InDesign Refresher · Page 1 of 8
Before you start
Haven’t used InDesign in a while? This tutorial gets you back up to speed in Adobe InDesign on the tools you need for a magazine: styles, lists, text, parent pages and automatic page numbers. Work through it once, then keep it open as a reference during the exercises.
Before you start
A few settings make everything else easier. Do these once.
- Pick a workspace: puts the Styles panels where you can reach them. Use if your panels go missing.
- Show hidden characters: (Opt+Cmd+I). You’ll see every space, tab and return, which is how you find double spaces and empty paragraphs.
- Turn on smart quotes: (called Preferences in older versions) (Windows: ) > check Use Typographer’s Quotes.
- Check your work in Preview: press W (with no text cursor active) to hide guides and frame edges.
Shortcuts on this page are written for Mac. On Windows, use Ctrl for Cmd and Alt for Opt.
Set up the document
Get the size, margins and columns right at the start. Changing them later moves everything.
- and choose the Print tab.
- Enter the Width and Height from your brief (the Pulse magazine is 7.5″ × 9.75″).
- Check Facing Pages for anything that will be bound, like a magazine. Turn it off for single sheets and spreads you design side by side.
- Check Primary Text Frame if most pages will hold running text. It puts a threaded text frame on the parent page for you.
- Set Columns and Column Gutter (start with your grid plan; see the grid recipe).
- Click Margins and Bleed. Margins use Inside and Outside when facing pages are on. Set Bleed to 0.125 in on all sides.
- Click Create.
Page size and bleed: . Margins and columns: (this changes only the pages or parent you have selected in the Pages panel).
These exercises don’t give you a file. Write down your size, margins, columns, gutter and bleed before you click Create, and add them to your Production Notes (Shortcuts & Production Notes).
© Created by Sara Rosenstock, Marietta College Graphic Design.