InDesign Course - Introduction
Live, introduction to InDesign class online or in-person
Adobe InDesign Course - Introduction
In this entry-level InDesign class, you'll learn to create professional-looking flyers, brochures, and publications. Discover how to work effectively with text and type by creating reusable styles, integrating and formatting graphics, and using time-saving techniques that keep designs consistent using parent pages. You'll also find how to share completed InDesign documents in digital and print formats. Learn from InDesign instructors who are Adobe Certified Experts, who have written Adobe's official training books for InDesign and are the authors of the Adobe InDesign Digital Classroom book. This is the perfect InDesign course for beginners or for those using InDesign who have never had formal training.
What you learn in this live Introductory InDesign course
- Effectively use InDesign to create flyers, brochures, and other documents
- Easily maintain a consistent appearance across a document using parent pages
- Import images into your layout and control their size, position, format, and style
- Add text and apply formatting quickly and consistently using character and paragraph styles
- Use, resize, and style images and re-use image attributes with object styles
- Use AI features like Text to image, Text to fill, and Generative expand
- Create, convert, and import tables for displaying data
- Add colors and use them to enhance your layout
See all course topics
Ways to attend this InDesign Course
- Live Online classes from your office or home as a regularly scheduled small group class.
- Live, in-person regularly scheduled InDesign classes in Boston or Philadelphia with a live instructor in the same classroom.
- Private training customized to your specific needs delivered in-person or online. Call 781-376-6044 or complete the Private InDesign Training form for more information.
- Corporate InDesign Training for your group or team.
Why learn InDesign at AGI
- Hands-on learning: Learn InDesign using our proven method to quickly gain skills.
- Proven curriculum: We have delivered InDesign training to thousands.
- Our expert instructors are skilled educators and the best in class with InDesign.
- Small class sizes: receive personalized attention with ten or fewer participants per class.
- Repeat for free: If you need a refresher or miss a class day, retake the class at no cost.
- Learn using proven methods: We have been teaching InDesign courses for 20 years
All InDesign classes include
Free retake
Detailed curriculum
Live instructor
Flexible rescheduling
Certificate of Completion
Small class sizes
Course recording
Reviews of our InDesign Course - Introduction
InDesign Course - Introduction - Introduction rating: 5 stars from 250 reviewers
"I'm absolutely thrilled to have learned InDesign. Michael really demystified the program, and I really enjoyed the way he presented the information to the group. This was my "jump into the deep end" effort to get up-to-date with technology in my field and thank you so much to Michael for making that possible! " - Kirby G
See all reviews for InDesign courses and classesSkills you learn in this introductory Adobe InDesign course
- Using InDesign tools and panels
- Creating InDesign documents
- Navigating your InDesign document
- Adding text, applying formatting and controlling columns
- Importing and formatting graphics in InDesign
- Using AI for your images in InDesign
- Wrapping text around graphics in InDesign
- Applying color within InDesign documents
- Saving colors for re-use using swatches and color libraries
- Using libraries in InDesign to save repeatedly used elements
- Adding, deleting & arranging InDesign pages
- Using parent pages to control headers and footers in InDesign
- Printing and saving to PDF to share your documents
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This course is available individually or as part of these certificate programs
InDesign Course - Introduction - Course Dates
All classes are led by a live instructor. Class times listed are Eastern time.
