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Adobe InDesign CS3

Creating a Publication: Process Overview

Before pointing and clicking your way through creating a new publication, it is important to have an idea of what you are creating and how you should create it. This document includes an overview of the steps in creating a publication.

return to topBrainstorm and Prepare

Gathering your ideas and determining the goal of your publication is an important step in the writing process. It acts as a blueprint for your publication. Things you should consider while brainstorming include:

return to topWrite the Articles in Microsoft Word

Use a word processing program such as Microsoft Word to write and edit articles or large blocks of text more efficiently. Make sure you complete the following steps before moving your text to InDesign: 

  1. Write a draft

  2. Edit

  3. Spell check

  4. Confirm content

  5. Save as a Word document

return to topLocate/Develop the Images

Images play an important role in any publication. You can incorporate images from a variety of sources:

return to topExplore Layout Options

Looking at finished examples helps you determine what layout will work best. Depending on the audience and purpose of your publication, you can use ideas from these layouts to make your publication look the way you want it to:

return to topMake Layout Decisions

Creating the layout for your InDesign publication includes a variety of components, each of which contributes to the overall look. You have a number of choices to make for each layout option.

return to topSketch the Layout on Paper

Before you start creating your publication in InDesign, it is helpful to sketch a rough draft on paper. This will serve as a reference when you are creating the layout in InDesign. Elements you may want to include in your document sketch include:  

return to topPull Everything Together in InDesign

Use InDesign to bring all the components of your publication together:

  1. Based on your sketch, establish a grid

  2. Place items identified as master items in your sketch onto the master pages

  3. Place the articles

  4. Place the graphics

  5. Make final adjustments to the layout

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