City Lit Pro: Adobe InDesign intensive

What is the course about?

In this course, you will learn to use the essential tools in InDesign using up-to-date software. Through creative demonstrations and practical exercises, you will learn InDesign's fundamental tools, panels and techniques. Starting with layout basics, you will quickly move to typographic tools and working with long text using styles. You will also learn how to add colour, create tables and objects and create a professional folder to send to commercial printers.

This course will enable students to use InDesign to create single and multiple page documents, whether working as a company employee, a freelancer or producing your own personal projects.

You will need to have access the latest version of Adobe® Creative Cloud for Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign, which is what will be used to teach this course. If you do not have the software City Lit can provide a temporary license that will last for the duration of this course only. If you require a license please contact us at least a week before your course starts at computing@citylit.ac.uk to arrange this. You cannot do the course if you do not have the software installed on your computer. You will need to request a licence for each Adobe course you enrol on.

You must check the software and hardware requirements for downloading the Adobe software before enrolling, please follow this link to do so: https://helpx.adobe.com/uk/creative-cloud/system-requirements.html

Please note that versions older than CS6 are not suitable for this course, as there are too many differences and as a result students will not be able to perform some of the same functions on their own computers. You can request a temporary license from us, however, installing new versions of applications may require you to update the operating system of your computer to support it. These changes can be irreversible, and students must take personal responsibility should they chose to do so.

This is a live online course. You will need:
- Internet connection. The classes work best with Chrome.
- A computer with microphone and camera.
- Earphones/headphones/speakers.
We will contact you with joining instructions before your course starts.

What will we cover?

• Managing the InDesign work environment
• Adding and managing images
• Adding and managing pages
• Managing Master pages
• Adding and managing text
• Threading text
• Character and Paragraph Styles
• Wrapping text around objects
• Adding and managing colour
• Designing tables
• Integration with Photoshop and illustrator
• Pre-flight and packaging
• Save and export from InDesign.

What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...

• Create, open and save an InDesign document
• Navigate through Adobe InDesign workspace confidently
• Create simple and multiple pages documents
• Layout text and images in a document
• Manipulate images
• Manipulate short and long text
• Create swatches and apply colour
• Create tables
• Identify and remove errors from a document
• Integrate with Photoshop and Illustrator
• Prepare and pack a folder for commercial printers
• Save and export files in Indd, Idml and pdf formats.

What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?

No prior knowledge of InDesign is required, but understanding either of Photoshop or Illustrator is desirable. However, students should be confident and competent computer users on a Mac or Windows PC and be proficient with a mouse and keyboard in either a creative software, Microsoft Word, PowerPoint or equivalent and should be able to download, upload, save, open and retrieve files. Some awareness of design for print or any other art/design practice would be useful.
You should be able to follow simple written and verbal instructions, demonstrations, hand-outs and health and safety information, and will be invited to take part in group discussion. You should be able to use numbers and be able to do simple measurements and calculations.

How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?

You will be taught using a range of techniques including short lectures, demonstrations, practical exercises, tutorials, group and individual assistance. Student preparation and homework outside class times is strongly encouraged.

Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?

You will need to have access the latest version of Adobe® Creative Cloud for Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign, which is what will be used to teach this course. If you do not have the software City Lit can provide a temporary license that will last for the duration of this course only. If you require a license please contact us at least a week before your course starts at computing@citylit.ac.uk to arrange this. You cannot do the course if you do not have the software installed on your computer. You will need to request a licence for each Adobe course you enrol on.
You must check the software and hardware requirements for downloading the Adobe software before enrolling, please follow this link to do so: https://helpx.adobe.com/uk/creative-cloud/system-requirements.html

Please note that versions older than CS6 are not suitable for this course, as there are too many differences and as a result students will not be able to perform some of the same functions on their own computers. You can request a temporary license from us, however, installing new versions of applications may require you to update the operating system of your computer to support it. These changes can be irreversible, and students must take personal responsibility should they chose to do so.

A pen and paper to take notes. You may also find that having a couple of sheets of A4 paper and a ruler to hand would also be useful. Handouts for this course are best viewed in Adobe Acrobat Reader (or, if you have full Creative Cloud, Acrobat DC) so may want to have Acrobat on your computer.

When I've finished, what course can I do next?

You can develop your skills further in City Lit Pro: Adobe Creative Cloud intensive stage 2. City Lit offer a range of courses in Graphic Design, Illustration, Animation, Photoshop, Illustrator and Indesign to enhance your design practice.