Getting Started
Welcome to Adobe® InDesign® CC, a powerful design and production application that offers precision, control, and seamless integration with other Adobe professional graphics software. Using InDesign, you can produce professional-quality, full-color documents on high-volume color printing presses, or print to a range of output devices, such as desktop printers and high-resolution imaging devices, or export to a range of formats, including PDF and EPUB.
Writers, artists, designers, and publishers can communicate to a broader audience than ever before and through an unprecedented variety of media. InDesign supports this with its seamless integration with other Creative Cloud components.
About Classroom in a Book
Adobe InDesign CC in a Book® is part of the official training series for Adobe graphics and publishing software with the support of Adobe product experts.
The lessons are designed so that you can learn at your own pace. If you’re new to Adobe InDesign, you’ll master the fundamentals and learn to put the software to work for you. If you’ve already been using Adobe InDesign, you’ll find that Classroom in a Book teaches many advanced features, including tips and techniques for using the latest version of InDesign.
Each lesson provides step-by-step instructions for creating a specific project. You can follow the book from start to finish, or do only the lessons that meet your interests and needs. Each lesson concludes with a review section summarizing what you’ve covered.
Prerequisites
Before beginning to use Adobe InDesign CC Classroom in a Book, you should have a working knowledge of your computer and its operating system. Make sure that you know how to use the mouse and standard menus and commands, and also how to open, save, and close files. If you need to review these techniques, see the printed or online documentation included with your operating system.
Note
When instructions differ by platform, Windows commands appear first, and then the Mac OS commands, with the platform noted in parentheses. For example, “press the Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) key and click away from the artwork.” In some instances, common commands may be abbreviated with the Windows commands first, followed by a slash and the Mac OS commands, without any parenthetical reference. For example, “press Alt/Option” or “press Ctrl/Command+click.”
Installing the software
Before you begin using Adobe InDesign CC Classroom in a Book, make sure that your system is set up correctly and that you’ve installed the proper software and hardware.
The Adobe InDesign CC software is not included with this book; you must purchase the software separately. In addition to Adobe InDesign CC, some lessons in this book have steps that can be performed with Adobe Bridge. You must install these applications from Adobe Creative Cloud onto your hard disk. Follow the onscreen instructions.
Classroom in a Book fonts
The Classroom in a Book lesson files use fonts that are installed with Adobe InDesign. These fonts are installed in the following locations:
• Windows: [startup drive]WindowsFonts
• Mac OS: [startup drive]/Library/Fonts/
For more information about fonts and installation, see the Adobe InDesign Read Me included with your product.
Accessing the Classroom in a Book files
To work through the projects in this book, you will need to download the lesson files from peachpit.com. You can download the files for individual lessons, or download them all in a single file. Although each lesson stands alone, some lessons use files from other lessons, so you’ll need to keep the entire collection of lesson assets on your computer as you work through the book.
To access the Classroom in a Book files:
1. On a Mac or PC, go to www.peachpit.com/redeem and enter the code found at the back of your book.
2. If you do not have a Peachpit.com account, you will be prompted to create one.
3. The downloadable files will be listed under Lesson & Update Files tab on your Account page.
4. Click the lesson file links to download them to your computer.
Note
Each time you begin working on a new lesson, some panels may remain open even if you restore your InDesign Defaults file. If this occurs, you can close the panels manually if you want.
Restoring default preferences
The InDesign Defaults file stores program preferences and default settings, such as tool settings and the default unit of measurement. To ensure that the preferences and default settings of your Adobe InDesign program match those used in this book, you should move the current InDesign Defaults file to a different location before you begin working on the lessons. When you have finished the book, you can return the saved InDesign Defaults file to its original folder, which restores the preferences and default settings used before you started working on the lessons.
Note
On Windows Vista and Windows 7, if the AppData folder is hidden, choose Folder And Search Options from the Organize menu, click View tab, and then Show Hidden Files, Folders And Drives. Click OK to close the Folder Options dialog box and save any changes.
In earlier versions of Windows, if the Application Data folder is hidden, choose Folder Options from the Tools menu, click the View tab, and then select Show Hidden Files And Folders. Click OK to close the Folder Options dialog box and save any changes.
To delete or save the current InDesign Defaults file, follow these steps:
1. Quit Adobe InDesign.
2. Locate the InDesign Defaults file.
• (Windows 7 [Service Pack 1], or Windows 8), the InDesign Defaults file is located in the folder [startup drive]Users[username]AppDataRoamingAdobeAdobe InDesign 9 Settingsen_US*x86 or x64.
• In Mac OS, the InDesign Defaults file is located in /Users/Username/Library/Preferences/Adobe InDesign/Version 9.0/en_US folder.
