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9 Best InDesign Courses for 2023
- Published on May 5, 2023
Our team of InDesign experts has assembled a list of the Best InDesign Courses for 2023. This includes both online InDesign courses that you can access from anywhere, as well as in-person classes available in a classroom, as well as free InDesign tutorials. The list includes introduction, intermediate, and advanced classes to cover the needs of beginner through advanced learners. Our expert instructors who are the authors of multiple books on graphic design and InDesign assembled this list of the best ways for you to learn InDesign and provided information about each InDesign course, class, and tutorial. This has been updated for 2023.
Best InDesign Courses and Classes
InDesign Bootcamp
Introductory InDesign Training Class
Intermediate InDesign Training Class
Advanced InDesign Training Class
InDesign Digital Publishing Training
InDesign Class for QuarkXPress Users
InDesign XML Training Class
InCopy Training Class
InDesign Tutorial to Check Spelling in InDesign
9 Best InDesign Courses and Classes for 2023
InDesign Bootcamp
This InDesign class is for those interested in learning essential skills and advanced techniques in a short period of time. The InDesign bootcamp is a four-day intensive course where participants learn basic through advanced skills. Attendees learn to create master pages, work with text and type, and create styles. Advanced features—adding interactivity, creating digital documents, exporting—are covered after basic skills have been mastered.
Benefits of the InDesign Bootcamp:
Live instructor-led class
Build InDesign documents with master pages
Create and use InDesign tables
Explore packaging options
Review essential skills
Learn advanced features, tables, and styles
Format: Live class meets at scheduled times either online or in person
Student review: “I went from knowing nothing about InDesign to mastering the program after this intense class. Had a great experience with Greg and the office staff. ” -Trish D.
Introductory InDesign Training Class
The American Graphics Institute created this course to get InDesign novices up and running in just two days. Participants learn how to create master pages, work with text and type, create styles, and use graphics. The instructors of this introductory course are Adobe Certified Experts and wrote Adobe’s official training books for InDesign.
Benefits of the Introductory InDesign Training Class:
Live instructor-led class
Create and save color swatches
Learn to use the Glyphs panel
Define and apply various styles
Import layered Photoshop files
Work with text and type
Format: Live class meets at scheduled times either online or in person
Student review: “Very good course. I gained quite a bit of knowledge and I feel much more comfortable using InDesign! I am anxious to apply what I’ve learned to my daily work and gain more real-life experience.” -Chris M.
Intermediate InDesign Training Class
This two-day InDesign course is designed for individuals who already understand the fundamentals of InDesign and want to work more efficiently using layout options that also enhance consistency. Topics covered in the intermediate InDesign course include styles, text formatting, graphic controls, and output for both print and digital formats.
Benefits of the Intermediate InDesign Training Class:
Live instructor-led class
Reviews essential InDesign skills
Learn to use, link, and redefine styles
Create digital documents using advanced features
Edit text using the Story Editor
Create and apply cell and table styles
Format: Live class meets at scheduled times either online or in person
Student review: “I feel so comfortable with using In Design after this class. Sean is a great teacher and a credit to your organization.” -Mike B.
Advanced InDesign Training Class
If you are looking to master InDesign, learn new skills, and increase your efficiency, this advanced InDesign course is for you. Participants learn to master text-handling capabilities of InDesign, document features, XML capabilities, and more advanced functionality.
Benefits of the Advanced InDesign Training Class:
Live instructor-led class
Share documents using Adobe Publish Online
Build your own templates
Learn to utilize color and transparency
Create advanced interactive designs
Harness XML capabilities
Format: Live class meets at scheduled times either online or in person
Student review: “Greg was an engaging and extremely personable InDesign teacher, providing crystal-clear instructions every stop of the way. I learned so many time-saving tips with InDesign that will increase my job productivity. I am looking forward to taking another class with him in the near future." - Sharon S.
InDesign Digital Publishing Training
The InDesign digital publishing course is for those looking to add interactivity, animation, and online publishing to their portfolio. This InDesign course teaches how to create digital documents like books, magazines, newsletters, and presentations. Like the Advanced InDesign Training Class, this course is for advanced users who have already mastered the foundation skills of InDesign.
