Adobe InDesign Beginner (2023): Creating a Document

Name: Adobe InDesign Beginner (2023): Creating a Document
Author: Mike Collins

Learn how to create, save, and export a new document in Adobe InDesign

Preview the first lesson free — get full access to all 4 lessons.

Course: On-Demand

Hello, my name is Mike Collins. In this lesson, you will learn how to start, save, and export a new document in Adobe InDesign. Let's open the application and you'll see the Welcome to InDesign start screen with several options or document settings. If you are designing a document you intend to print, you can select the default letter option on the left for an 8 .5 x 11 -inch document in a portrait orientation, or if you want to choose a different size, select the More Presets option on the right, and you can now enter your desired page size and orientation. Adobe InDesign are in picas, but you can change these by clicking on the down arrow to select other units, such as inches. This will be the unit of measurement you will see when you want to measure something or look at a ruler on the screen. There are many other options you can choose to create a custom document. You can choose how many pages you want your document to have, or leave it as the default of one page, and you can always add additional pages later. You can select facing pages if you plan to print a book with facing pages, like a magazine or book where the pages are arranged in a spread instead of a single individual page. For a document with a single page, you will not need to select this option. There is a primary text frame option you can use to apply a new master page, and the primary text will flow into the primary text frame, but we will discuss this in more detail on the lesson on how to use pages. You also have the option to select how many columns will be in your document. You can change the size of your margins, and you can also change the size of bleed and slug, which are print terms for the area outside for the final printed page that contain printer instructions that we'll discuss in another lesson. There are many other options you can choose to fine -tune your document, and you'll become more familiar with them as you become more familiar with Adobe InDesign. Adobe offers a series of both free and paid stock templates found in the document dialog box. They're an excellent way for you to see and learn how Adobe InDesign projects are created and can be used as a great way to begin a project for yourself or a client. New Adobe templates are constantly being updated, so you should check on them from time to time to see what's new. A new feature in the Welcome to InDesign Start screen includes digital publishing options for a variety of devices, including an iPad Pro or for the web, at a standard 1920 by 1080 pixel size, to view your document on a computer monitor. You also have the option to create any size you want. Let's go ahead and open up a print document for now, and we'll start with a default 8 .5 by 11 -inch letter size in portrait orientation. We'll reduce it on the screen so we can see the entire page. Once you have your desired page size and orientation, we can select either the default document as we just did, or the Create button on the lower left, and your new document will open on the screen. You can save whatever page settings we just created to be used again at a later time by selecting the Save Presets button, or change any setting later by selecting File, Document Setup. Let's learn how to save your file in some of the formats Adobe InDesign offers to save or export your document. When you've finished designing or making changes to your Adobe InDesign project and are ready to save it, select File up at the top menu, and Save, and choose an appropriate name for your file and where you want to save it on your computer. Make sure that the InDesign document is selected for the file format, and select Save. Another option is to go to File, and select Save As to save your document with a given file name that will become the active file in InDesign. You also have the option to go to File, and Save a Copy. This saves a copy of your document and creates a copy of the file that will be saved in your desired location, and will not change the active file so you can continue to work on and edit the original file. You can always close any open file in InDesign by choosing File, Close. Adobe InDesign saves your document with a default .indd file extension, and anyone with the same version of InDesign can open and edit the file you just saved. You can also save your document in a file format that is compatible with earlier versions of Adobe InDesign. To do this, select File, Save As, then from the drop -down menu, select InDesign CS4 or later, and select Save. With this file type, now users with CS4, CS5, and CS5 .5 will be able to open your file. You can also send a visual image of your document to someone who does not have InDesign loaded on their computer, that they can still view the document. To do this, you'll need to save your document as a PDF, or other compatible graphic file format like a JPEG, TIFF, or PNG file. Anyone with a free PDF viewer will now be able to see your file, but not edit it. To export your document as a different file, then the default Adobe InDesign .indd file format, select File and Export. When the Export dialog box opens, you can then select Adobe PDF Print for a file to be printed, or Adobe PDF Interactive for digital files with interactive features like buttons, links, and videos. Other Adobe InDesign export options include HTML for websites, or EPUB for eBooks. Now you've learned a little about how to open or create an Adobe InDesign document in any size or format you like, and how to save and export it to a variety of file types. Stay tuned for the next lesson, where I will show you the menus, panels, and tools in the Adobe InDesign application interface, and how to navigate your way around the screen. Thanks for watching.

Beginner Provider : Mike Collins 4 Lessons · 36m in English

Course Description

Learning how to use either predefined or custom Layouts is an essential skill for creating printed or digital projects. In these lessons, you’ll learn about all the tools necessary to create and modify your own unique publishing project. We’ll demonstrate how InDesign’s tools and menus give you a complete toolbox you can use to complement your organization’s communications projects. It is important in today’s world to know how to create the most effective messaging, and InDesign is compatible with nearly all publishing methods.

In these lessons on Adobe InDesign, you will learn how to create a new custom document for print or in a digital online format. We will explore InDesign’s many tools and submenus, and you’ll become familiar with the basics of how to print, export, or share your document files. We will explore how to use the Menu bar and Control Panel, and you’ll be introduced to the tools in the side Tools Panel. You’ll also learn how to create and modify text and graphics to make your InDesign document exactly the way you want, as well as how to set up and use the Properties Panel with your most commonly used tools, settings, and options. By the end of these lessons, you will also be able to navigate around your document with zoom and pan options and customize your Workspace.

What You'll Learn

Create and export a new custom InDesign document for print or digital online formats
Navigate and customize your Workspace using zoom and pan options
Use the Menu bar, Control Panel, Tools Panel, and Properties Panel to access your most common tools and settings
Add, edit, and modify text and text frames within your document
Create and modify graphics to design your document the way you want
Print, export, or share your finished InDesign document files

Key Takeaways

InDesign's tools and menus provide a complete toolbox for creating printed or digital publishing projects.
Using predefined or custom layouts is an essential skill for creating print or digital projects.
InDesign lets you create a new custom document for either print or a digital online format.
The Properties Panel can be set up with your most commonly used tools, settings, and options.
InDesign is compatible with nearly all publishing methods for effective messaging.

Frequently Asked Questions

What will I learn in this beginner InDesign course?

You'll learn to create a new custom document for print or digital formats, explore InDesign's tools and submenus, use the Menu bar, Control Panel, Tools Panel, and Properties Panel, create and modify text and graphics, navigate with zoom and pan, customize your workspace, and print, export, or share your files.

Is this course suitable for beginners?

Yes. This is an Adobe InDesign Beginner (2023) course that introduces the basics of creating a document and becoming familiar with InDesign's core tools and panels.

What topics do the lessons cover?

The lessons cover Starting, Saving, and Exporting a New Document; Navigating and Customizing your Workspace; Adding and Editing Text and Text Frames; and Creating a Poster.

What skills does this course help build?

It builds skills in Adobe InDesign and works toward Adobe InDesign Certification.

Can I use InDesign for both print and digital projects?

Yes. The course teaches how to create documents for print or in a digital online format, and notes that InDesign is compatible with nearly all publishing methods.