InDesign® CS4 Bible

Chapter 2. Inside the InDesign Interface

IN THIS CHAPTER

• Discovering what's inside the application folder

• Exploring the document window

• Working with multiple document windows

• Using tools, panels, and docks

• Reviewing menu commands

• Undoing what you've just done if you change your mind

The first time you use a program, it can be overwhelming. You're not sure what you can actually do with the program, and each program has its own interface idiosyncrasies. InDesign is no different. If you're familiar with other Adobe applications, such as Dreamweaver or Photoshop, the InDesign software interface will be familiar to you. Even if you've been using QuarkXPress, you'll be able to translate much of what you see in InDesign to QuarkXPress terms.

But because every program is unique, each has its own style and approaches. So now that you're ready to start using InDesign, follow through this chapter to find out where InDesign puts its capabilities and how to access them. When you first launch InDesign, you see the Tools panel on the left, and you may see several other panels on the right. InDesign is ready and waiting for you to open a document and start working.

However, taking a few minutes to familiarize yourself with the interface is invaluable to learning new software. After all, without a basic understanding of what you're looking at on-screen, it's difficult to begin working in InDesign. And even if you've used InDesign before, Adobe has made some changes to its interface in this version, so it's ...