InDesign Day 1 of 5

Objectives

  • InDesign’s strengths
  • Document setup
  • How to navigate the interface
  • Frames
  • Basic text and text formatting
  • Images
  • Graphics
  • Shapes 

Lesson Outline:

  • Initial document setup
    • Pages, dimensions, orientation
    • Columns and margins
    • Linking/unlinking values
    • Document Presets 
    • Facing Pages 
      • The Start # option
    • Bleed and Slug (This doesn’t have to be exhaustive (especially slug) but mention what they are and what they do) 
    • How to access this menu again (File>Document Setup and Layout> Margins and Columns) 
      • Make sure to not press enter to enter any values or it will automatically create your document 
  • Navigating the interface
    • Basic shortcuts and tools (zoom, spacebar/hand tool etc.)
    • Contextual toolbar
    • Left toolbar
    • Workspaces 
    • Panels
    • Adding panels (Window) 
  • Frames
    • Overview and how they function in InDesign 
      • Resizing and rotating
      • Yellow square for rounding 
      • Blue frame vs. brown frame (for images and graphics)
      • (Can mention in and out ports but will go over in Day 2)
  • Text
    • Place command
    • Type tools
    • Basic text formatting
      • Character vs. paragraph formatting 
        • Character formatting: Color, font, size, justification, indentation 
    • Overset text basics
  • Graphics/Images
    • Place command, placing multiple images
      • cmmd/ctrl+d
    • Free Transform Tool
    • Fitting options 
    • Overprint preview mode
  • Shapes
    • Explain basics of shapes
      • Double click on polygon tool to edit sides and size
      • Shift to constrain proportions
    • Basic stroke and fill
    • Explain how shapes can become frames 
    • If time: Lines
  • Save and export
    • Package
    • Exporting options

Files: None

Suggested Activity: Have the students create a flyer for some sort of event (or anything else they can think of/want to do). Having them bring in images (from the internet), shapes and create and format some basic text boxes. Can just create an 8.5×11 piece of paper with basic margins and no columns. Make sure to give time at the end for students to be able to practice the tools they learned and to start to get comfortable with InDesign.