Hot Stuff
Win Suitcase Fusion 4 from Extensis!
Enter now to win!
Subscribe to Print Design & Layout How-Tos Print Design & Layout How-Tos
InDesign How-To: Using the New Content Conveyer in CS6
How-Tos: Written by Anne-Marie "HerGeekness" Concepcion on May 9, 2012
A new feature in InDesign CS6 is the Content Conveyor that lets you collect elements from a layout and reuse them quickly and easily. It represents a new way to work with content in your designs.
How-To: 10 Techniques for Copying Pages Between InDesign Documents
How-Tos: Written by Pariah Burke on April 11, 2012
There are many reasons why you might want to combine pages or objects from one or more InDesign documents into other InDesign documents. Perhaps you need to join unchanged pages from an old financial report with the new one; or use a previous design’s page geometry and elements as the template for a new project; or combine individual chapter INDDs into a single “book” that can be output as one long PDF; or... Whatever the case, InDesign has several paths to that end.
InDesign How-to: Balance Columns with Vertical Justification
How-Tos: Written by James Felici on February 27, 2012
You need to align type to a baseline grid but you don't want any orphans. Making columns of type line up in InDesign is the job of vertical justification. Here’s how to make it work for you.
Create a Table of Contents in InDesign
How-Tos: Written by Sandee Cohen on January 26, 2012
Don't create a table of contents (TOC) by hand! Let InDesign's automatic TOC feature generate it for you. The big bonus (besides no human errors): If your document changes, one click updates the entire TOC!
Make Text Look Like Chrome
How-Tos: Written by Mike Rankin on January 23, 2012
Using nothing more than a gradient swatch in InDesign, you can change text from a flat and boring object to a shiny metallic material that reflects the surfaces around it.
Align and Space Objects with InDesign's Smart Guides
How-Tos: Written by Sandee Cohen on December 28, 2011
Everyone who has InDesign CS4 or CS5 can benefit from Smart Guides, which automatically pop up as you drag out or move objects on the page. Learn how to use them to align two or more objects to the page and to each other. You'll also be able to space objects equally, rotate them equally, and more. It's smart to use Smart Guides!
Plumb the Depths of Your InDesign Layout
How-Tos: Written by David Blatner on December 21, 2011
When an InDesign page gets complicated, knowing the tricks for selecting overlapping and/or grouped objects will save you time and frustration.
The Merits of Uneven Leading
How-Tos: Written by James Felici on November 30, 2011
Just because your page-layout program says your leading is consistent doesn’t necessarily mean it looks that way. Here’s how to spot the problem and how to fix it.
Get to Know InDesign's Glyphs Panel
How-Tos: Written by Sandee Cohen on November 16, 2011
Some people never even open InDesign's Glyphs panel, and that's a shame. It can reveal alternate characters in your typefaces; help you quickly select and enter unusual characters, such as currency or math symbols; and find and change glyphs instantly no matter how long your document is.
Spacing Out
How-Tos: Written by James Felici on November 2, 2011
Exaggerated spacing between characters may be eye-catching, but controlling it can be a tricky business. Here's how to do it in InDesign and QuarkXPress.
The Seven Lively Sins: Try These InDesign Type Effects
How-Tos: Written by Nigel French on October 24, 2011
Some people think it’s a sin to alter a typeface. But I say that, used with skill and discretion, InDesign's transparency effects can make your type more lively.
InDesign How-To: Print Colors Correctly
How-Tos: Written by Sandee Cohen on October 17, 2011
Learn how to use InDesign's Separations Preview and you can be confident that your print jobs have smooth color combinations, the appropriate knockouts and overprints, and just the right amount of ink.
InDesign Efficiency: Keep Your Hand on the Keyboard
How-Tos: Written by David Blatner on October 3, 2011
InDesign's Quick Apply is an amazing yet underused feature that greatly improves your efficiency and is even better than keyboard shortcuts, since you only have to remember one key combination.
Type Effects: The Ins and Outs of Inlines and Outlines
How-Tos: Written by James Felici on September 29, 2011
Adding rules to normally invisible character outlines can add novel--and historical--effects to your type. Here's how to do it in InDesign, QuarkXPress, and Illustrator.
InDesign How-To: Designing with Data
How-Tos: Written by Michael Murphy on September 8, 2011
Unlike "jumbo shrimp", the phrase "data-driven design" is not an oxymoron. Combining the organization and structure of a spreadsheet or database with the typographic and layout power of InDesign can generate great-looking informational design in a handful of simple steps.
New Video Series Introduces You to InDesign's Secretarial Skills
How-Tos: Written by Anne-Marie "HerGeekness" Concepcion on August 29, 2011
David Blatner and Anne-Marie Concepción of the InDesignSecrets blog have a new series on lynda.com with an almost identical name: "InDesign Secrets". In the first episode of the lynda.com series, you'll learn how to turn InDesign's auto-correct feature into a robot secretary that enters long words and phrases for you.
Uncover the Hidden Powers of InDesign's Effects Panel
How-Tos: Written by Mike Rankin on August 22, 2011
Knowing your way around the Effects panel is the first step in mastering InDesign's transparency effects.
Five Healthy Habits in InDesign
How-Tos: Written by Sandee Cohen on August 18, 2011
Adopt these InDesign habits and you'll work smarter and faster. We've made it easy by providing five free downloads that give you a running start on each habit.
Track Down Obscure Glyphs in InDesign
How-Tos: Written by David Blatner on July 11, 2011
There are many characters that don't appear on standard keyboards. Here's how to enter those hard-to-reach glyphs in Adobe InDesign.
Kerning: A Master Class
How-Tos: Written by James Felici on June 29, 2011
Five tips from the trenches for the devotee of hand-kerning. Take this advice and you'll have a visually harmonious page that will please the designer's eyes and be easier for the reader to comprehend.
