Summary

Course Aim:

The InDesign Level 1 course introduces users to the page layout and design application of InDesign. Users will be able to use InDesign to produce publishing material such as basic flyers and newsletters. Our comprehensive 200-page courseware will be supplied.

Course Prerequisites:

Previous experience using applications on a PC or Macintosh is an essential prerequisite for this course.

Course Duration:

Two days 9:00am – 4:30pm

Classroom courses include:

• Adobe Certified instructors (with min 10 yrs experience)
• Alpha prepared comprehensive coursenotes with tutorials and exercises (updated frequently to reflect industry trends)
• Certificates
• FREE eLearning DVD Package (extensive video files that replay all topics covered in the course you have completed)
• After course support, unlimited HELP DESK (via email, to reinforce the learning), helpdesk@alphacc.com.au
• Training guarantee
• FREE repeat of public course within 6 months (where required, and on same version), see terms & conditions

Content

Course Content

During this course you will learn about:

Topic 1 The InDesign Interface

• Topic Objectives
• The Welcome Screen
• Application bar
• The Tools panel
• An Overview of the Tools panel
• Using context menus
• The Control panel
• Displaying InDesign’s panels
• Panel menus
• Resizing panels

• Moving panels
• Dock and undock panels
• Using Workspaces
• Zooming in and out
• Scrolling the view
• Turning pages in a document
• Managing Document windows
• About Adobe Bridge
• Topic Summary
• Topic Review

Topic 2 InDesign Preferences

• Topic Objectives
• Modifying keyboard shortcuts
• Application defaults and documents defaults
• Setting preferences

• Where preferences are saved
• Restoring InDesign’s preferences and defaults
• Topic Summary
• Topic Review

Topic 3 Creating Documents

• Topic Objectives
• Creating a new document
• Modifying document setup
• Modifying the margins and columns
• Making unequal column widths
• Using ruler guides
• Examining the document window
• Defining document presets
• Preview mode
• Presentation mode

• Opening documents
• Using templates
• Saving documents
• Saving to previous InDesign versions (CS6)
• Recovering documents after system failures
• Undoing and reverting
• Topic Summary
• Topic Review

Topic 4 Adding Text and Graphics

• Topic Objectives
• Typing or pasting text
• Placing text
• Adding placeholder text
• Making the frame fit the text
• Placing graphics
• Placing multiple graphics
• Fitting a graphic to its frame
• Resizing graphics
• Moving a frame and its content

• The content grabber (CS5 and later)
• Placing InDesign documents
• Grouping objects
• Selecting objects
• Copying an image into a new frame
• Stacking objects
• The reference point locator
• Use smart guides to align objects
• Topic Summary
• Topic Review

Topic 5 Drawing Paths, Lines and Shapes

• Topic Objectives
• Drawing lines and basic shapes
• Live Corner effects
• Drawing multiple frames in a grid
• Parts of a path

• Drawing with the Pen tool
• Drawing curved segments with the Pen tool
• Topic Summary
• Topic Review

Topic 6 Master Pages

• Topic Objectives
• About master pages
• Editing master pages
• Creating a master page
• Using automatic page numbering
• Applying master pages to document pages

• Customising master objects
• Preventing a master item from being overridden
• Restoring master objects
• Topic Summary
• Topic Review

Topic 7 Using Layers

• Topic Objectives
• The Layers panel
• Creating layers
• Putting objects on to layers
• Rearranging layers
• Hiding or showing a layer

• Locking layers
• Deleting a layer
• Expanding and collapsing layers
• Topic Summary
• Topic Review

Topic 8 Working with Text

• Topic Objectives
• Text frames
• Creating text frames
• Moving and resizing text frames
• Connecting text frames
• Threading
• Unthreading
• Word and character count
• Methods for flowing text
• Setting text frame options

• Displaying hidden characters
• Text selection techniques
• Using Glyphs
• Using special characters
• Using white space characters
• Inserting break characters
• Linked text files
• Text import filters
• Topic Summary
• Topic Review

Topic 9 Formatting Text

• Topic Objectives
• Fonts and Typefaces
• Recently used fonts (CS6)
• Using the Control panel to format text
• Using the the Character panel
• Choosing a font and style
• Setting type size
• Changing text using keyboard shortcuts
• Leading
• Kerning and tracking
• Setting kerning and tracking values
• Using Optical Kerning
• Scaling Type
• Baseline shift

• Skewing text
• Capitalisation
• Making characters superscript or subscript
• Underline and strikethrough
• Paragraph formatting
• Text alignment
• Setting space above or below
• Indenting text
• Drop caps
• Hyphenation
• OpenType fonts
• Topic Summary
• Topic Review

Topic 10 Text Wrap

• Topic Objectives
• Wrap To options
• Making a frame ignore text wrap
• Changing the shape of a text wrap