InDesign Course - Introduction
Nights
Mon, Jul 14 2025 to Wed, Jul 23 2025
July 14, 16, 21, 23
6:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Topics covered in this introduction to Adobe InDesign course
InDesign essential skills
- Using the InDesign workspace
- Changing the viewing modes
- Working with panels
- Changing and saving your workspace
- Working with the Properties panel
- Navigating through a document
Building InDesign documents with master pages
- Planning your document
- Creating a custom-sized document
- Formatting master pages
- Using text variables
- Basing master pages on other masters
- Overriding master page items
- Adding layout pages
- Placing formatted text
- Adding images and text to master pages
- Applying masters to pages
Working with text and type in InDesign
- Creating a text frame
- Inputting text
- Changing character, and paragraph attributes
- Finding and changing text
- Checking and correcting spelling
- Using the Glyphs panel
- Flowing text from one textbox to another
- Threading text between frames
Working with InDesign's styles
- Style types
- Defining paragraph styles
- Applying paragraph styles
- Defining character styles
- Applying character styles
- Updating styles
- Loading styles from another document
- Organizing styles into groups
- Creating object styles
- Applying object styles
Working with graphics in InDesign
- How InDesign handles graphics
- Locating missing images
- The Links panel and Link badge
- Creating a graphic frame
- Adding graphics
- Repositioning graphics
- Fitting graphics to frames
- Placing multiple graphics
- Wrapping text around graphics
- Importing layered Photoshop files
- Introduction to AI. Text to Image, Text to fill, and Generative expand
Creating and using InDesign tables
- Creating a table
- Copying and pasting table information
- Adding text to tables
- Converting tables and text
- Importing a table
- Editing table options
- Using cells
- Merging cells
- Defining columns and rows
- Using graphics in cells
Applying colors to your InDesign documents
- Applying color to text
- Applying color to frames
- Creating and saving a new swatch
- Applying Live Corner Effects
- Applying strokes to text
- Creating a tint reduction
- Working with gradients
- Using the Eyedropper
- Updating and editing colors
- Using and saving spot colors
Preflighting, Printing and PDF creation from InDesign
- Package inventory
- Actual vs. effective resolution
- Preflight checks
- Packaging your document
- Package options
- Creating a PDF
- Adobe PDF Presets
- PDF Export Options
- Separation preview
- Printing a proof
The course topics serve as an outline for the course. Instructors may adjust content based on the specific needs of each class, such as to answer your InDesign questions.
InDesign course instructors
Learn InDesign from expert instructors and professional designers. Our instructors authored several books on InDesign including InDesign Digital Classroom, InDesign Classroom in a Book, and Creative Cloud for Dummies. Benefit from skilled teachers with many years of using and teaching InDesign that help you learn quickly and easily.
Greg
BA, Advertising Design
Adobe Certified Instructor
Author, multiple Adobe Creative Cloud books
Jennifer
MS, Human Factors Information Design
BA, Commercial Art
UXQB Certfied
Adjunct Professor, Boston University
Grace
MS, Information Design
BA, Digital Communications
Adjunct Professor, St. Olaf
Christopher
BA, Journalism
Adobe Certified Instructor
Google Analytics Certified
Author, Creative Cloud for Dummies
Custom and private InDesign classes
This InDesign course is available as a private class. Curriculum can be customized for your specific needs. InDesign classes can be delivered at your location, online, or in our classrooms. For more information, call 781-376-6044 to speak with a training consultant or contact us.
Introduction to Adobe InDesign Course: Prerequisites
We recommend that you have the Adobe InDesign software before starting the class. You can purchase the software, subscribe to the Creative Cloud, or obtain a trial version of it at from the Adobe website.
Exceptional InDesign course materials
Our proprietary curriculum has been proven effective in teaching [category short name] to thousands. You’ll receive our extensive written reference along with lesson files for you to continue your practice following the class. This introductory course includes a copy of our Digital Classroom book with many projects and exercises.
Repeat for free
If you need a refresher or miss a day of class, you can repeat the InDesign class at no additional cost for one year.
InDesign FAQ
Do I receive a InDesign certificate?
AGI provides a certificate upon course completion, which can be shared on LinkedIn and verified digitally on the AGI website.
How many students are in a InDesign class?
AGI limits its class sizes so that you receive personalized attention. Classes are limited to no more than 10 participants.
Can I get specific InDesign questions answered in the class?
Yes, as a live class, you can ask the instructor questions about how you will be using InDesign.
Does this InDesign class include job placement support?
AGI provides job support only when InDesign classes are taken as part of a longer-term certificate program, where AGI has a dedicated career counselor assigned to each certificate student.
Is this InDesign class for Mac or Windows?
Using a Mac or Windows computer, you can attend this InDesign class. The application itself has identical functionality for both. If attending in our classrooms, a computer will be provided using the operating system of your choice.
Private InDesign classes for companies and groups
This InDesign class is available as a private workshop for your company, group, or team. Use the contact form on this page or call 781 376-6044 to learn more about private classes.