Magazine Design 2

STEP 1

Open the Adobe InDesign publication file we saved from the second part of the tutorial. Go to the back cover (page 4) and use the Text tool to add a title using the same font we used for the titles on page 3. I used Rosewood. Creating two separate text boxes enables us to move each line to where we want with a Selection tool, instead of having to move it word-processor style.

STEP 2

Go to File>Place and select the Word document, Spreading Joy.doc. Instead of clicking-and-dragging a text box, just click somewhere and the entire article will be placed. Move it so it’s over the photo like shown here.

STEP 3

Select the photo of the woman blowing the bubbles. Open the Text Wrap palette (Window>Text Wrap). Click the third-from-left option at the top so the text will wrap around our photo. Normally the text will wrap around the entire photo. But since this photo is overexposed and has a lot of white area in it we can have text, let’s have the text wrap more specifically around the subject in the photo instead of the entire photo. Change the Contour Options to Detect Edges.

STEP 4

This causes the text to wrap around the woman.

STEP 5

Draw two circles using the Ellipse tool (hold Shift to make perfect circles). Select them with the Selection tool and add a text wrap on the Text Wrap palette. Select the third-from-left option at the top. We also want to get rid of the lines where only a word or two is, on the right side of the woman. So move the photo over to the right a little bit to push the text out of that area.

STEP 6

One downside of using the Detect Edges County Option on the Text Wrap palette is that it may allow text into areas you don’t want it to be. For the photo of the woman blowing bubbles, the white area shown here has let an “a” letter in there.

STEP 7

Let’s fix that. One way to do that is to create an object-such as a circle here-and add a text wrap to it on top of the area we don’t want text.

STEP 8

Let’s add a pull quote to one of the articles. Go to page 2 and off to the side use the Text tool to add a quote. Change the font size of the actual quote and have the source of the quote be a smaller font size.

STEP 9

Add a text wrap to this text box, using the same option as the other text wraps.

STEP 10

Next, click-and-drag the text box with the Selection tool over an area of text. Placing it on the edge somewhere prevents it from creating awkward short text sections such as would happen with placing it slightly off the side of the page.

There’s a little too much white space here between the pull quote and the article. Fix that by clicking-and-dragging the sides of the text wrap. You can move the line or just a corner. This enables the text to get closer to the pull quote.

Now we’ve created a four-page publication and learned a few techniques in the process. Try creating a newsletter, portfolio, or magazine with the same tools we’ve used here.

Read more »

use PDF Templates for Labels & Business Cards in Adobe InDesign

The following article will help you use our PDF Label Templates in Adobe InDesign (CS1-4). The author, Anne-Marie Concepción, is Chicago’s top source for cross-media publication design and authorized Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Acrobat and Quark training.

1. Download the PDF template that matches the type of labels you’ll be printing on, and save the template to a convenient location, like your desktop. In the example you’ll be using throughout this tutorial, you’re printing out standard address labels, 30 per page, so you’ve downloaded the WL-OL875 template. For standard business cards, use this template WL-OL244. The general steps outlined here should work with any template, though of course the settings you’ll enter should be customized to your particular template.
2. Create a new InDesign document (File > New > Document) and set its page size and orientation (portrait or landscape) to match the page size and orientation of your blank label paper. In the example, the page size is a standard letter size (8.5″ by 11″, portrait). Turn off (uncheck) the Facing Pages checkbox, and make sure that the Master Text Frame checkbox is also turned off. You’ll be setting margin and column settings later on, so you can leave these at the default measures for now. Click OK.

1. InDesign creates a new one-page document and shows you the first document page. Switch to the Master Page by double-clicking the “A-Master Page” name at the top of the Pages panel.

You’ll import the PDF template to this master page so it appears on every document page you create for your labels. (Anything you add to a master page automatically appears on each document page based on that master, and by default, all document pages are based on “A-Master Page.”).

1. Choose File > Place and locate the template you downloaded in Step 1. Select the file and click the Open button.
2. Your cursor is “loaded” with the PDF file. Move the cursor so the tip of its arrow is exactly at the top left corner of the master page, and then click to place the file.

The PDF should appear at full-size, exactly overlaying your master page. Keep the PDF selected and verify it’s correctly positioned. To do this, click the upper-left dot in the Reference Point grid at the far left on the Control panel. The values for both the X and Y Position fields immediately to the right of the grid should be “0 in” (if you’re using inches) or “0p0″ (if you’re using picas).

