The Non-Designer's InDesign Book

Robin Williams is the author of dozens of best-selling and award-winning books, including The Non-Designer’s Presentation Book, The Non-Designer’s Design Book, The Little Mac Book, and so many more. Through her writing, teaching, and seminars, Robin has educated and influenced an entire generation of computer users in the areas of design, typography, presentations, and the Mac.

1 What is InDesign?
A. What you can do with it
a. The difference between a word processor and InDesign
b. The joy of an object-oriented application
B. What you can not do with it
Includes a chart with a list of projects indicating when you might use a word processor,
InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, or other app for that particular project.

2 Quick Sample Projects
The sample projects allow readers to quickly and easily develop small design ideas using
the basic tools; they provide an immediate interaction with the application and a feeling of
empowerment. The projects also provide examples of typical sorts of projects for which you
might use this particular application.
A. Flyer: learn to use the most common tools; work with an object-oriented program;
organize, adjust, finetune, redesign.
This project emphasizes the things you already know how to do
and teaches new skills to supplement what you already know.
B. The InDesign interface—learn to control the panels
C. Brochure: Multiple columns, import text, create text, place graphics, etc.
D. Multiple page project: Eight-page booklet; using facing pages; importing lengthy text,
master pages, etc.

3 Formatting
A. How to do the things you already know how to do
B. Defaults: set them before you start working; learn to manipulate them
C. Fonts; where to get inexpensive ones; use the Glyph palette for OpenType fonts;
avoid fake styles
Most users of the Adobe suite of products end up with at least InDesign, Photoshop,
and Illustrator on their computers. This book is for those who might be power users
of Photoshop, Illustrator, or even Dreamweaver, but are a bit lost in a text-based pagelayout
application such as InDesign. It is also a book for those who have been using word
processors or entry-level design apps to create their work and are ready to develop a
more professional look.
This book includes many individual exercises designed specifically to teach the tools
and ideas that InDesign offers, and along the way offers many design tips for nondesigners.
It does not, however, create one giant project from beginning to end—rather,
the individual exercises ensure that a reader can jump in at any point to learn a specific
tool or technique. Text and graphic files will be provided on an included cd so readers
and instructors will have the assets available to work with.

4 Graphics
A. Drawing tools
B. Importing graphics
C. How to manipulate graphics
a. Resize, rotate, crop, paste into, etc.
b. Make adjustments in Photoshop with a click
D. How to place multiple graphics
E. RGB vs. CMYK; jpg vs. tiff; when to use which model/format
F. What to do about missing links

5 Color
A. RGB vs. CMYK; when to use which one
B. The Swatches palette vs. the Color palette; how to use them
a. How to create colors; how to copy colors
b. How to apply colors; what kinds of graphics you can apply color to

6 Spacing
A. One of the three most important things to learn—this is what makes the difference
between amateur and professional design work.
B. Space between letters
C. Space between words
D. Space between lines
E. Space between paragraphs
F. Space above and below headines and subheads

7 Tabs and Indents
A. One of the three most important things to learn—never use the Spacebar to indent.
Includes excercises for simple tabs and indents, hanging indents, hanging outdents,
numbered lists, columns, etc.

8 Style Sheets
A. One of the three most important things to learn—you waste huge amounts of time
if you don’t know how to use style sheets!
B. What they do; why to use them
C. How to create and use style sheets using everything you already know about
formatting, spacing, tabs and indents, etc.

9 Extra Fun Things
A. Type on a curve
B. Text wrap; import a graphic with a path
C. Drop shadows and other effects
D. Text as outline; why, when, how to manipulate
E. Create a path around a graphic to remove the background
F. Etcetera . . .

10 Going to Press
The Non-Designer’s InDesign Book • Robin Williams 2
A. Print booklets on your desktop printer
B. Check your links, fonts, etc.; “package” your file
C. Press specifications for projects such as online printing at PrintPlace.com;
book projects at Blurb.com, Lulu.com, or CreateSpace.com (note re the book features
of InDesign)
D. Create an eBook
E. Create a PDF or a Digital Edition file
F. Save a file for an earlier version of InDesign