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Easy Fixes for Microsoft Word Formatting in InDesign
How-Tos: Written by Anne-Marie "HerGeekness" Concepcion on November 12, 2009
Two free and easy-to-use scripts convert Word's local formatting to InDesign's character styles. Two more retain InDesign formatting when you export text formatted with automatically applied character styles.
Safely Export Pictures from QuarkXPress
How-Tos: Written by Jay J. Nelson on November 5, 2009
This process is ideal when you want to give a Web developer pictures that you cropped, rotated, or altered in QuarkXPress. It's also useful for converting a picture from one file format or color space to another.
One Good Kern Deserves Another
How-Tos: Written by James Felici on October 12, 2009
Evening out the spaces between characters is a matter of finding the right rhythm, then going with the flow.
Combine Illustrator Patterns with Photoshop Masks for Instant Visual Appeal
How-Tos: Written by Chad Neuman on September 28, 2009
With this technique, you can create eye-catching imagery without fancy plug-ins or big stock photo budgets.
Illustrator How-to: Distribute Art Around a Path
How-Tos: Written by Mordy Golding on September 24, 2009
When you want to align objects to something other than a straight path -- for example, 12 stars in a circular pattern -- you have to go back to Illustrator's beginning.
To Boldly Go . . . Or Is It Italically?
How-Tos: Written by James Felici on September 21, 2009
In any family, you can always spot the role of certain members. Typeface families are no different.
Punc Rocks: The Typographer's Guide to Punctuation
How-Tos: Written by James Felici on September 9, 2009
When it comes to understanding what we read, periods, commas, and their dotty allies are proof that it's the little things that count. Here's how to use them correctly.
Acrobat How-to: Add Text to PDFs
How-Tos: Written by Anne-Marie "HerGeekness" Concepcion on August 20, 2009
There are a couple of ways to add text to a PDF, but with this method, you can style the text and the box it's in. A bonus tip explains how to ensure that the added text always prints.
Create an Image Sandwich in Photoshop
How-Tos: Written by Chad Neuman on July 6, 2009
Here's how to weave a photo behind and in front of text using Photoshop. It's a great technique for brochures, newsletters, magazines, and anywhere you want to grab attention with something a little out of the ordinary.
Make an Image Sandwich in InDesign
How-Tos: Written by David Blatner on July 3, 2009
Place an image above and below text and vector graphics for a tasty visual meal.
Clipping Drop Shadows in Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign
How-Tos: Written by Mordy Golding on June 22, 2009
Learn how to create an object with both a transparent fill and a drop shadow in three major software programs.
Recipes for Applying -- and Ignoring -- Text Wrap
How-Tos: Written by Diane Burns on June 11, 2009
Whip up a few tasty treats using InDesign’s text wrap features.
But Will It Print?
How-Tos: Written by Steve Werner on June 11, 2009
Ten tips for creating an InDesign file that prints perfectly.
QuarkXPress Tips: Word Import, Printing Fix, Preview Prescience
How-Tos: Written by Jay J. Nelson on June 11, 2009
In this collection of quick and handy tips, learn how to improve importing from Microsoft Word, troubleshoot QuarkXPress printer problems, cut paths, and more.
InDesign Tutorial: Preflight Files in CS4
How-Tos: Written by Russell Viers on June 10, 2009
InDesign CS4 introduced a new fusion between design capability and the laws of printing that will blow your socks off. Here's how to create and implement a basic preflight profile and read an error report.
Get the Nesting Instinct: InDesign's Nested Styles Auto-Format Multiple Paragraphs
How-Tos: Written by Michael Murphy on June 8, 2009
Before InDesign CS, no page layout program allowed character styles to work within paragraph styles. The two styles were completely independent of one another. But now you can prebuild one or more character styles into a paragraph style and trigger those character styles with specific conditions; e.g., bold the beginning text in a paragraph until an em dash appears. What character styles are nested in the paragraph, in what order, and what triggers the switch between them, is entirely up to you!
How to Cure Typochondria
How-Tos: Written by Pamela Pfiffner on May 11, 2009
"Typochondria" is the fear that you've selected the wrong typeface. If you've ever suffered from that font affliction, rest easy: This article is good for what ails you.
Top QuarkXPress Tips
How-Tos: Written by Jay J. Nelson on March 23, 2009
Adjust dot leaders, link spreadsheets to tables, and learn the logic behind spaces before and after paragraphs.
InDesign's Anchored Objects: More Than Meets the Eye
How-Tos: Written by Diane Burns on February 23, 2009
We all know that InDesign’s Anchored Object feature can be useful. But you may think of this feature only in its classic application, where images that need to run in a margin alongside text are anchored to the appropriate word. However, there are other, less obvious situations where the feature can come in handy, including decorative treatments for titles, tables, and column toppers.
Get Creative with Vector Speech and Thought Bubbles
How-Tos: Written by Chad Neuman on January 26, 2009
It doesn't take long to create speech or thought bubbles in Adobe Illustrator. Bonus: As you have fun, you'll learn more about the Pathfinder palette, Shape tools, Warp tools, and the Pen tool.