Comm 362, Design For Print
Instructor: Ross Collins
Introduction to InDesign pagination software (CS3)
Exercise Two: styling, coloring, and manipulating type
This exercise offers you the opportunity to practice simple text styling, and
to improve your InDesign basic navigation skills. What does it look like? The version submitted by a former student at left is pretty close, although two of the typefaces are incorrect: it is missing an Egyptian (slab serif) typeface and a blackletter ("Old English") typeface. Also it includes two rules (lines) running down each side of the two gutters, instead of one line running down the center of each gutter. Follow instructions carefully!
Note: By "multi-tasking,"
that is, toggling between applications, you can refer to these instructions
on screen. Otherwise, you may choose to print a copy.
1. Set the text below in word processing software (probably MS Word; you can
keyboard this or, better yet, just copy it and paste):
For the mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven
of hell, a hell of heaven. What matter where, if I be still the same, if not
less than He whom thunder hath made greater? Here, at least, we are free; the
Almighty hath not built here for His own envy, will not drive us hence. Here
we reign secure, and to reign is worth ambition, though in hell. Better to reign
in hell than to serve in heaven.
2. Save.
Open InDesign. Open a new InDesign document (select New under the File menu, or keyboard shortcut Apple key + n)
with this page setup:
letter size (default)
orientation tall
margins at 4p6 (four and one-half picas)
on all sides.
Note: You can always change these later using the Document Setup (File pulldown) or Margins and Columns (Layout pulldown).
If your measurement default is set to inches, not picas, change it. Under Preferences,
Units and Measurements, change Horizontal and Vertical to Picas. Also check
under Preferences Text to see if "Use Typographer's Quotes" is toggled
on. You always want to use these unless you're designing for the web, which
doesn't recognize "curly-cue" quotes.
3. Choose Margins and Columns from the Layout menu, and choose 3 columns, with 2
picas between each column (called the gutter).
4. Place (under File pulldown, or Apple + d keystroke) the text file from
your word processing program into separate text frames two times into each of the three columns (that is, six times total).
Or you'll find it faster to Place only once, then with the text tool somewhere
in the block, Select All (edit pulldown, or Apple + a), Copy the block, and Paste it into five new frames.
5. Style the columns with typefaces as indicated below (0 tracking in
all cases. Tracking is the space between letters in body text.). Font family is listed. To find a font in this family, study samples from the Font choice in the Type pulldown. You may have to type a few letters of each for a better look. Refresh your knowledge of type families by studying these samples.
a. a roman old style serif font 10 pt on 11 pt leading (10/11), Align rag right (flush left);
b. a sans serif font, 10/9, Align: justified (Note: choose first justification icon from panel, last line left);
c. an Egyptian or slab serif font, 10 pt set solid (10/10), justified;
d. A script font, 10/12, rag right;
e. a blackletter font, 10/13 centered;
f. a display font of your choice, 10/12 or other leading as you think looks attractive, alignment as you think looks attractive.
6. Label each text block with short headlines indicating each type style chosen
in 12-pt. helvetica, Arial bold (or another sans serif style), Align: centered.
7. In 48-point Palatino, set this type: Paradise Lost. Drag to highlight, and
in the Type panel or control panel (at top) choose Horizontal Scale (fat T with horizontal line under it).
Extend the text width to 120 percent of normal, and center the type block at
top of page.
8. Check kerning for this headline (the amount of space between letters in headlines).
With the text tool in the block, choose Optical kerning (A/V icon with arrows.) Or
try kerning yourself: Drag to highlight letters you'd like to kern, and type
in a value, or choose from the presets.
Note that kerning is used mostly for headlines, because some typefaces in a larger scale appear to have too much or too little space between some letter pairs, and so look unattractive. Careful graphic designers pay attention to these small details.
9. Underneath the headline drag a text frame and type in an italic or oblique styled font of your choice: Designed
by [new line] [your name]. Size:
12/12, centered. Note some fonts don't have an italic/oblique option.