• Changing preferences for text wrap
• Topic Summary
• Topic Review

Topic 11 Colours and Gradients

• Topic Objectives
• Process colours
• Spot colours
• RGB colours
• Named and unnamed colours
• Applying fill and stroke colour to objects
• The Swatches panel
• Using the Swatches panel to create colours

• Pantone and other colour libraries
• Using colours from other InDesign documents
• Gradients
• Topic Summary
• Topic Review

Topic 12 Paragraph and Character Styles

• Topic Objectives
• Using styles
• The Paragraph and Character Styles panels
• Creating styles “by example”
• Working with style groups
• Applying paragraph and character styles

• Clearing style overrides
• Editing styles
• Importing styles from another document
• Deleting paragraph and character styles
• Topic Summary
• Topic Review

Topic 13 Using Graphics

• Topic Objectives
• Vector artwork
• Bitmap images
• Choosing a graphics format
• Resolution
• Controlling display quality of images

• Managing placed graphics
• The Links panel
• Replacing and relinking links
• Topic Summary
• Topic Review

Topic 14 Transparency Effects

• Topic Objectives
• The Effects panel
• Applying transparency effects
• Overview of transparency effects
• Editing a transparency effect
• Copying transparency effects

• Clearing effects from an object
• Screen display of transparent objects
• Transparency flattening
• Topic Summary
• Topic Review

Topic 15 Repurpose Content, Preflighting, Packaging and Printing

• Topic Objectives
• Content Collector and Placer tools (CS6)
• Preflighting a document
• Defining preflight profiles
• View and resolve preflight errors
• Resolve errors
• Select a different profile

• Packaging files
• The Print Dialogue Box
• Printing booklets (impose a document for booklet printing)
• Topic Summary
• Topic Review

Topic 16 Outputting to PDF

• Topic Objectives
• Producing PDF files for approval
• Producing press quality PDF files
• Exporting to PDF format
• InDesign’s PDF Presets
• Using PDF presets
• PDF General options

• PDF Compression options
• PDF Marks and bleeds options
• PDF Colour management options
• PDF Advanced options
• PDF Security options
• Topic Summary
• Topic Review

Appendix A Colour Management

• Reproducing Colour
• Colour Management Basics

Appendix B Adobe Bridge

• Using Adobe Bridge
• The Bridge workspace
• Starting Bridge
• Viewing file thumbnails in Bridge
• Controlling the display of files
• Navigating files and folders in Bridge
• Selecting files
• Opening files
• Managing files in Bridge
• Rotating images with Bridge
• Searching for files and folders

• Filter files
• Viewing metadata in Bridge
• Editing metadata in Bridge
• Applying keywords with Bridge
• Viewing Files in the Preview panel

• Previewing document pages
• Viewing Linked Files of InDesign Documents
• Viewing the contents of subfolders
• Slideshow and Full screen view
• Creating a PDF contact sheet

Appendix C Keyboard Shortcuts

• Keys for selecting tools
• Keys for selecting and moving objects
• Keys for the Pages panel
• Keys for transforming objects
• Keys for editing paths and frames
• Keys for tables
• Keys for finding and changing text
• Keys for working with type
• Keys for navigating through and selecting text
• Keys for viewing documents and document workspaces
• Keys for working with XML
• Keys for indexing
• Keys for panels
• Keys for the Control panel
• Keys for the Character and Paragraph panels

• Keys for the Character and Paragraph Styles panels
• Keys for the Tabs panel
• Keys for the Layers panel
• Keys for the Pages panel
• Keys for the Links panel
• Keys for the Colour panel
• Keys for using the Separations Preview panel
• Keys for the Swatches panel
• Keys for the Transform panel
• Keys for working with Adobe Bridge
• Keys for working with Adobe Bridge (continued)
• Keys for resolving conflicts between Mac OS

Appendix: Index

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Packages

Packages Available

Adobe InDesign Level 1 is offered as part of the following packages, designed for users who want to attend multiple courses to achieve in depth knowledge:

InDesign Package

• InDesign Levels 1, 2 and 3
• 5 days

Publishing Level 1 Package

• Acrobat for Business, InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop Level 1
• 7 days

Visit our packages page for more information

Specials

2012 Training Specials for Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Canberra Centres

eLearning DVD

When you attend any of the following scheduled courses, you will receive a FREE eLearning DVD:

• Acrobat for Business and Advanced
• PhotoShop Level 1, and Level 2
• Illustrator Level 1, and Level 2
• InDesign Level 1, and Level 2
• Dreamweaver Level 1, and Level 2
• Flash Level 1, and Level 2

Specials are subject to our terms and conditions

Gift Vouchers

When you give an Alpha Computer Consultants Gift voucher, you let people choose their own reward from the entire list of courses and consulting we provide. It is much more effective than other incentive schemes as they can choose which courses they want to benefit from.