Workshops

Introduction

The Workshop is all about being creative and thinking outside of the box. These workshops will help your right-brain soar, while making your left-brain happy; by explaining why things work the way they do. Exploring InDesign’s possibilities is great fun; however, always stay grounded with knowledge of how things work. Knowledge is power.

Getting and Using the Project Files

Each project in the Workshop includes a start file to help you get started with the project, and a final file to provide you with the results of the project so you can see how well you accomplished the task.

Before you can use the project files, you need to download them from the Web. You can access the files at www.perspection.com in the software downloads area. After you download the files from the Web, uncompress the files into a folder on your hard drive to which you have easy access from InDesign.

Project 1: Creating a Master Page

Skills and Tools: Master pages

A master page holds and displays all the elements that you want to appear on every page in a document, such as headers, logos, page numbers, and footers. The master is like a background layer to a page. Everything on the background layer appears on the page above it. Master elements appear on document pages surrounded by a dotted border to make them easy to identify. When you create a new document, you also create a master page. You will take a document with facing pages and set up a master page to add auto page numbers on all page numbers except the title and last page. Next, you will create a master page that is built upon the first master page and add an extra element to it, then apply that master to the internal left-facing pages of the booklet.

The Project

In this project, you’ll take a 12 page document and create two master pages, apply them to pages within the document, and override selections on selected pages to change some of the master page elements.

The Process

Open InDesign CS4, open the document master_pages_start.indd, and then save it as my_master_pages.indd.

This document has a title page, copyright page, and five spreads with placeholder text on the left-facing pages and graphics frames on the right-facing pages.

Select the Pages panel.

Right above the icons for the individual pages and spreads, you will see the master page icons. Every document has a master page called None and A-Master. The None master page can be applied to any pages you don’t want to have any recurring elements on.

Decide what elements of the design that you want to be repeated on multiple pages. For this project, we will be adding auto page numbers to all of the pages after the title page and before the copyright page. We will also be adding a colored header rectangle above the placeholder text. First, let’s use the A-Master to add in the auto page numbers.

Double-click the A-Master page on the top part of the Pages panel to make it active.

Select the Type tool, and then drag out a text frame anywhere on the page where you want the page number to appear on every page.

With your cursor blinking inside the text frame, click the Type menu, point to Insert Special Character, point to Markers, and then click Current Page Number.

The current page number special character appears as “A.”

Select the text (“A”), and then center it within the text frame. Click the Center button on the Control panel.

Next, let’s rename your new master page.

Select the A-Master page in the Pages panel (if necessary), click Options menu, and then click Master Options for A-Master.

The Master Options dialog box appears. For this project, let’s call this page A-PageNumbers.

Enter the name PageNumbers, and then click OK.

Select pages 2-11 in the Pages panel to make them active.

Click the Options menu, and then click Apply Masters to Pages.

Click the Apply Master list arrow, click A-PageNumbers, confirm that 2-11 is specified in the To Pages box of the Apply Master dialog box, and then click OK.

Next, let’s create a new master page to add in a colored rectangle as a header on top of the placeholder text on left-facing pages. We’re still going to want page numbers on these pages so let’s build the new master page from the A-PageNumbers master page so our page numbers will already be included on the new master page.

Click the Options menu, and then click New Master.

The New Master Options dialog box appears. For this project, let’s use the A-PageNumbers master page as the base for the new master and call this page B-HeaderPageNumbers.

Click the Based on Master list arrow, and then click A-PageNumbers.

Enter the name HeaderPageNumbers, enter 1 for the Number of Pages, and then click OK.

Select the new master page named B-HeaderPageNumbers in the Pages panel.

We’re going to add a colored rectangle to serve as a header for each text page.

Select the Rectangle Frame tool on the Tools panel, and then click the master page.

In the resulting dialog box, enter 4.75 (in inches) for the width and .8056 (in inches) for the height, and then click OK.

Select the Selection tool on the Tools panel, and then move the rectangle to fit inside the frame at the top.

Click the Fill box on the Color panel, and then choose a color for the rectangle.

We want the colored header boxes to appear on left-facing pages, so we need to select only those pages, and then apply the B-HeaderPageNumbers master page.

In the Pages panel, select pages 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10, click the Options menu, and then click Apply Master to Pages. Click the Apply Master list arrow, click B-HeaderPageNumbers, and then click OK.

Now, let’s select and modify master objects on document pages. For this project, we’ll change the color of the rectangular box for each of the four left-facing pages after page 2 to indicate different sections of the booklet.

