How To UseAdobe InDesign

NORTHERN UTAH

NATIVECONNECTIONSTUDENT + SCHOOL + FAMILY + COMMUNITY

Table of ContentsWhat is InDesign?.......................................................................................... 1How can I edit or create text?........................................................................ 2How can I edit or replace an image?.............................................................. 5How can I change the document settings?.................................................... 8Are there any other resources?...................................................................... 10

What is InDesign?InDesign is a documentation software that is similar to Microsoft Word, but InDesign creates documents at a more professional level rather than academic.

With Adobe InDesign, you can create almost any kind of document. You can create print documents such as brochures, flyers, novels, business cards, magazines, and letterheads. You can also create online documents such as ebooks and e-readers by creating .epub files. These, of course, only a few of the options available to you in InDesign.

This instructional manual will merely skim the surface of what InDesign can do for you and the Northern Utah Native Connection. Its sole purpose is to teach three basic concepts for revising previously created documents.

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How can I edit or create text?While InDesign is very similar to Microsoft Word in the documents it produces, InDesign’s ability to create more professional documents also makes it a little bit harder to create the documents.

In Microsoft Word, you can highlight a portion of the text to edit or replace it, and you can type by clicking anywhere on the page; InDesign isn’t that simple. But don’t let that keep you from using InDesign. InDesign can be a tool for credibility. If you produce professional, high-quality documents then people are going to assume that you are professionals. Isn’t that what you want?

The following pages will provide you with step by step examples of how to edit or create text in InDesign.

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2 & 3

Editing text1 Select the type tool

2 Select the text that you would like to edit by clicking inside of the text frame box

3 Make revisions as necessary

Note:The text tool must be selected to edit the text

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4

Creating Text1 Select the type tool

2 Click and drag on the page to create a text frame

3 Fill the text frame with text

4 Use the type and paragraph options at the top of the screen to customize your document

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How can I edit or replace an image?As your organization continues to grow and age, your images could also be growing old. It’s important to know how to replace or edit an image so that you can make the content of your documents current and conventional. When you are revising your documents ask, “how long has this image been here, and is it still relevant to my organizations goals?” Think of your audience and what you want them to see when they see your company documents.

Remember, if you put time into your documents, your audience is more likely to take the time to hear what you have to say.

In this section, you will have two brief tutorials on editing images and replacing images.

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1 & 2 3 4

EditingImages

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1 Double click on the image after the two rings appear (this will activate the image)

2 Right click on the image

3 Select “Edit Original” to edit in Photoshop

4 Select “Edit With” to use an alternative program

2 & 3

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1

ReplacingImages

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1 Select the image that you wish to replace

2 Select “File”

3 Select “Place” and a dialog box will appear for you to choose your file

4 In that dialog box, a check mark should be in the “Replace Selected Item” section

How can I change the document settings?When InDesign is creating a new document a document dialog box will appear that will give you the opportunity to adjust the size, margin, length, orientation, column amount, and other document options. After you have created a document, it’s a little bit harder to adjust these overall settings.

To adjust the size, length, orientation, and bleed sections of the document you can use the document setup option. To adjust the document settings you will need to select the Type Tool that is mentioned in the first section of this manual “How can I edit or create text?”

This section will show you how to access the document setup dialog box to adjust the size, length, orientation, and bleed sections of your document.

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1 & 2

3 ChangingSettings

1 Select “File”

2 Select “Document Setup”

3 Make the necessary document adjustments

Note:Use the Type Tool options to create or revise indentations, columns, and spacing settings

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Are there any other resources?Adobe understands that their products are unfamiliar to many, so they have provided multiple ways of learning how to use their programs. The most beneficial is their continuing “Classroom In A Book,” series. These books not only give you instructions on how to do something in an Adobe program, they also provide you with documents and files that you can edit step-by-step with the book. However, that is not the only resources you have. I have listed two categories of resources below: free resources and purchased resources.

Free resources:Adobe.comYouTube Instructional Videos

Purchased Resources:Lynda.com tutorialsAdobe InDesign “Classroom In A Book”

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