Adobe InDesign CC - Advanced

You should be comfortable with different file formats, .indd, .psd, .ai, .eps, .pdf, .doc, as well as how InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop work together, and the difference between a vector and bitmap graphic.

• Save a custom workspace
• Use Tool Hints
• View, sort, search and manage files within Adobe Bridge
• Use the new Mini Bridge to drag & drop instead of File/Place

You must have experience creating new InDesign documents and be comfortable with viewing, magnifying, switching from page to page and using the Selection and the Type tools to select objects and type.

• Add and move pages: use the pages palette
• Create and manipulate master pages and spreads
• Target pages vs. Select pages
• Rotate Spreads for viewing
• Create documents with different page sizes, modify a page size with the Page tool
• Save and use templates
• Use the NEW Alternate Layouts in the Pages panel.
• Use the NEW Liquid Layout feature to easily resize a document page.

You must know how to create a new text frame and type in or place text, thread text from one frame to another (using the red plus at the bottom right of a text frame) select text, change the font, size and be comfortable with basic text formatting.

• Place and thread text into a primary text frame from the Master
• Use the new Auto Size and Flexible width options for text frames
• Advanced Character Typography - No Break, Underline Options, Optical Margin Alignment
• Shortcuts for character and paragraph typography
• Advanced Paragraph Typography - Rules, tabs, hanging bullets – custom uses for all
• Automatic numbering and bullets
• Customize Hyphenation and Justification
• Use the Span and Split columns
• Paste text with paste without formatting command
• Place MS Word text files with or without formatting
• Insert special characters
• Use the Glyphs panel to create a custom set of characters to insert into text
• Find and Change – Find & replace text, custom text strings, object formats and more, using GREP

You must be able to place a photo or a logo into InDesign and have some experience with moving, resizing and selecting the graphic. We will concentrate on advanced features after the graphic has been placed.

• Place graphics from Photoshop and Illustrator
• Use object layer options to control visible layers of Photoshop and Illustrator files
• Libraries - Create, add items, name and find library items easily
• Use the Gap tool to modify graphic and text layouts quickly
• Use the Auto Fit button to easily resize graphics
• Use the target selection to move around graphics within a frame
• Anchored objects – Inline, custom and floating anchored graphics
• Apply a clipping path to an object with and without having a path in Photoshop
• Apply text wrap around graphics and placed logos
• Place multiple graphics or text files at one time.
• Use Gridify - Cycle thru loaded files before placing.
• Set the default graphic frame to size a graphic automatically when placed
• Create a QR code (NEW)

You should have created an effect such as a drop shadow, using Object > Effects or the Effects Menu as well as made an object transparent.

• Use the effects panel to apply effects to text, fills and strokes separately to objects
• Work with Drop shadow, feather, corner effects, outer glow, inner glow etc
• Round the corners of a frame

You should know what a Master page is, and how to put an object on the master to make it appear on all document pages.

• Create, modify, apply, and use “based on” Masters
• Release objects and remove overrides from the master
• Set section markers and learn advanced page numbering tips
• Create Book Files. Add documents, synchronize styles between files, repaginate documents
• Create and update a Table of Contents

This Level 2 class builds upon your knowledge of Styles. You should know how to create a Paragraph and a Character style, and know how to apply styles to text, change the attributes of a style and override the paragraph style with a character style.

• Create and apply paragraph and character styles, best practices and shortcuts!
• Use Quick Apply for all styles and menu commands
• Reapply paragraph and character styles to replace local changes and/or character styles
• Redefine a style from selected text which has been locally changed
• Create Nested Styles - character styles within a paragraph style; repeat styles
• Advanced uses of Character styles and Paragraph styles
• Use Find and Change to apply character styles
• Use Next style to apply formatting to multiple paragraphs instantly
• Place MS Word text files and link the Word styles directly to InDesign Styles
• Create Style Groups

You should have solid knowledge of selecting an object, (text or graphic frame) applying a fill, stroke or effect to the object.

• Understand when to use an Object style
• Save formatting for an entire text or object frame
• Apply the object style to a selected frame
• Include paragraph styles in an object style

• Create new, reorder and delete InDesign layers
• Move objects from one layer to another
• Show, hide, print and lock layers
• Advanced layer usage and rules for using layers with objects on masters

It is helpful if you have created a basic table before this course, or have a knowledge of tabs, both of which are covered in the Level 1 class.

• Understand the difference between tabs and tables
• Place text and convert it to a table
• Modify line weights and colors
• Modify cell, row and column fills
•  Merge cells, split cells, shortcuts on working with cells and tables
• Create a header and footer row to repeat on a table which spans multiple pages
• Alternate fills and strokes automatically
• Place graphics within a table

• Separations - how it affects transparency
•  Use the links palette to link and embed graphics
•  Understand the Preflight options
•  Save an InDesign file as a .pdf
•  Export to InDesign Markup language (.idml) and .webp
•  Use the Separations, Flattener and Overprint preview palettes to check your printing settings
•  Ink Manager

• Create page transitions.
• Create a button to advance to the next page.
• Save an InDesign file as an interactive PDF file.