Double-click on page 4 from the Pages panel, press Ctrl+Shift (Win) or (Mac), and then click to select the rectangle.

Click the Options menu, and then click Detach Selection from Master. Objects can only be selected and detached if Allow Master Item Overrides on Selection is active on the Options menu.

Click the Fill box on the Color panel, and then choose a different color for the header. Follow the same process to detach the header rectangle on pages 6, 8, and 10 and fill with different colors.

At this point, your document should have a beginning title page with no page numbers or header boxes, and a final copyright page with no page numbers or header boxes. No master pages should be associated with these two pages. Even-numbered pages should have the B-HeaderPageNumbers master page associated with them and odd-numbered pages should have the A-PageNumbers master page associated with them.

The Results

Project 2: Creating Layouts with a Table

Skills and Tools: Tables

A table organizes your information into rows and columns. The intersection of a row and column is called a cell. You can create a blank table, and then enter text, or make a table from existing text separated by paragraphs, tabs, or commas. The first row in the table is good for column headings, whereas the leftmost column is good for row labels.

The Project

In this project, you’ll take a list of new book titles for your client, a book publisher, and create a price list in the form of a table. This table can then be inserted into the publisher’s current book catalog. You will insert a table into a new InDesign document and make changes to the table structure. Then you will add graphics and text data, formatting the data with different sizes and colors. After you create your first table, you will duplicate the table to create two more instances of the same table for two more book titles.

The Process

Open InDesign CS4, and create a new document. Click the File menu, point to New, and then click Document. Choose Letter for the page size, 8 ½ × 11 inches for width and height, one column, ½″ margins all around, and then click OK.

Save the new document as my_layout_tables.indd.

Click the Type tool on the Tools panel, drag a frame that is the size of your document, and then click to place the insertion point in the text frame.

Click the Table menu, and then click Insert Table. Change the number of Body Rows to 5 and number of Columns to 6, leave the remaining options with the default, and then click OK.

Now you’ll need to customize the design of your table to accommodate your data.

With the Type tool, drag to select all six columns on the first row.

Click the Table menu, and then click Merge Cells.

This merges the top row into one long cell. Next, you’ll need to create a cell that can fit a small graphic of each book.

With the Type tool, click in the second cell in the first column, and then drag to select cells 2, 3, and 4 in the first column. Click the Table menu, and then click Merge Cells. Now do the same thing for cells 2, 3, and 4 in the last column and merge them as well. This last cell will hold the price for each book. Now select all the cells in the last row and merge them as well.

This completes the design of the table structure. Next, you’ll begin adding in the data for the first book. You’ll use the top row for the company name.

With the Type tool, click to place the insertion point in the long cell in the first row, and then type in the book publisher name: BETTER BOOKS PUBLISHERS.

Highlight the text, and then format it. Click the Justify Away From Spine button on the Control panel and then use the Font Style list arrow on the Control panel to make the text bold.

Next, add the graphic for the cover by drawing out a graphics frame in the cell.

Click the Rectangle Frame tool on the Tools panel, and then draw a graphics frame in the first large cell in the second row.

Now, let’s add a graphic to the graphics frame in the table.

Click the File menu, click Place, and then double-click the file GoatsGoWild.psd.

Center the image in the frame. Click the Object menu, point to Fitting, and then click Fit Content Proportionally. Click the Object menu, point to Fitting, and then click Center Content.

Next, type in header titles in the second row for title, author, product number, and number of pages. The final, larger cell in the final column will be for the book price.

Select all the headers and center them. Use the Align Center button on the Control panel.

Now, type in the text data in the cells underneath the headers as follows: Goats Go Wild, Trudy Milkmaid, BK-01, 177 pp. Type $14.95 at 24 pt font size in the cell for the book price and center the text.

With the price still selected, select the Character panel, and then change the Baseline Shift to -10 pt.

Now, let’s add some color to the cells and text.

Change the text color of the first row to white. Select the Type tool, and then select the text in the first row. Select the Color panel, click the Text icon, and click on white. Now, fill the first row with black. With the Type tool, point just to the left of the top row (cursor turns into a right-facing arrow), and then click to select the row. With the Fill box selected, click on black on the Color panel to fill the row.

Change the fill color of the header cells. With the Type tool, drag to select the header row. Choose a fill color on the Color or Swatches panel. Color the blank row underneath the data with the same color to separate it visually from the other data.