Benefits of the InDesign Digital Publishing Training:
Live instructor-led class
Learn how to cross-reference and create buttons
Add movies and sound to InDesign documents
Build and organize animations like type, slideshows, color transitions, and scrolling text
Publish documents online and view analytics
Format: Live class meets at scheduled times either online or in person
InDesign Class for QuarkXPress Users
If you are already familiar with QuarkXPress, a desktop publishing app for creating and editing page layouts, this course will get you quickly acclimated with Adobe InDesign by using your existing skills. This class can be completed as a one-day custom class and includes a copy of AGI's own InDesign Digital Classroom book.
Benefits of InDesign Class for QuarkXPress Users:
Live instructor-led class
Walk through navigation of grids, guides, panels, and toolbars
Convert QuarkXPress and PageMaker files in InDesign
Import and work with layered graphic files and layer comps
Create tables of content, indexes, and book files
Package files for output
Format: Live class meets at scheduled times either online or in person
InDesign XML Training Class
This InDesign XML course teaches content distribution across print and online channels, including combining content from data sources with layouts created with InDesign. Participants learn the foundation necessary for working with XML and then explore specific capabilities for working with XML in InDesign. While no previous XML experience is necessary, an understanding of basic InDesign skills is required for this course. This InDesign course and its content is also available to be customized for organizations or businesses to relate to a specific XML workflow.
Benefits of the InDesign XML Training Class:
Live instructor-led class
Work with XSL upon import
Manually import and update XML content
Navigate the Structure pane
Learn to use XML for repurposing content
Understand how to use elements, attributes, and comments within a DTD
Format: Live class meets at scheduled times either online or in person
InCopy - InDesign Training Class
This training class enables participants to utilize the collaborative editorial workflow between Adobe InCopy and Adobe InDesign. With an emphasis on how to properly fit copy and reduce revisions, this class helps boost the efficiency and quality of the content creation process.
Benefits of the InCopy Training Class:
Live instructor-led class
Customize preferences and defaults of Adobe InCopy
Learn to use frames, grids, rulers, and guides
Work with assignment packages and managed files
Learn an effective InDesign - InCopy workflow
Understand text composition in InCopy
Format: Live class meets at scheduled times either online or in person
Student review: "As an educator and public-speaker myself, I was very impressed with [the instructor’s] presentation of information, his ability to quickly adapt to our specific situation, and his ethos." -Arica D
InDesign Tutorial: Checking and Correcting Spelling
This free tutorial teaches how to use the essential spell checking components of InDesign and is one of the many free InDesign tutorials that provide foundational through advanced skills. Learn the process for how to check for spelling errors as you type, or check spelling after the fact. Discover how to spell check in multiple languages as well
Benefits of the InDesign Tutorial for spell checking:
Written by expert instructors who teach InDesign classes
Learn to check spelling as you type in InDesign
Discover how to check spelling in different languages using InDesign
Find out how to check text after it has been entered
Tutorial is free and available to all at no cost
Discover tips to work efficiently
Format: Self-paced tutorial available anytime online at no cost
Student review: "Great tutorial. Shared it with my class." -Greg H
How we determined the best InDesign Classes
We evaluated many InDesign courses through personal experience, sitting through classes, and reviewing curriculum. We reviewed introduction, intermediate, and advanced classes to cover the needs of beginner through advanced learners. The list includes classes that we investigated personally, and have tried. The list was assembled, reviewed, and then edited by expert InDesign instructors after carefully reviewing the classes personally. The evaluation was conducted by experts who have deep understanding of InDesign. The list was developed to provide readers with expert insight into the best options for learning InDesign, and provides information about each InDesign course, class, and tutorial. This has been updated for classes we have tried for 2023.
Which InDesign version should you learn
The best InDesign classes include courses teaching the most current version Creative Cloud versions of InDesign. The free trial version of InDesign can be used for the first week of classes. For classes that last longer than a week, a subscription to InDesign is required. Both the free and trial version of InDesign are available from Adobe here: https://www.adobe.com/products/indesign.html
Beyond this list you can also find a range of InDesign courses near you for additional learning options, and you can learn more about InDesign.