“I is for InDesign” – A Few Tips & Tricks to Make Your Life Easier

atozpostcards_ifrontInDesign, the ultimate in layout software. It’s what the professionals use, and chances are you’re not using even half of what it’s capable of. Here are some quick InDesign tips and tricks to get you started:

  • Use the eye-dropper tool to copy text treatments in addition to colors. Click on the eyedropper, then click on the text you want to copy. Now drag the eyedropper to highlight the text you want to transform. Voila! You can repeat this on as many text elements as you want. The eyedropper stays full each time.
  • Access Photoshop layers within InDesign – Right click on a graphic created in Photoshop, then click “Layer Options”. Here, you can turn on and off the different layers you created in Photoshop. (NOTE: This only works on .psd files with multiple layers.) This is great if you have one graphic that will  be in different colors on different spreads. Simply create one .psd file with all the colors as layers, insert the .psd file onto your InDesign spread, and turn on the color layer that you want to use.
  • InDesign Layers – InDesign also has layers. You can lock layers and designate certain layers to be “non-printing.” This is great for templates.
  • Place photos inside your text by highlighting the text, and clicking “Type” -> “Create Outlines”. You’ve just turned your text into an object. Now drag a photo into it!
  • For more InDesign Tips & Tricks, visit “www.yearbooks.biz” and click “Resources” -> “InDesign Tips & Tricks”

*This entry is part of “The Yearbook Ladies’ A to Zs of Yearbook”
project. If you’d like to download the “I” card, go to the “Adviser
Resources” section of www.theyearbookladies.com

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