An Introduction to InDesign CC
In this lesson we were introduced to the Graphic Pre-Press file structure used in industry and given a grounding in the Adobe InDesign platform. Our task was to create an invitation using the supplied asset files and submit the zipped archive for assessment.
Activity 1
File structure is very important in the Graphic Pre-Press Industry. Designers need to be efficient in the disposal of files to a commercial printer as time is money in a competitive market. InDesign and the Adobe Library require all linked asset files to be present in this directory structure. Although fixable, this may cause a delay in a job being printed. This file management structure will be used throughout the duration of this course.
Activity 2
- Arrange these files in folders as per instructions
- As an extension, create a decorative border for the invite
Preparation
- A blue (to highlight toy) and matching (orange / yellow) colour scheme.
- "Ultimate Party Planners", rather than “PartiesRus are the”, preferred latter.
- "Hurry this special", with line break, preferred formation with no line break.
- Text wrapped around message text / joined to phone number.
- Fonts : Top 10 body fonts + Others
MJ AlGhifari / Adelle (slab) / Balloon Drop Shadow / Children's Block fonts.
Title : Peralta
Body : FreightText Pro BOLD (typekit)
- With and without side decorations, border and border effects.
- Progressively compared images looking for readability and contrast.
Results
Conclusion
This task enabled a firm grounding in the basics of Adobe InDesign. I learnt the importance of colour swatches, how similar the layer system is to Photoshop, how to relink library assets, and how to apply effects to objects of type object, fill, stroke, graphic and text. I also learnt the inport and outport of text boxes, enabling multiple txt boxes to virtually join together. The effect layers work like Photoshop adjustment layers, and I was able to make several arrangements of the design before selecting a final colour scheme and font arrangement. The fill and outline palates were fairly simple allowing a limited selection of border styles. I researched other methods of importing library graphics and using them as a border but keept the final design simple. Operating in RGB mode is required for Adobe Acrobat Reader, the colours can be very different between RGB and CMYK transparency blending modes.
I created one design with a blue background, and another with a matching colour scheme to the supplied assets toy and logo. I experimented with layering effects to accentuate the text. I added the main theme colours as colour swatches but not the blending effects. If done correctly, updating the swatch affects all items on the document. I used many blending colours, all need a predefined swatch, or set manually. This results in exiting the blending mode, updating / creating the appropriate colour swatch, then re-entering the blending mode, to make minor changes. The effect system itself seemed difficult, minor changes resulting in large impacts on the colour scheme. I found the platform to be useful and simple, although after watching Terry Whites videos on interactive content, it can quickly become very complex, embedding flash video, slideshows, animation and button states.
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