Category / InDesign

by mikechristenson

InDesign: Packaging

Packaging an InDesign document is an effective way of collecting all of the images and fonts into a single directory.

Packaging can be done to prepare the document for printing by an external vendor, or it can be done simply to gather together linked images from a disparate collection of directories.

 

TO PACKAGE AN INDESIGN DOCUMENT:

Before packaging a document:

1. Conduct a preflight check. Choose Window > Output > Preflight to check for errors.

2. Check and correct spelling. Choose Edit > Spelling > Check Spelling.

When you are ready, choose File > Package.

 

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by mikechristenson

InDesign: Printing

BEST PRACTICE FOR PRINTING:

As a general rule, it’s best to use InDesign’s File > Export menu to create a PDF document for printing. Hardcopy printing should be done from Acrobat whenever possible.

THIRD-PARTY VENDORS:

Oversize or large multi-page documents can be economically printed by vendors such as FedEx Office or OfficeMax. For most of these vendors, you can export your work as a PDF and provide it on a flash drive or via online FTP site. In some situations it may be necessary or desirable to package the InDesign document for the vendor.

TROUBLESHOOTING PRINTING:

Most problems in InDesign are related to images and printing. To minimize problems, try to work within these guidelines:

1. Always print as a PDF from Adobe Acrobat, not directly from InDesign.

2. While working, save InDesign documents directly to your computer’s hard drive or a locally connected USB drive.

3. Collect all of the images you are planning to use in your InDesign document into a single folder. This will simplify organization and prevent individual graphics from getting lost or misplaced.

4. Be consistent with graphics: always use the File > Place command to insert graphics, and always make sure that all graphics in a document are of the same file type (e. g. JPEG or TIFF).

5. Make multiple back-up copies using the File > Save As command. If you name your publication Portfolio, save it as Portfolio01 after an hour. An hour later, save as Portfolio02, and so on. This habit, if practiced rigorously, prevents you from losing more than one hour’s worth of work in the event of a crash; it is cheap insurance.

6. When you are ready to print, budget at least twice the amount of time you think it will take. Printing will almost invariably not work the way you expect it to on the first try.

by mikechristenson

InDesign: Working with Text

InDesign has limited word-processing functions (spelling, editing, etc.). If you plan on working with large stories, you can create your work in Word and import it to InDesign for final formatting.

USING THE TEXT TOOL:

1. Choose the text tool (T) from the Toolbox.

2. Drag the mouse to describe a rectangle for text. This creates a text block.

3. Start typing.

4. Change format attributes using options under the Type menu.

5. Choose the arrow tool to stop typing within the current text block.

TO COPY TEXT FROM WORD:

Select text in Word and choose Edit > Copy; in InDesign, use the Type tool to create a text block (or click within an existing block), and choose Edit > Paste.

TO PLACE TEXT FROM A FILE:

1. Choose the arrow tool from the Tools window.

2. Choose File > Place. Locate your file on disk and click OK.

3. Click in the document at the point where the text should begin (upper left-hand corner). The text will automatically snap to the predefined margins or column guides.

TO WRAP TEXT AROUND AN IMAGE:

Use the arrow tool to click on the graphic you want to wrap text around. Then choose Window > Text Wrap. Select the appropriate type of wrapping and click OK. In the document, move the image around and text will flow around it appropriately.

 

TO PERFORM SPELLCHECK:

Choose Edit > Spelling > Check Spelling.

THREADED TEXT.

When text does not completely fit in a text block, a red plus-sign appears at the bottom of the block. If you click on the plus-sign with the arrow tool, an insertion icon appears. Click elsewhere (in the next column, or on another page) to start a new text block. As you change the text in the first block, it will flow to the second block accordingly. Such text is called threaded text.

You can adjust the size of text boxes by clicking on them with the arrow tool and dragging the corners.

by mikechristenson

Step-by-Step: Aligning Images in InDesign

TO ALIGN IMAGES OR ELEMENTS INTO A SINGLE ROW:

1. Set each image or element to a fixed height.

2. Open the Object & Layout > Align window. Align the objects to a common baseline.

3. Use the Distribute Spacing tool (in the Align window) to equalize the spaces between images: choose a number for the Use Spacing setting.

