InDesign Basics

To create a document Click on Document on the right side of the pink and black box in the center of your screen. If this box does not pop open, go to the top left corner, click on File, then click on New, then click on Document.

Creating a Spread Change number of Pages to 2. Change Letter to Tabloid You can change the number of columns if you want – 4 max, please – but don’t have to. Click OK when satisfied.

Fixing your pages You want your pages to touch, not be on separated like they are right now, so do the following: Click on Pages at the top right. A pop out box will occur with the following appearance:

Click on one of the the A-Master boxes, then hold down the Control Key and click on the other so that both are highlighted in blue. Let go of the Control key and double click in the middle of the blue boxes and your pages will now meet in the middle.

Making Picture and Text Boxes Click the Rectangle Frame Tool for pictures (square with an X) Click the Rectangle Tool for text boxes (solid square) Then, click on your page and pull until the box is your preferred size.

Inserting a picture Once you have made a picture box, drag the desired picture over and into the box. The picture may need to be resized or centered.

Resizing and Centering Pictures When resizing a picture, click the box repetitively until a tan outline appears, and the blue outline disappears, as shown to the left. Once you see a tan outline, hold down the SHIFT key and drag from a corner until the picture is your preferred size. When the tan outline is apparent, you can center the picture as needed within the box by simply clicking and holding the cursor, then moving it, or with the arrow keys on the keyboard. To resize the blue box, or the frame through which you see the picture, click slowly and repetitively until the blue outline appears. You are able to move, resize, and rotate the picture box with the BLACK cursor without changing the picture itself.

Text boxes and other text When inserting a text box, click the Text Box option (the solid box without an X in it.) Drag the mouse to make the text box. The size can be changed once the box is made. This technique is very similar to making a picture box. Add regular text to Text boxes by clicking on the box then clicking on the large T, the Type Tool, then placing the cursor in the box. Change the font by highlighting the text and using the tools as seen below.

To print text on a path, first create a path by using the pencil tool, then click on the big T and hold down to choose Type On A Path Tool, then click on the place where you want it to begin. When you finish, you can change the weight of the line by clicking on the pencil, them right click on the line, choose Stroke Weight, then change it to zero and it will disappear but yo0ur text will still be on the path you created.