Instructor: Ross Collins
Exercise Number Four: Build your own
(using InDesign CS 3)
COMM 362, Design for Print
Instructor: Ross Collins
Exercise Number Four: Build your own
(using InDesign CS 3)
This is your first opportunity to use your creative skills in an actual design using computerized pagination software (InDesign). Use your imagination to work up a flyer publicizing a series of fitness classes for the Wellness Center. Choose a theme, a typeface, a layout strategy that reflects the spirit of the classes. Procedure is described below. Note that you have creative flexibility to design the flyer as you wish, but two things are required:
Both procedures are described below, plus procedures for using glyphs and applying a gradient, optional. At right I give you some idea of how a flyer might look, but did not fill in the actual schedule of classes. You can choose to base your design on my idea, or work up your own idea.
1. Client's specifications: standard 8 1/2 x 11 flyer to promote new fitness program. One spot color (solid color) okay, but not required. The flyer should attract experienced fitness enthusiasts who want to move their workout to the next level, but have fun doing it. Copy for the flyer (cut and paste as necessary):
Boot camp aerobics!
So you think you're super fit? Regular aerobics just too ho-hum? Ready for a challenge? Then welcome to NDSU Wellness Center's Boot Camp Aerobics, maggot! Get serious about fitness. Build the six-pack abs you always wanted. Load the guns, pump the pecs.... Meet us at least twice a week, any of the classes below, and we'll show you what "workout" really means.
Class schedule
Tuesday Evening, 5:00
Boot camp yoga (ashtanga style), Studio One.
Boot camp interval training, Studio Two.
Beginning tae kwon do, Studio Three.
Kickboxing Aerobics, Studio Four.Wednesday Evening, 5:30
Boot camp aerobics (step/weights), Studio One.
Intermediate tae kwon do, Studio Two.
Boot camp interval training, Studio Three.Thursday Morning, 8:00
Boot camp yoga (ashtanga style), Studio One.
Boot camp interval training, Studio Two.
Advanced boot camp (plyometrics/sprints), Studio Three.Thursday Noon
Boot camp aerobics (step/weights), Studio One.
Kickboxing Aerobics, Studio Two.
Black-belt tae kwon do, Studio Three.
PTSD counseling available after class, Room 166.Register for the Ross Collins Boot Camp Aerobics program now!
Yes, I want to get serious about fitness, and this is the class I want to take:
Name
Department
Address
City
State
Zip
2. Set up your one-page standard document. Margins should be at least 3p. Under Preferences, choose Use Typographer's Quotes and measurement in picas, if not already default.
3. Consider your focal point. At least some text should be typed on a path. This means your text follows curved lines or shapes. You can learn this from a YouTube video, or follow the directions below.
a. Draw a shape.
b. Or, using the pen tool, draw a curved line:
- Click with pen tool to set anchor point.
- Drag from that click to set second anchor point.
- Drag to make line curved, as necessary. Add another anchor point for a second curve (see illustration at right).
c. Choose the Type on a Path tool, under the Type tool. Click on line or shape.
d. Type and style as necessary (see illustration at left).
e. Move the text around the curve by dragging on the square handle to the left of the text (see illustration at left).
f. Delete the line using the Stoke palette. The text remains.
4. Paste and style the text to reflect your design decisions. Below left is a sample solution from a somewhat similar newsletter exercise. Note this design makes the boring list of classes more interesting, by including "racing stripes." The slant on the stripes is built by dragging an 8-pt. white angled rule (stroke) to mask the edges. (Remember masking from our newsletter exercise?) It also includes gradients. A gradient is a gradual tone change within an element, to add interest and a three-dimensional feel.
5. To build a gradient:
a. Draw a box or shape you would like to fill.
b. Choose the rectangle (if not already) so that the handles appear.
c. Choose Gradient Swatch tool in Tool Box. (Note: if you forget the names for these tools, you probably know by now that if you hover your cursor over them for a moment, the names magically appear.)
d. Drag over box from left to right to apply gradient.
e. To adjust gradient, bring up the Gradient panel. Note the the slider adjusts the color (or gray) shifts. For type of gradient, choose Linear. For Angle, choose -90 degrees (minus 90), so the dark area is at the top.