4. Set the width of the group to a desired size, or stretch the group to fit a desired width.

by mikechristenson

InDesign: Working with Images and Elements

Images are not created in InDesign – they are always imported from another piece of software, such as Photoshop or Illustrator, or directly from a device such as a scanner or digital camera.

TO PLACE AN IMAGE:

1. Choose the arrow tool from the Tools window.

2. Choose File > Place.

3. Browse to locate an image on disk; click Open.

4. Click on the page to insert the image.

(Note: it is considered good practice in InDesign to organize all of the images for a single document within one folder on the local hard drive.)

TO MOVE AN IMAGE:

1. Choose the arrow tool from the Tools palette.

2. To move an image, click in the middle of the image and drag it. (NOTE: By default, a grey circle appears in the middle of an image when you hover over it. To turn this feature off, select View > Extras > Hide Content Grabber.)

 

TO CHANGE AN IMAGE’S SIZE:

Hold the Ctrl key (Mac: Command key) and drag the handles surrounding the image. Hold the Shift and Ctrl keys as you drag the handles and the image will retain its original proportions as it changes in size.

 

TO SET AN IMAGE’S WIDTH OR HEIGHT TO A SPECIFIC NUMBER:

Click on the image and then type the desired width or height in the “Scale Percentage” box in the Control window.

 

TO REARRANGE OVERLAPPING ELEMENTS:

Select an object and use the Object > Arrange menu.

 

GRAPHIC ELEMENTS.

InDesign contains tools for creating graphic elements such as lines and rectangles. Basic properties of these elements can be set using the options under Window > Stroke (lineweight) and Window > Color (fill).

TO DRAW AND FILL A RECTANGLE:

1. Draw a rectangle using the rectangle tool from the Tools window.

2. Choose Window > Stroke. Use the “Weight” pulldown menu to adjust the thickness of the line; use the “Type” pulldown menu to adjust solid / dashed lines.

 

by mikechristenson

InDesign: Guides, Margins, and Columns

InDesign provides guides for the accurate positioning of text and graphics on a page. Guides work as an underlay and objects will snap to them and their intersections. Guides do not print. They can be repositioned by dragging.

Guides placed on a master page will appear on pages assigned to that master. These guides can only be repositioned on the master page; otherwise they will effectively be locked.

TO PLACE A GUIDE: Check that the Rulers are visible on the top and left sides of the screen (View > Show Rulers). Click and drag the mouse on the horizontal or vertical ruler to place guides onto the page.

MARGINS AND COLUMNS: Layout > Margins and Columns lets you set up columns on a page. By default, InDesign creates equal width columns. You can change column width by dragging the column guides left and right. (Note: if you want the same margins and columns to apply to every page in a multiple-page document, adjust the settings on a master page.)

by mikechristenson

InDesign: Interface and Navigation

InDesign’s features are accessed through pulldown menus, windows, and keyboard commands. InDesign is a “what you see is what you get” application, meaning that your work appears on-screen as it will fit to paper. This feature contrasts InDesign with Photoshop, where you must perform a preview to see how your work will fit on paper, and with AutoCAD, where formatting (in layout space) is performed separately from drawing (in model space).

The Tools window appears automatically when you create a new publication. If you lose the toolbox, choose Window > Tools. The Control window is usually docked at the top of the screen; it is accessed with Window > Control.

 

ZOOMING AND PANNING.
1. Choose the Zoom tool from the Tools window.

2. Click once within the document to zoom in; hold down the alt key while clicking to zoom out. (In Windows, click ctrl-plus (+) to zoom in, or ctrl-minus (-) to zoom out; click ctrl-zero (0) to fit the page to the screen. For Mac, substitute option for ctrl.)

3. Use the scroll bars on the right and bottom edges of the window to pan across the page.

MOVING BETWEEN PAGES.

Choose Window > Pages for a preview of the pages in your document.

To switch to a certain page within your document, select the page number from the pulldown list near the bottom left corner of the document window.