Now you’re ready to duplicate this one section that gives data about one book so that you can fill more rows with other books.

Click the Selection tool on the Tools panel. Click the whole table to select it, then hold the Alt (Win) or Option (Mac) key as you drag downwards to create a duplicate of the table. Repeat this to duplicate one more time.

Use the Place command on the File menu to replace the current table graphics with the files ShelterFromStorm.psd and WeddingShoesBlues.psd, and then replace the rest of the data for each of the other two books. Delete the company name from the duplicated tables and fill the last row with black.

The Results

Project 3: Using Conditional Text

Skills and Tools: Conditional Text

Conditional text (New!) allows you to create different versions of the same document. If you want to create two versions of the same document without having to create two separate files, you can create conditions for different text, and then show and hide conditions to create multiple versions. You can apply conditions to text in a frame or table. A condition includes formatting indicators to make it easy to see in a document. To display different versions quickly, you can create condition sets. A condition set saves the visibility settings for all conditions.

The Project

In this project, you’ll produce different versions of a book order form using conditional text. One version will be for “early-bird” buyers of a new book in the US or UK; the other version will list the regular price for people in the US or UK who buy the book after the initial sale prices have expired.

The Process

Open InDesign CS4, open the document conditional_text_start.indd, and then save it as my_conditional_text.indd.

This file has the sale price for US customers and shipping prices to US customers.

Create a new condition. Select the Conditional Text panel (click the Window menu, point to Type & Tables, and then click Conditional Text).

Click the New Condition button on the panel. Name it US Currency, leave the defaults for indicator appearance, and then click OK.

Create four more new conditions named US Shipping Prices, US Addresses, US Sale Price, and US Regular Price for the US. Now create five more new conditions named UK Addresses, UK Currency, UK Regular Price, UK Sale Price, and UK Shipping Prices for the UK.

It’s time to associate specific text with specific conditions.

First, highlight all the dollar signs in the document individually and select the check box for US Currency to apply the condition to that text. Now, highlight the dollar amount for shipping and associate that text with the condition US Shipping Prices. Next, highlight the book price (in both places in the document) and associate the text with US Sale Price. Now insert the price 14.95 next to 12.95, highlight, and associate with US Regular Price. Finally, highlight the words State, and Zip and associate that text with the condition US Addresses.

Now we need to create text that we can use for our UK customers.

First, insert Euro signs next to dollar signs. Select the Glyphs panel (click the Type menu, and then click Glyphs), and in the Show list arrow, select Currency, and then the Euro symbol. Double-click to insert the Euro sign. Insert all Euro signs next to dollar signs and then associate them with UK Currency. Make sure US Currency is not checked.

Change the rest of the four UK variables: sale price, regular price, shipping prices, and addresses. For UK Addresses, add USA to Seattle, WA, 95640 and insert Statenext to Region, Zip next to Code. Then associate that new text with the appropriate conditions.

Since we have several different possible scenarios for our order form, it will make it easier to create Conditional Text Sets to group conditions together so we can choose them all at once.

Before you can create sets, you need to display the Set list arrow. Click the Options menu, and then click Show Options.

In the Conditional Text panel, click the Eye icon for only those text variables that apply to a specific order form. We’ll start with an order form going out to US customers with the sale price of the book. Deselect all the Eye icons dealing with UK conditions and deselect the US Regular Price condition.

Now click the Set list arrow, click Create New Set, and then name it SaleUS. Next, deselect US Sale Price and select US Regular Price with all the other US conditions selected. Save a new set named RegPriceUS.

To make two UK sets, one with the sale price and one with the regular price, follow the same steps we did to make the two US sets. Turn off all US conditions and activate only the sale price or only the regular price for the UK. Then create two new sets, SaleUK and RegPriceUK.

Now choose different sets from your Set list arrow and you will see the order form change to reflect the different scenarios (US/UK, Sale Price/Regular Price).

The Results

Want More Projects

You can access and download more workshop projects and related files at www.perspection.com in the software downloads area. After you download the files from the Web, uncompress the files into a folder on your hard drive to which you have easy access from InDesign.

Get Everything on DVD

Instead of downloading everything from the Web, which can take a while depending on your Internet connection speed, you can get all the files used in this book and much more on an InDesign CS4 On Demand DVD. The DVD contains task and workshop files, tips and tricks, keyboard shortcuts, and other goodies from the author.

To get the InDesign CS4 On Demand DVD, go to www.perspection.com.