Instant InDesign: Designing Templates for Fast and Efficient Page Layout

Instant InDesign: Designing Templates for Fast and Efficient Page Layout

by Gabriel Powell
Released November 2007
Publisher(s): Adobe Press
ISBN: 9780321549686

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Book description

Instant InDesign is the first comprehensive guide to Adobe InDesign that focuses exclusively on the art of template design and production. You’ll learn everything you need to know—from key design principles and basic template architecture to advanced automation techniques. With practical tips and real-world examples, you’ll discover how to translate your great ideas into industrial-strength templates. Magazine, newspaper, book, and catalog publishers, as well as ad agencies, graphic design firms, and independent designers can all use this guide to boost productivity and enhance their creative process. Instant InDesign is the best single resource for fast and
efficient page layout and production. This comprehensive guide shows you step by step how to:

  •   Use the powerful new features in InDesign CS3—text variables, frame fitting options, and table styles—to create templates for ads, brochures, books, magazines,catalogs, and more.

  •   Make the most of master pages, paragraph and character styles, nested styles, object styles, and table styles to automate formatting.

  •   Optimize the use of typography, graphics and images, color, object libraries, and layers in your templates.

  •   Work with the new transparency options and nondestructive effects in InDesign CS3.

  •   Set up Data Merge and XML-based templates to automate page production.

  •   Utilize and modify the templates that ship with InDesign CS3.

  •   Use Adobe Bridge to manage your text, image assets, and templates.

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    Table of contents

    1. Copyright
    2. Acknowledgments
    3. Introduction
    4. The Zen of Template Design
      1. Understanding Templates
        1. What Is a Template?
        2. Benefits of Using Templates
          1. Productivity
        3. Suitable Projects for Templating
        4. Basic Elements of a Template
          1. Master Pages
        5. Beyond the Basic Elements
          1. Object Libraries
          2. Interactive Features
          3. XML
          4. Custom Scripts
      2. Seven Principles of Great Template Design
        1. Know Your Tools
        2. Design with a Goal in Mind
        3. Speed Is a Priority
        4. Design for Ease of Use
        5. Employ Good Production Practices
        6. Continually Test and Explore Other Solutions
        7. Choose Between Flexibility and Rigidity
      3. Step-by-step Approach to Designing Templates
        1. Step 1: Define Your Objectives
          1. Workflow Requirements
        2. Step 2: Create a Mock-up Layout
        3. Step 3: Construct the Template
        4. Step 4: Test the Template
        5. Step 5: Implement the Template
      4. Getting Your Feet Wet with InDesign CS3 Templates
        1. Exploring the Templates that Ship with InDesign
          1. Opening Templates
          2. Saving Templates
        2. Customizing Predesigned InDesign Templates
          1. Step 5: Implement the Template
    5. Setting Up InDesign to Do the Work
      1. The Anatomy of a Frame
        1. Understanding the Terminology
        2. Three Types of Frames
          1. Text Frame
        3. Redefining a Frame’s Content
      2. Frames in Action
        1. Understanding the Rulers
          1. Changing the Measurement System
          2. Working with the Zero Point
        2. Measuring, Positioning, and Transforming Frames
          1. The Transform and Control Panels
          2. Measuring the Position of Frames
          3. Aligning and Distributing Frames
          4. Numerically Resize Frames
        3. Grouping, Nesting, Anchoring, and Stacking
      3. Setting Up the Framework of a Template
        1. Study the Mock-up Layout
        2. Setting Up the Page
          1. Bleed and Slug Area
        3. Constructing a Layout Grid
          1. Guides and Pasteboard Preferences
        4. Taking Advantage of Layout Adjustment
      4. Setting Up Master Pages, Libraries, and Layers
        1. Setting Up Master Pages
        2. Setting Up Object Libraries
          1. Organizing an Object Library
        3. Setting Up Layers
      5. Working with Color
        1. Creating Color Swatches
          1. Loading Swatches
      6. Formatting Type and Generating Style Sheets
        1. Essential Character Formatting
        2. Essential Paragraph Formatting
          1. Paragraph Alignment Options
          2. Paragraph Spacing
          3. Drop Caps
          4. Hyphenation Settings
          5. Justification Settings
          6. Keep Options
          7. Paragraph Rules
        3. Paragraph and Character Styles
          1. Creating Character Styles
          2. Setting Up Nested Styles
      7. Formatting Frames and Generating Object Styles
        1. Essential Frame Formatting
          1. Stroke Options
          2. Applying Corner Effects
          3. Text Frame Options
          4. Working with Anchored Objects
          5. Applying Transparency Effects
        2. Creating Object Styles
        3. Productivity Tips
        4. Importing Object Styles
      8. Formatting Tables and Generating Table and Cell Styles
        1. Creating Tables
        2. Selecting Tables
        3. Formatting Essential Cell Options
          1. Text Formatting for Cells
          2. Rows and Columns for Cells
        4. Creating Cell Styles
        5. Formatting Essential Table Options
          1. Table Setup
          2. Column Strokes
        6. Creating Table Styles
          1. Clearing Overrides
          2. Using Linked Content
      9. Adding Support for Long Documents
        1. Creating Running Lists
        2. Creating Multilevel Lists
        3. Setting the Document Footnote Options
        4. Creating a Table of Contents Style
      10. Preparing Your Template for Success
        1. Finalizing Your Template
          1. Specifying the Default Settings
        2. Testing Your Template
        3. Implementing Your Template
          1. Adding Metadata to a Template
          2. Packaging a Template for Distribution
        4. Creating a Style Guide
      11. Managing Templates with Adobe Bridge CS3
        1. Launching Bridge
        2. Exploring the Interface
          1. Navigating Folders
          2. Scaleable Thumbnail Previews
        3. Organizing Files
          1. Sorting and Filtering Methods
          2. Entering Metadata
        4. Finding Files
        5. Saving and Using Collections
      12. Automating Layouts with XML
        1. What Is XML?
        2. XML Terminology and Markup Rules
        3. InDesign’s XML Tools
        4. Understanding the Workflow
        5. Setting Up an XML-ready Template
          1. Step 3: Clean Up the Template
        6. Importing the XML Document
      13. Automating Layouts with Data Merge
        1. How Data Merge Works
        2. Creating a Data Source File
        3. Setting Up a Target Document
          1. Step 3: Insert the Data-field Placeholders
          2. Step 4: Choose Single or Multiple Records
          3. Step 5: Place Objects on the Document Page or Master Page
        4. Generating a Merged Document
        5. Data Merge Limitations

    Product information

    • Title: Instant InDesign: Designing Templates for Fast and Efficient Page Layout
    • Author(s): Gabriel Powell
    • Release date: November 2007
    • Publisher(s): Adobe Press
    • ISBN: 9780321549686