Introduction to Desktop

Publishing

Using Adobe InDesign®

By Steve Sloan

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Class Format
 Presentation
 The “Zen” of desktop publishing
What makes desktop publishing different from
word processing?
 Hands-on
 Using InDesign, simple exercises!

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The program
 This will be available for download
 PDF
 Handout(s)
 Related Excercise

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Desktop Publishing (DTP)

 The world of
publishing was
radically
transformed in the
1980's by the
introduction of
desktop publishing

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Producing a publication
involves many steps

 Writing text
 Editing text
 Producing art
(drawings, photos,
etc.)
 Designing the basic
format

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The steps of production (cont.)
 Typesetting text
 Paste-up, arranging
text and graphics on
a page
 Going to press,
typesetting, shooting
plates, printing the
pages
 Binding the pages
into a finished
publication
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With traditional publishing

 This process was

very labor intensive
 It required a lot of
equipment, trained
people and time
 It was hard and
expensive

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DTP, going beyond
word processing!

 Very precise layout

and design
 Software focus is on
the page
 Done with tools that
are small,
economical and
easy to use

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Desktop Publishing History
 Invented in 1978
 TeX program showed publishing could be
done on a desktop computer
 1985, DTP came to the masses
 Aldus PageMaker software
 Apple Macintosh computer
 Adobe PostScript page description
language
 Today virtually all publishing is DTP

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Typical DTP system
 GUI computer(s)
 DTP software (also
called page layout
software)
 Laser or other high
resolution printer(s)
 Other peripherals
(like digital camera)

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 DTP Advantages
 Saves money and time
 Able to keep in-house and maintain
quality control
 Provides affordable publishing
alternative for small batch jobs and non-
mainstream periodicals

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 DTP Software Today
 DTP software is precise
 DTP software aggregates!
 QuarkXpress® is the market leader
 Adobe InDesign has come on strong
Adobe PageMaker® has been discontinued
 Apple Macintosh® is predominate
platform

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Precision and Aggregation
 Content from other programs:
 Text produced with word processors or text editors
 Careful control of font usage
 Charts and spreadsheets from spreadsheet and/or
statistical analysis programs
 Photos either produced digitally or scanned, often
manipulated with programs like Adobe PhotoShop®
 Half-toning and resolution issues
 Color space considerations
 Control that what appears in printed page is as close as
possible to what appeared on the screen

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Precision and Aggregation
(Continued)
 Content from other
programs (Cont.):
 Maps, charts and other
illustrations either
produced in, or
manipulated with, graphics
or illustration programs like
Adobe Illustrator®
 Items need to be
converted into formats
the DTP software will
import
 Quality control

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Precision and Aggregation
(Continued)
 The page-layout process combines the
various source documents together into a
coherent, visually appealing publication
 Uses own measurement system and printing
trades language
 Sample terms: serifs, leading, points, picas
 In the printing trades DTP was once called
“electronic pagination”
 The “Zen” of desktop publishing:
Digital preparation of pages for press quality

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Portable Document Format
 PDF
 ID & PDF like peas and carrots
 For representing documents in a manner
that is independent of the original
application software, hardware, and
operating system used to create those
documents
 Open standard, royalty free
 Simple or complex, rich graphics & layers!

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Output methods
 Print:
 Laser printing
600+ dpi, (mostly for small batch, in-house,
flyers, newsletters, forms, black and white jobs)
 Electronic pre-press
Professional service bureaus, 1200+ dpi, and
large press runs for bigger jobs
Prepare “camera ready” output
Produce “color separations” (for color)
Version management and other work flow
considerations

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Output methods (Continued)

 Electronic Output
 PDF® is the standard
 Cross platform
 Printable
 Editable
 Deployable on-line
 Importable into DTP
software
 XML
 eBooks

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This is an InDesign CS3 page

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InDesign is Palette Based
 Tools Palette
 Introduces own terms
 One of many palettes
 “Tiny arrows” indicate
hidden tools
 “Flyout” menus
 Palettes dock and can be
disconnected
 Palettes are a strongly
followed Adobe UI
concept

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More about InDesign
 Palettes can be torn off,
grouped and joined
 Uses flyout menus
 Other great tools not
mentioned
 Layers, styles and tables
 A lot of what you know
about Pagemaker carries
over to InDesign
 Right clicking (ctrl-
clicking) brings up
important options

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I cannot teach you how to be an
InDesign expert
 Learning ID
 User Group Meetings
 http://www.indesignus
ergroup.com
 You can’t be an expert
without putting in the
time!
 Books
 Deke McClelland
(2007). Adobe
InDesign CS3 One-on-
one. Sebastapol: Deke
Press/O’Reilly
 Podcasts
 Computer Based
Training (CBT)
 Total Training Series
 Cla$$e$

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InDesign References
 The Book!
 Kvern, O. M., &
Blatner, D. (2007).
Real World Indesign
CS3. Berkeley:
Peachpit Press
 Adobe web site
 User to user forums
 SF Bay Area IDUG
 Meets bi-monthly

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InDesign Gurus!

Terry
Deke White
McClelland

Sandee David
Cohen Blatner

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InDesign Excercise
 Please be sure you have handout
 USE ID!!!
 Using the tool the only way to learn it
 It is like driving a car
 The best way to be a better driver, is to
drive (responsibly)

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