If the positions aren’t at 0, enter 0 for each field. The PDF will move into the correct position.

1. The PDF template art should still be selected. Open the Attributes panel (Window > Attributes) and turn on the Nonprinting checkbox. This prevents the thin label borders in the template, which are there only for a visual check, from appearing in the printed label output.

1. Open the Layers panel (Window > Layers) and lock the current layer by clicking in the Lock square to the left of the layer name. This prevents you from accidentally selecting or moving the PDF artwork if you need to work on the master page in the future.

1. Since you can’t edit a locked layer, add a new layer by clicking the Create New Layer button at the bottom of the Layers panel.

You’ll be working in layer 2 (two) from now on, so keep it highlighted. You can optionally double-click each layer name to give them custom names, if you like.

1. Now set up your margin and column guides. Make sure you’re still working on the master page (it’s highlighted in the Pages panel), and choose Layout > Margins and Columns. In the Margins and Columns dialog box, turn on the Preview checkbox, and enter the measures for your label paper’s margins and gutters (space between columns) as well as the number of columns of labels per page. You can find measurement information on the label paper’s box or on the template’s preview page on WorldLabel.com.

Note: If the top/bottom margin fields need a different measure than the left/right margins (as in our example), and you’re using InDesign CS3 or CS4, make sure to turn off the dialog box’s “Make all settings the same” button. That is, click the linked chain icon so it looks broken. Now you can enter different measures.
Since the Preview checkbox is turned on, as you adjust the margin, column and gutter measures in the dialog box you can confirm that their guides correctly match the template on the master page.

When you’re satisfied, click the OK button in the Margins and Columns dialog box.

1. In the Pages panel, double-click the first document page icon to make it active. Here is where you’ll be entering the data to fit within the labels.

At this point you should save your changes to the document. If you plan on reusing this document in the future to output different sets of labels, save it as an InDesign template (INDT) from the Format menu in the Save or Save As dialog box. Whenever you need to run more labels, open the INDT file to create a new Untitled document.
Your options for entering the data for the labels are:

• Manually enter the data into a single large text frame you create on the document page, one column or text frame per label column. Use the margin and column guides to position your text frame edges. For multiple labels within a text frame’s column, use paragraph formatting to ensure each entry fits within the label’s printable area. The manual formatting method is best suited for one-up or two-up labels. With the 30-up label pages in this example, it would require a fair amount of experimentation to get the vertical spacing between labels correct. (But once it’s correct, the settings can be saved within Paragraph Styles.)
• Manually enter the information into one large table overlaying the PDF template preview on the document page. It should have the same number of columns and rows as a single label page. In our example, this would be a table with three columns and ten rows. Format the cell insets so they match the column guides, and set the row height to an exact measure so they match the height of the labels. Tables can continue onto additional pages, just like text frames.
• If the data is already prepared as a tab- or comma-delimited text file, you can use InDesign’s DataMerge feature (Window > Automation > DataMerge) to automatically import and format the labels, adding pages as necessary. This is the fastest option for multiple-up labels, such as the 30-up labels we’re using in our example, or for any label project that requires a great number of labels, even if there’s only one or two per page. Start by creating a single text frame that matches the size and positioning of a single label, the first label on the page, per your guidelines and the template. DataMerge will duplicate the frame automatically, entering one address (one record) per label. More information on using the DataMerge feature can be found in InDesign’s help files.

Read more »

Create a Flag Graphic with Type in InDesign

How to Create a Flag Graphic with Type in InDesign

Final Image Preview

Step 1 – Draw a Curve in InDesign

Use the Pen Tool (P) or Pencil Tool (N) to draw a wavy line. Use the Stroke panel or Control panel to give the line a 1 pt stroke. We’ll remove the stroke later, but it is helpful to have a visible stroke on the line for the next few steps.

Step 2 – Prepare the Curve to Receive Path Type

Click on the Path Type Tool (buried under the Type Tool, or press Shift + T. With the Path Type Tool, click on the curve you drew in Step 1. This will turn the curve into a text path.

