So far, you’ve been viewing this document at the magnification level that was used when the document was last saved. You may find it necessary to get a closer look at parts of your document to check things such as alignment, spacing of type, or position of objects. Here you’ll find that InDesign provides tools that make it easy to change the magnification and inspect components of the document.

1 In the Pages panel, double-click on the page 1 icon to display the first page of the document.

2 Select the Zoom tool (). Using the Zoom tool, click and hold in the upper-left corner of the Spinnews logo at the top of the page, then drag down to the lower-right corner of the logo. Release the mouse once you have reached the lower-right corner of the logo. The area you have outlined with the Zoom tool is magnified.

Click and drag to increase the magnification of a specific area.

3 You may find that you enlarged the document too much or not enough. To fine-tune the magnification, click with the Zoom tool to increase the magnification incrementally. Or, if you zoomed in too close, decrease the magnification by pressing and holding the Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) key while clicking with the Zoom tool.

You can quickly increase or decrease the magnification of the document by using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+plus sign (Windows) or Command+plus sign (Mac OS) to zoom in on a document, or Ctrl+minus sign (Windows) or Command+minus sign (Mac OS) to zoom out. If you have an object selected or your cursor is inserted within a text frame, the page will center on the selected object or cursor when changing the magnification.

4 Select the Hand tool () from the Tools panel, then click and hold down on your page. Notice that the page magnification changes and a red frame appears, indicating which portion of the document will be visible when you have finished scrolling.

5 Arrange the page so that the logo is in the center of your display. Use the Hand tool to move the page within the document window, allowing you to focus on specific areas of the layout.

6 Reposition the red frame so that the entire border of the image is visible, then release the mouse. The zoom returns to its original level, focused on the portion of the page you identified.

You can also access the Hand tool without selecting it from the Tools panel. Press and hold the space bar on your keyboard and your cursor changes to the Hand tool. If you have the Type tool selected, press the Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) key to access the Hand tool.

7 To make your page fit the document window, choose View > Fit Page in Window or press Ctrl+0 (Windows) or Command+0 (Mac OS). The currently selected page is displayed inside the document window.

8 Choose File > Close to close the document. If asked to save, choose No (Windows) or Don’t Save (Mac OS).

Working with type

Now that you’ve had an overview of the InDesign workspace, you’ll move into some of the tools that are used for working with type. InDesign provides complete control over the formatting and placement of type on a page and allows you to save formatting attributes so that you can work efficiently and your documents can maintain a consistent appearance. In this section, you’ll add the finishing touches to a document, completing the layout by applying formatting to text.

Entering and formatting type

Most text used in an InDesign layout is positioned inside a frame. Frames are containers that hold text or graphics within a layout. InDesign has three types of frames: text, graphic, and unassigned. In this exercise, you’ll be working with text frames.

1 Choose File > Open. In the Open dialog box, navigate to the id01lessons folder and select the id01.indd file. Press Open. You will use this project file for the remainder of the lesson.

2 Choose File > Save As. In the Save As dialog box, navigate to the id01lessons folder, or use another folder if you prefer. In the Name field, type id01_work.indd, then press Save. This allows you to work without altering the original file.

3 If necessary, press the Pages button () in the docking area along the right side of the workspace. The Pages panel opens. In the Pages panel, double-click on page 1 to center the page in the workspace.

4 In the Tools panel, select the Type tool (). You will use the Type tool to create a new text frame. Position your cursor along the left side of the page, where the left margin guide and the first horizontal guide meet. Click and hold down, then drag down and to the right, to the location where the right margin and the second horizontal guide meet. Release the mouse button. A new text frame is created, and a cursor blinks in the top-left corner of the new frame you have created.

Use the Type tool to create a new text frame. Most text needs to be placed within a frame.

5 Type Fending off the winter blues with cross-training. The text appears in the default font and size. Keep the cursor within this text frame, and keep the Type tool selected.

6 In the panel docking area along the right side of the workspace, press the Paragraph Styles button () to open the Paragraph Styles panel. Click to select the Heading style from the list of available styles in the Paragraph Styles panel. The Heading style is applied to the paragraph, which includes all the text within this frame.

Apply the paragraph style to the text.

7 The top line of the sentence is much longer than the bottom line. To balance the lines, press the panel menu button () in the Control panel and choose Balance Ragged Lines from the submenu. InDesign automatically balances the lines within the frame.

Apply the Balance Ragged Lines command to the headline.