10. Create a drop cap. With your type tool cursor in the first type block, choose
the Paragraph panel, and 3 lines for the Drop Cap option (big capital letter
on text block icon). By the way, if you don't see the drop cap option in the
Paragraph palette, choose Show Options from fly-out menu at right. You
might have to adjust the drop cap so it doesn't touch the text, considered unattractive.
Drag over the drop cap to highlight. In the Character palette, increase the
space using the Letterspace option (A/V with arrow under).
11. Drag over that capital letter, and from the type palette choose
display font you think matches the personality of the excerpt. Must be different
from the font of the rest of the type block.
12. Draw a 2-pt border (box) around the page margins, and a 1-pt. rule (stroke)
down the center of each gutter between columns. Gutter rules should not extend
into the headline. Flush left and flush right copy should not touch the borders, so you may have to narrow the text frames slightly (choose with Arrow
Tool, then pull on the handles).
13. Draw a reversed seal. In the pasteboard, draw a circle about 6 p in diameter, and choose
the black fill window to fill with black.
Note: to constraint the ellipse tool to draw a perfect circle, hold down shift key before beginning to draw. Same procedure if you want a square instead of a rectangle.
14. With the seal chosen, Open the text wrap panel from the Windows pulldown. Choose the third wrap option (wrap around a shape; see illustration at right).
15. Under that make a small text frame
and type JM. Style the two letters to Helvetica bf (boldface), centered, about
14 pt. With the letters highlilghted, choose a text color using the instructions below.
About using color
You have several options for choosing spot color in InDesign. But it's best to get used to the option printers prefer, by choosing color by number. These correspond to ink mixing systems printers use to reproduce accurately your chosen color. Most United States printers use the Pantone Matching System (PMS). To choose and load PMS colors for your objects, follow these steps:
Highlight the text or choose the object you want colored. if you choose a shape, you can color either the border (stroke box, at the bottom of toolbox or top left of Swatches panel) or fill (fill box). This also applies to type; stroke box will outline letters in color (presuming you've chosen first to outline them in the stroke panel), fill box will fill them. (See illustration below left.)
a. Open the Swatches panel.
b. Choose New Color Swatch from the flyout menu at upper right corner. A dialogue box appears.
c. Choose Spot (CMYK are process colors, used mostly for color photos).
d. Choose Color Mode, and Pantone Process Coated. Wait for PMS library to load. (Let me see this.)
f. From that library, scroll down and choose the color you want. Choose Add.
Note that the text or shape you choose now is in that color. The color also appears in the Swatches panel, so you can select it again later. To choose more colors, repeat this process, or choose Done.
Now that you have the PMS swatches loaded into your Swatches panel, you can just use the color for selected objects when necessary. Note that the color you see on the screen may not be absolutely accurate; printers recommend separate options (that cost money) from the Pantone company if you need perfect accuracy in choosing a color.
The tint option at top right gives you the ability to lighten a color. General rule is if you are going to put type in front of a color, it should be no more than 10-15 percent for radability. You also can use this option to lighten your reversed seal, if you wish.
16. With the text frame still selected, choose Text Frame Options from Object menu; at the bottom choose Ignore Text Wrap. This will keep your
"JM" text from jumping out of the circle when you wrap the text around
it.
17. Once you have the seal looking the way you want (that is,
perfect), with the arrow tool drag a marquee around both elements. Choose Group from the Object pulldown. This locks your design so you can move it around without
getting elements out of line. It's particularly handy when you've worked hard
to get things just right. You can Ungroup later, if you need to tweak.
18. Drag the seal to the middle of a center column text box, in
front of the type. The type should flow around your seal.
19. Type your name somewhere, or print and sign.
20. Save, print document, proof carefully.
21. One point extra credit: Who wrote this excerpt, in what century, and
who is speaking?