Step 3 – Duplicate the Curve

With the Selection (Black Arrow) Tool, click on the curve you drew in step 1. Hold down the Alt and drag the curve down and to the right to duplicate it.

Step 4 – Duplicate the Curve Three More Times

Choose Object > Transform Again > Transform Again, or press Command + Alt + 3. Repeat this two more times, so that you end up with a total of five curves.

Step 5 – Place the Text on the Top Curve

Click on the top curve with the Type Tool. You should see a flashing text cursor on the left side of the curve. Choose File > Place to import a text file onto the curve, or choose File > Paste to paste some text onto the curve from the pasteboard.

Step 6 – Thread the Text to the Next Four Curves

With the Selection Tool, click on the top curve. You should see a red overset text symbol appear on the right end of the line. Click on this overset text symbol to load the text cursor. With the loaded text cursor, click on the second curve. Repeat this procedure (clicking on the overset text symbol and then clicking on the next curve) until you have clicked on all five curves.

Step 7 – Skew the Type

To make the type look more like it is on a wavy flag, the type needs to be skewed. Select all five curves with the Selection Tool. Choose Type > Type on a Path > Options. In the dialog box that appears, change the Effect to Skew, and click the OK button.

Step 8 – Format the Type

Select all the text with the Type Tool, and then use the Character and Paragraph panels, or the Control panel, to format the type as you’d like it to appear. Note that I applied full justification to all the text, to ensure an even right edge, even on the last line.

Step 9 – Remove the Stroke from the Curves

Select all five curves with the Selection tool again, and use the Swatches panel to apply a stroke of None.

Step 10 – Create Two Colors

To make the flag text look more realistic, we are going to apply a gradient to the text that consists of alternating light and dark colors. In the Swatches panel menu, choose New Gradient Swatch, and create two colors, a bright red and a darker red, or any colors you’d like.

Step 11 – Create a Gradient

In the Swatches panel menu, choose New Gradient Swatch. In the dialog box that appears, click on the left-most square under the Gradient Ramp. This square is called a Color Stop. Then change the Stop Color to Swatches, and choose the light color you created in Step 10. Next, click under the colored gradient ramp to create a second color stop, and make this color stop the dark color you created in Step 10. Repeat this three more times until you have five color stops, alternating from light, to dark, to light, to dark, to light.

Step 12 – Apply the Gradient to the Text

Select all of the text with the Type Tool, and then click on the gradient you created in Step 9 in the Swatches panel. You will not be able to see the effect of the gradient until you deselect the text.

Conclusion

Use the Pen Tool to create a path for the flag pole, and add a background photo if you’d like, and you’re ready for Independence day!

Read more »

Tips for Outputting Your InDesign CS4 Work

1 [OPEN CURRENT INDESIGN PROJECT]
To get the most out of this tutorial, you’re going to need a document open with some text and images on the page. If you’re brand-new and don’t have one, you can either create one from scratch or use one of the built-in templates by choosing Create New From Template on the Welcome screen. This will launch Adobe Bridge where you can choose your template.

2 [OPEN NEW PREFLIGHT PANEL]
In InDesign CS4 you can take advantage of active Preflight, which will monitor your document constantly to make sure that it adheres to your preferences/constraints. Bring up the Preflight panel from the Window>Output menu.

3 [DEFINE CUSTOM PREFLIGHT PROFILE]
Choose Define Profiles from the Preflight panel’s flyout menu. By default, you have a Basic profile that can’t be modified. Click the + icon at the bottom of the panel to define a New Preflight Profile. Give it a name and then choose which options you’d like the active profile to monitor. You can choose things such as: missing links, minimum image resolution, missing fonts, overset text, etc. Once you’ve defined your criteria, click OK.

4 [ASSIGN PREFLIGHT PROFILE TO DOCUMENT]
Now that you have your preflight profile defined, you actually have to assign it to your document. So choose your newly defined preflight profile from the Profile pop-up list in the Preflight panel.

5 [FIX PREFLIGHT ERRORS]
At this point, you’ll either have a green or red error light depending on what you defined in your profile and what’s in your document. When I chose my profile, I got a red error light (dot) with 11 errors because I defined my profile to have a minimum image resolution. The template contains 11 low-res images, so they’ll need to be replaced to meet my profile standards. There’s a hyperlink next to each error that also specifies the page where the error takes place. This will allow you to jump right to the item in question and fix it.