You can also press the Return key while holding the Shift key to create a line break that does not cause a new paragraph to be created. This is referred to as soft return.

Placing and formatting type

You can add text to an InDesign document by typing text into the InDesign page, or by importing the text from an external file, such as a Microsoft Word document or an Excel spreadsheet. InDesign also lets you import ASCII, Rich Text, and InDesign Tagged Text files.

1 If necessary, press the Pages button () in the dock to open the Pages panel. Double-click on page 2 in the Pages panel. If the pages panel is covering your work area, click the double arrows in the upper-right corner of the panel to reduce it to a button, or you may keep it open if your monitor is large enough to display the panel and the page together.

2 Continuing to use the Type tool (), click inside the empty text frame that covers the center and right columns, under the headline Caring for Those Wheels. The cursor is inserted in this frame, where you will import the text for the body of the story, which was created using word processing software such as Microsoft Word.

3 Choose File > Place. The Place dialog box opens. In the Place dialog box, make certain that Show Import Options is not selected and that Replace Selected items is selected. These options are explained in more detail later in the book.

Locate and open the id01lessons folder and choose the file Wheels.txt; then press Open. The text from this file is placed inside the frame where the cursor is located.

4 Place the cursor at the start of the story. Click the Paragraph Styles button to display the Paragraph Styles panel. You will apply a paragraph style to format the text you imported. Click the paragraph style Body, and the first paragraph is formatted using the Body style. Paragraph styles apply formatting to the paragraph where the cursor is located. You will now apply formatting to multiple paragraphs by selecting them and repeating the process.

5 Use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+A (Windows) or Command+A (Mac OS) to select all the type within the current frame. From the Paragraph Styles panel, choose Body. All the selected paragraphs are now formatted using the Body style.

6 Choose Edit > Deselect All to deselect the type.

Flowing type

Stories often continue from one page or column to another. You will set up links between text frames to allow a story to flow into multiple columns.

1 In the lower-left corner of the document area, click the page number drop-down menu and select page 3 to navigate to this page. You can also use this menu to navigate to different pages in your document.

Use the page drop-down menu to navigate between pages.

2 Using the Type tool (), click inside the first frame on the left side of the page underneath the headline Race Calendar.

3 Choose File > Place. In the Place dialog box, navigate to the id01lessons folder. Select the file Calendar.txt and press Open to place the text from the file into your InDesign layout.

4 Activate the Selection tool () from the Tools panel, then, if necessary, click to select the text frame where you imported the text. You can tell the frame is selected by the small, square handles that appear on each corner of the frame, and also in the middle of each side of the frame.

In the upper-left corner of the text frame, slightly below the corner handle, is a small square. This is the In Port, and it is used to describe whether this frame is the continuation of a text flow from another frame. Simply put, does the text start somewhere else, or does it start in this frame? Because the In Port is empty, you can tell that the text starts in this frame. If the In Port contains an arrow, you would know that the text continues from another location.

The lower-right corner of the frame contains an Out Port. This port currently displays a red plus sign, indicating that there is more text in the story than fits within the frame. You can address overset text in a number of ways:

• Delete text
• Reduce the size of the text
• Make the frame larger
• Link the text to another frame

In this case, you will link the text to another frame.

The newly placed text on the page is overset.

5 Using the Selection tool, click once on the red plus sign on lower-right corner of the text frame. The cursor changes appearance to indicate that you are about to link the text to a new location, and displays some of the text that will be linked. The next area you click will be the continuation of the story, so be careful to only click where you want the text to continue.

6 Move your cursor to the center of the middle column. Notice that the cursor changes to show a linked chain. Click to link the first and second frames together. Now you will link the second frame to the third frame.

Linking text from one frame to another.

7 Click the red plus sign on the lower-right corner of the second frame, then click inside the frame located along the right side of the page. The frames in the second and third columns are now linked together.

8 Choose File > Save to save your work.

Using styles

Earlier you worked with paragraph styles to format type. As you saw, these provided a method of applying consistent formatting to the text. Similarly, styles let you easily and repetitively format smaller groups of text along with entire frames and even tables. You’ll review the process of applying paragraph styles, then move into other types of styles that can be applied. Later, in Lesson 4, “Working with Styles,” you will work with styles in more detail.

Adobe InDesign Training Class Locations

AGI offers regularly scheduled and private InDesign classes at our training centers. Adobe InDesign Training in or near Boston, Chicago, New York City, Philadelphia, Orlando, and London, England. Visit our Adobe InDesign training class locations page.