When you launch Adobe InDesign after moving the InDesign Defaults file to another folder, a new InDesign Defaults file is automatically created, and all preferences and defaults are reset to their original factory settings.
* Folder name may be different depending on the language version you have installed.
** On Mac OS 10.7 (Lion) and Mac OS 10.8 (Mountain Lion) the Library folder is hidden by default.
If you can’t find the file, you either haven’t started Adobe InDesign CC yet or you have moved the preferences file. The preferences file is created after you quit the program the first time and is updated thereafter.
Note
If you cannot locate the preferences file, try using your operating system’s Find command, and search for AIPrefs (Windows) or Adobe InDesign Prefs (Mac OS).
3. Copy the file and save it to another folder on your hard disk (if you wish to restore those preferences) or Delete it.
4. Start Adobe InDesign CC.
To restore the saved InDesign Defaults file after completing the lessons, follow these steps:
1. Quit Adobe InDesign.
2. Locate your saved InDesign Defaults file, drag it back into its original folder, and replace the current InDesign Defaults file.
Note
In Mac OS 10.7 and later, the Library folder is hidden. To access this folder, choose Go > Go To Folder from the Finder menu. Type ~/Library in the Go To The Folder box, and then click OK.
Additional resources
Adobe InDesign CC Classroom in a Book is not meant to replace documentation that comes with the program or to be a comprehensive reference for every feature. Only the commands and options used in the lessons are explained in this book. For comprehensive information about program features and tutorials, refer to these resources:
Tip
To quickly locate and delete the Adobe InDesign preferences file each time you begin a new lesson, create a shortcut (Windows) or an alias (Mac OS) to the Adobe InDesign 9 Settings folder.
Adobe InDesign Help and Support: www.adobe.com/support/indesign is where you can find and browse Help and Support content on Adobe.com. Adobe InDesign Help and Adobe InDesign Support Center are accessible from InDesign’s Help menu.
Adobe Creative Cloud Learning: For inspiration, key techniques, cross-product workflows, and updates on new features go to the Creative Cloud Learn page https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/tutorials.html. Available only to Creative Cloud members.
Adobe Forums: forums.adobe.com lets you tap into peer-to-peer discussions, questions, and answers on Adobe products. The InDesign forum is accessible from InDesign’s Help menu.
Adobe TV: tv.adobe.com is an online video resource for expert instruction and inspiration about Adobe products, including a How To channel to get you started with your product.
Adobe Design Center: www.adobe.com/designcenter offers thoughtful articles on design and design issues, a gallery showcasing the work of top-notch designers, tutorials, and more.
Resources for educators: www.adobe.com/education and http://edex.adobe.com offer a treasure trove of information for instructors who teach classes on Adobe software. Find solutions for education at all levels, including free curricula that use an integrated approach to teaching Adobe software and can be used to prepare for the Adobe Certified Associate exams.
Also check out these useful links:
Adobe Marketplace & Exchange: www.adobe.com/cfusion/exchange is a central resource for finding tools, services, extensions, code samples and more to supplement and extend your Adobe products.
Adobe InDesign CC product home page: www.adobe.com/products/indesign Adobe Labs: labs.adobe.com gives you access to early builds of cutting-edge technology, as well as forums where you can interact with both the Adobe development teams building that technology and other like-minded members of the community.
Adobe Labs: labs.adobe.com gives you access to early builds of cutting-edge technology, as well as forums where you can interact with the Adobe development teams building that technology and other like-minded members of the community.
Adobe certification
The Adobe training and certification programs are designed to help Adobe customers improve and promote their product-proficiency skills. There are four levels of certification:
• Adobe Certified Associate (ACA)
• Adobe Certified Expert (ACE)
• Adobe Certified Instructor (ACI)
• Adobe Authorized Training Center (AATC)
The Adobe Certified Associate (ACA) credential certifies that individuals have the entry-level skills to plan, design, build, and maintain effective communications using different forms of digital media.
The Adobe Certified Expert program is a way for expert users to upgrade their credentials. You can use Adobe certification as a catalyst for getting a raise, finding a job, or promoting your expertise.
If you are an ACE-level instructor, the Adobe Certified Instructor program takes your skills to the next level and gives you access to a wide range of Adobe resources.
Adobe Authorized Training Centers offer instructor-led courses and training on Adobe products, employing only Adobe Certified Instructors. A directory of AATCs is available at partners.adobe.com.
For information on the Adobe Certified programs, visit www.adobe.com/support/certification/main.html.
Checking for updates
Adobe periodically provides updates to software. You can easily obtain these updates through the Creative Cloud.