6 [SIZE PHOTOS IN PHOTOSHOP]
When you place an image, InDesign lets you size the image to fit your frame size. Although this is a nice feature, it’s not the optimal solution for printing. For example, let’s say you place a high-res (300 ppi), 8×10″ image in a frame, but then downsize it to fit 1.2×1.78″. The Effective PPI jumps to 1,685. Therefore, it’s best to size your image to the final size in Photoshop and bring it in at actual size. Note: If you can’t see this column in your Links panel, choose Panel Options from the flyout menu and check the Show Column box beside Effective PPI.

7 [RGB OR CMYK?]
Before you bring that image into InDesign from Photoshop, you should ascertain if RGB is okay. Only your printing provider can answer that question. RGB has a much larger gamut of colors but CMYK is the standard for offset printing. Some of the newer digital presses can handle RGB workflows but you’ll have to ask to know for sure. To convert to CMYK, open your image in Photoshop from InDesign by selecting the image and using the Edit>Edit With>Adobe Photoshop CS4, then choose Image>Mode>CYMK Color in Photoshop to convert it. Save and Close the image to update the link in InDesign.

8 [SAVE AS PSD OR TIFF]
Although InDesign can accept a variety of different image formats, if you’re going to high-res professional output, then you should save your photos as either PSD or TIFF files. Why not JPEG? Because JPEG is a compressed format and takes longer to print, as it has to decompress on-the-fly for printing. So, to make your provider happier, use either PSD or TIFF files.

9 [CHECK TRANSPARENCY STACKING ORDER]
InDesign lets you use transparency right in the application without having to go back to Photoshop or Illustrator; however, depending on how you stack things, you could create printing headaches. The rule is: Always keep your nontransparent objects and vector text/line art on top. An easy way to do this is to use layers and assign each kind of object to the appropriate layer.

10 [COMMON TRANSPARENCY ISSUE]
Even when you follow the rules, you can still have problems. Say you put a transparent object on top of a nontransparent image. For example, when you put a drop shadow on your text and then put your text on top of a photo, sometimes this yields a box or outline around the object. The problem arises because some printing RIPs don’t process the transparent object properly on top of the nontransparent object. So try this: Select the object(s) and set it to 99% Opacity in the Effects panel. This makes no visible change, but will force it to go through the Transparency Flattener with the object on top.

11 [CHECK SEPARATIONS PREVIEW]
Next, you want to check how many plates your job will yield. If it’s a four-color job, then chances are you want only Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black plates. Having too many plates may cause delays in your print job while the file is fixed. Choose Window>Output>Separations Preview to show the number of plates in your job. If you have more than you should, you need to locate the object generating the extra color and change it. An easy way to do this is to hide (turn off the Eye icons) all the plates except the extra one (make sure the view pop-up list is set to Separations).

12 [USE SWATCHES; ELIMINATE UNUSED ONES]
If you’re using color in InDesign, then you should definitely be using Swatches, which allow you to keep consistent colors. You can also change all objects using a specific color by changing the Swatch. If you’ve created Swatches that you didn’t end up using, however, it’s best to remove them to reduce confusion. Just choose Select All Unused from the Swatches panel’s flyout menu, which selects any swatches that didn’t get used in the job, then just click the Trash icon at the bottom of the Swatches panel to remove them.

13 [PACKAGE IT UP]
You should now be ready to send your InDesign file to the printer. You’ll need all the linked graphics and, to make sure the print provider has the right fonts, send those too. Luckily, InDesign has a Package feature (File>Package) that puts a copy of your saved document, all the links, and the fonts in a folder of your choice. By default, it will run a Preflight first. Just click the Package button to continue. Fill out the Printing Instructions and click Continue. Now specify where to save the files and InDesign will create a new folder that contains everything the printer needs.

14 [EXPORT A PDF]
Although your service provider can print your InDesign file (provided they have the same InDesign version as you do), sometimes it’s easier and safer to send a PDF instead. Even if you’re sending the original InDesign file, it’s still a good idea to send a PDF. To create a PDF, choose File>Export, make sure that the Format is Adobe PDF, and click Save. In the dialog, choose the appropriate PDF Preset for the kind of printing you’re doing (ours is Press Quality), then click Export to generate your PDF.

Read more »