Added notes on gradients:
Some low-resolution printers won't print them well, and often photocopies either
"band" them (objectionable lines), or drop the gradient if it's somewhat
light. But if you plan to take your document to a printer, they'll be able to
do it right.
Colored gradients
While we won't see them printed using the classroom laser printer, you can experiment with colors if you like.
Add the colors you want for the gradient. To do that, choose from
the swatch libraries. These give you a variety of options depending on needs of your publication. But most graphic artists use the Pantone system. So to add those colors to your swatches palette.
To make a type gradient, drag type to highlight, then follow same directions as above.
6. Create the name/address box at the bottom of the flyer. Begin by drawing a box, choosing border style to your design tastes.
7. Create leadered tabs for name/address box. This offers you the great opportunity to work with the Tabs dialogue box. Draw a text frame in the box. With the cursor in the text frame you wish to tab, choose Tabs.. from the Type pulldown. You'll find the box pops up right over the frame you just drew.
Note: Yes, you can laboriously draw small text frames and lines for each item in a form, but it's time-consuming and the possibility for crooked forms is high. InDesign pros love short-cuts!
Leadered tabs
The tabs ruler allows you to click anywhere to set tabs, which will correspond to the area of the text frame below the dialogue box. The little arrows on upper left are, in order, left justified tab, center justified tab, right justified tab, and decimal justified tab. You also can choose tab locations by measurement, in the X box. Default tabs are set every 3 p, but when you set a new tab, all tabs to the left of it automatically clear. At the left edge of the ruler are two sort of triangles. The top one sets the first line indent; the second sets the left indent. Of course, you can also set this through the Paragraph panel.
The leader box allows you to draw lines or dots between copy, called (of course)
leadered tabs. Mostly you do this when you want to create tables of contents
or columns of numbers, with those dots between, but today we're going to create
a line. Here's the procedure:
a. Put the type tool in the text frame in which you want to set tabs.
b. Bring up the tab ruler from the Type pulldown. Note it automatically aligns to your text frame.
c. Choose the left tab icon (left justified tab), if not default.
d. Click at the top of the taab ruler to choose the first tab, slightly to the left of the border, for Name, Address and City alignment.
e. Click in the tab ruler about in the middle to make a tab for Department and City.
f. In the Leader window choose a line (Shift and hyphen).
g. Click about two thirds of the way down the tab ruler for the Zip code line. Again, make a tab, and again, choose the line from the Leader window.
h. Click near the end of the ruler for the final tab. Choose the line from the Leader window. You need this so your line reaches the end of your form.
f. Click to return to the text frame.
g. Type Name. Hit the Tab key. A leadered tab should extend to the text tab stop. Type Department. Hit the tab key. Hit return. Etc. (See illustration above right.)
h. Screw it up? Start over by choosing Clear All from the flyout menu at right.
Creating dingbats (glyphs)
22. Interesting flourishes of small details can add an attractive contrast to page--if not overdone. Using a dingbat (small picture) is one way to do this. These are called glyphs in InDesign CS. To choose a glyph:
a. Draw a small text frame where you want the dingbat to appear.
b. Call up the glyph dialogue box from the Type pulldown, and Glyphs (Zapf dingbats illustrated at right).
c. From the type menu at bottom (or the bar at the top) find Zapf dingbats (designed by that doughty type designer Hermann Zapf of Switzerland). Or choose Wingdings, or another dingbat font.
d. Double click on a cute dingbat. It will appear in the text frame.
e. Style as you would text, by dragging to highlight. If it's too dark, screen the glyph down to about 30 percent. To do this, you need to have the Fill (and not the Stroke) box activated in the Color panel.
f. For stroke (around the glyph) choose zero.
Glyph note: Every typeface includes glyphs. This is where you'll find ligatures and accents, as well as typographic flourishes not part of the standard font. Check it out.
23. Print proof copy. Adjust and correct as necessary. Print final copy. Note the spot color you have chosen by PMS number, and where it will appeaer. You have just created a document that probably two-thirds of those who say they "know desktop publishing" would not be able to do. Congratulations!