Adobe's InDesign basics for commercial printing
If you're interested in learning Adobe's InDesign publishing software for web to print, print on demand or other commercial printing applications, setting a foundation in the basics of the software will pay off down the road. Knowing where the proper tools and functions for the job are located will ultimately save you time and energy over the course of a long design project.
First and foremost, the InDesign menu bar is located at the top of the screen. Also notice the palettes section, which will show up as little windows each with their own special area of control. One handles paragraphs, for instance, while another is in charge of colors. Another essential element of this menu bar region is the control bar. The control bar will change its layout and functionality based on whichever tool you are currently using. Note that this control bar, along with many of the basic elements of InDesign, is programmed according to default settings, which you can change at any time to better suit your working style and your typical usage. The layout you choose for print on demand projects will likely differ from the layout chosen by someone working in commercial printing.
One of the nice features of InDesign is that the menu bar will provide you with access to all of the software's functions. This way of organizing abilities, modes and functions is helpful in the beginning, especially when you're still learning your way around the software and trying to get a feel for where various options are located. However, note that power users eventually come to learn the various shortcuts for their desired and most used functions, in order to save themselves even more time and streamline their design process. To this end, you should take note of the shortcuts for various functions as you find functions for the first time. Before you know it, you'll be zipping along in your design space using keyboard hotkeys without having to pause to find functions from the drop down menu bars.
In fact, if you happen to be a QuarkXPress user and find yourself trying to relearn a new set of hotkeys, you are in luck. InDesign has functionality built in with just this problem in mind. In order to revert InDesign's hotkeys, simply go up to the edit menu, choose "Keyboard shortcuts", and underneath "Set" choose "Shortcuts for QuarkXPress."
Remember that the menu bar itself is docked at the top of the screen only by default. This means you can easily drag it to a preferred position, or even dock it at the bottom of the screen instead. Depending on the web to print or picture images you are using, you might find it more convenient to have the bar close at hand to the workspace itself, or far out of your way so as to better be able to see your entire image. Spending some time customizing your workspace before you start designing full time will go a long way in improving your overall experience.
Subscribe to Updates
Categories
- commercial printing (66)
- Prisma News (60)
- direct mail (55)
- RSS (52)
- direct marketing (51)
- web to print (50)
- commercial printer (48)
- Arizona Digital Printer (47)
- print services (47)
- Custom Publishing (45)
- large format printing (45)
- online printing (45)
- printing service (45)
- supply chain marketing (44)
- printing company (43)
- Data Analytics (41)
- database marketing (41)
- direct mail advertising (41)
- direct mailing (41)
- email marketing (41)
- marketing database (41)
- marketing lists (41)
- offset printing (41)
- printing companies (41)
- Company News (40)
- acquistion lists (40)
- direct mail marketing (40)
- direct mailing lists (40)
- in‐house mailing (40)
- mail direct (40)
- All Things Print (36)
- Best Practices (36)
- News & Media (33)
- Strategy& Marketing (32)
- dokshop & Web to Print (19)
- Direct Response & Logistics (17)
- InternalRSS (15)
- Prisma Graphic (12)
- DokShop (10)
- In the news (9)
- graphic design (8)
- marketing (8)
- web to print solutions (7)
- b2b marketing (6)
- web to print software (6)
- web to print solution (6)
- Technology (5)
- digital print (5)
- integrated marketing (5)
- packaging (5)
- print on demand (5)
- printing (5)
- web2print (5)
- Commercial & Digital Printing (4)
- Direct Mail Printing (4)
- brand marketing (4)
- print web 2 print (4)
- variable data on demand (4)
- CMYK (3)
- Direct Mail Management (3)
- Direct Marketing (3)
- Employee Spotlight (3)
- FSC Certified (3)
- Just For Fun (3)
- Media (3)
- Web to Print (3)
- Wide Format (3)
- color (3)
- consumer packaging (3)
- indesign (3)
- variable data printing (3)
- web to print (3)
- web to print storefront (3)
- Adobe (2)
- Creative (2)
- Direct Mail Fulfillment (2)
- FSC (2)
- QR codes (2)
- Quick Response Codes (2)
- RGB (2)
- Site News (2)
- Supply Chain Marketing (2)
- data modeling (2)
- direct mail services (2)
- eco friendly printer (2)
- employee appreciation (2)
- fonts (2)
- marketing services (2)
- omnichannel (2)
- print solutions (2)
- social marketing (2)
- social media (2)
- world marketing (2)
- #1 printer in arizona (1)
- 15 years (1)
- 40 Under 40 (1)
- Adobe systems (1)
- Arizona company (1)
- BMA (1)
- Bob Anderson (1)
- Commercial Printing (1)
- Database Marketing (1)
- Digital printing (1)
- Equipment (1)
- Gingerbread Man (1)
- Google Analytics (1)
- Green Printing (1)
- HP Indigo 12000 (1)
- Holiday Box (1)
- Holiday Campaign (1)
- Impact of print (1)
- Komori (1)
- Lisa Hunter (1)
- Magazine (1)
- Marketing Services Provider (1)
- PIA (1)
- Personalized URL's (1)
- Phoenix Business Journal (1)
- Robert Anderson (1)
- SMX (1)
- The Mag (1)
- US Airways (1)
- USPS (1)
- VDP (1)
- anniversary (1)
- best printer in Phoenix (1)
- blog (1)
- budget (1)
- business acquisition az (1)
- business cards (1)
- carbon footprint (1)
- case study (1)
- catalog (1)
- catalogs (1)
- celebration (1)
- commercia printing (1)
- commercial print (1)
- commercial print terms (1)
- commercial printing dictionary (1)
- commercial printing phoenix (1)
- community (1)
- community marketing (1)
- customer engagement (1)
- customer relationships (1)
- customer service (1)
- design (1)
- design best practice (1)
- design templates (1)
- direct mail marketing services (1)
- direct mail offer (1)
- direct mail offers (1)
- eco-friendly printing (1)
- electronic prepress in AZ (1)
- enviromental (1)
- facebook (1)
- file management (1)
- folded carton (1)
- free font friday (1)
- glued carton (1)
- grand format printing (1)
- green printers (1)
- guerrilla marketing (1)
- halloween (1)
- intelligent mail barcode (1)
- internet power (1)
- kitting (1)
- largest printer in Arizona (1)
- largest printer in Phoenix (1)
- marketing 101. direct marketing (1)
- marketing case study (1)
- marketing solutions (1)
- marketing supply chain (1)
- marketing tips (1)
- marketing trends (1)
- memorial day (1)
- nomination (1)
- number one printer in Arizona (1)
- offset printing arizona (1)
- one to one marketing (1)
- online printing services (1)
- personaliztion in print (1)
- phoenix design week (1)
- postal rates (1)
- postal regulations (1)
- postal service (1)
- press installation (1)
- press release (1)
- print (1)
- print design (1)
- print partner (1)
- print strategy (1)
- prisma graphic employee spotlight (1)
- prismagraphics (1)
- pumpkin carving (1)
- pumpkin contest (1)
- pumpkin decorating (1)
- recycled paper (1)
- search marketing (1)
- small press (1)
- solutions (1)
- soy based ink (1)
- sustainability (1)
- time lapse (1)
- total fulfillment (1)
- typography (1)
- variable data (1)
- variable print data (1)
- virgin paper (1)
- w hotels (1)
- web to prin (1)