Session #1 (four sessions, each session is three hours)
 
I. Publication process
    A. New document
        1. Number of pages, page size, orientation, margins
        2. Facing Pages option
        3. Measurement system
        4. Column guide & gutters
        5. Pasteboard & tool panels
        6. Control panel: objects & type controls
        7. Workspaces
        8. Document defaults

    B. Changing pages
        1. Pages panel & panel menu
        2. Pages drop-down menu
        3. Type go-to page number 
        4. Buttons: First page, Last page, Next page, Previous page
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    C. Master pages: blueprint for your document
        1. Master pages: big picture
        2. Go to Master Pages
        3. Draw a horizontal line: constrain line to perpendicular axis
        4. Change line weight 
        5. Drag out a copy that is aligned to the original
        6. Multiple item selection
        7. Constrained move to keep objects on axis
        8. Nudge position in 1-pt increments
        9. Make a text frame for a page footer
       10. Add automatic page numbering
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    D. Importing text into columns using Auto-Flow
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    E. "Thread" text from page to page
        1. Add/delete text
        2. Text "overset" marker
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    F. Formatting text
        1. Highlight entire story
        2. Type specifications: Control palette
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    G. Working with graphics
        1. Importing graphics: no need to create frame first
        2. Scale graphic proportionally by dragging
        3. Cropping in on an image for more drama 
        4. Controls for positioning image within graphic frame
        5. Text wrapping around graphic: push text away from frame
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II. Survival skills
    A. Selection tool vs. Direct Selection tool
        1. Main functions for each tool
        2. Shortcut: temporary access to last selector tool
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    B. Working with objects: basic rules
        1. Moving & sizing objects
        2. Text and graphic frames - adding a frame weight
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    C. Navigating: zooming & scrolling your page view
        1. Zoom controls: 5%---4000% 
        2. Fit in Window, Fit in Spread views
        3. Keyboard shortcuts: zoom and scroll
        4. Power Zoom
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    D. Multiple Undo and Redo shortcuts
    E. Switching between multiple open documents 
 
 
Session #2
 
I. Publication process- advanced
    A. New document: more options - Bleed & Slug
    B. Master pages
        1. Draw text frames for each column
        2. Duplicate frames for right page
        3. Convert graphic frames to text frames - fast
        4. Controls for master items on document pages
        5. Edit a master item on a document page: shortcuts
    C. Import text manually, with and without pre-drawn text frames
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    D. Format body text using Control panel
        1. Character attributes: font, point size, vertical spacing & more
        2. Paragraph attributes: alignment
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    E. Create/modify text frame for large "reverse" headline
        1. Size type using keyboard shortcuts
        2. Set text wrapping around headline frame
        3. Adjust vertrical text position inside the frame
    F. Add pages & make sections
        1. Create different styles of page numbering for sections (1-2-3, I-II-III, etc)
        2. Automatically insert unique section names in the page footer 
        3. Printing using sections 
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    G. Working with color: Fill and Stroke
        1. Swatches panel
        2. Apply color to fill and stroke of any selected object or frame
        3. Apply color to text and frame background
        4. Remove color from Fill or Stroke
        5. Swap the Fill and Stroke colors
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II. Word processing features
    A. Check Spelling
        1. Limit search
        2. Add a word to the user dictionary
    B. View "hidden" characters: word spaces, return characters, tabs
    C. Find/Change command
        1. Search options
        2. Text cleanup
        3. Attribute searches: replace underline style with italic
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III. Typographic features & type effects
    A. Indents, paragraph spacing
    B. Hyphenation: Adobe multi-line composer
    C. Tracking and kerning (letter and word spacing)
    D. Vertical and Horizontal scaling of text
    E. Skew text
    F. Drop cap
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Session #3
 
I. Layout techniques
     A. Unlink and rethread text frames
        1. See connecting arrows showing the path of the text threading
        2. When not to unlink
        3. Break link in story between two text frames
        4. Link story to a new frame on another page
        5. Story jumps (continued on page X; cont. from page X) [optional]
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    B. Adjust text & graphics to fit changes to a layout
        1. Layout Adjustment command
        2. Change column grid, document page size & orientation 
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    C. Column, frame & page breaks--insert special characters
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II. More on graphics 
    A. Check Actual & Effective resolution: Info panel
    B. Text wrapping around a cut-out graphic (irregular shape) 
    C. Round-trip graphic editing to/from Photoshop or Illustrator
    D. Place a graphic into the flow of text (optional)
    E. Links to imported graphics and images for proper output or export
        1. External linking for placed graphic files 
        2. Link warnings: Modified or Missing graphics
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III. Working with text: Tabs for aligned numbers & tabular text
    A. Import tabular text
    B. Tab ruler: set tabs
    C. Adjust tabs: move, add or remove a tab
    D. Leader tabs
    E. Repeat tabs: fill tab ruler with tabs at equal intervals
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IV. Working with text: Paragraph Styles
    A. Three benefits of styles
    B. Paragraph and Character styles: differences
    C. Apply a style: two-handed method
    D. Modify a style
    E. Create a new style from scratch
    F. Character Styles: setting up and applying
    G. "Local formatting" within a paragraph
    H. Redefine a style globally while altering sample text
    I. Add styles from another InDesign document
    J. Eyedropper: pick up type attributes & apply to other text
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V. Working with color: beyond the basics
    A. Access color libraries for spot, process or Web color
    B. Add a color to Swatches
    C. Make a tint
    D. Apply last-used gradient
    E. Apply last used solid col
    F. Remove colors from Swatches pane
    G. Import colors from other InDesign or Illustrator docs
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VI. Advanced master pages (Optional)
    A. Create a new master spread (multiple master pages)
    B. Duplicate masters, then edit
    C. Pages panel commands
    D. Applying master pages
        1. Apply a master to one or more pages (single page, spread or more)
        2. Hide master items from one page of a spread
        3. Delete a master
    E. Controlling master page items on document pages
        1. Delete a Master page item on a document page
        2. Detach a selected master object from its original master
        3. Detach all master objects on the current spread
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Session #4
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I. Transparency & effects
    A. Applying from Effects panel & Control panel
    B. Blend modes
    C. Drop shadows
    D. Transparency Flattener
    E. Outputting pages with transparent effects
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II. Tables
    A. Tables overview
    B. Creating a table
        1. Inserting & placing
        2. Converting tabular text        
    C. Multiple threaded tables
    D. Table headers
    E. Add text & graphics
    F. Format the table: size rows/columns, distribute columns evenly, etc.
    G. Navigating tables & selecting cells, rows/columns 
    H. Table & cell styles 
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III. Live Preflight check
    A. Continuous alerts to potential production problems
    B. Preflight options
    C. View contextual tips to help you correct errors
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IV. Packaging files for hand off to a service provider
    A. Handling fonts & linked graphics
    B. Two methods to get to Package command

V. Export your InDesign file as a PDF document
    A. Prepping files for high-resolution output
    B. Recommended settings for high resolution output
    C. Add page transitions for pdf viewing
    D. Recommended settings for Web delivery
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VI. Export to Dreamweaver & Flash
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VII. Transformation tools: Rotate, Scale, Shear
    A. Transform around default point of origin
    B. Constrain proportionally or, for angles, constrains to 45 degrees
    C. Transform numerically using default point of origin
    D. Transform numerically using a new point of origin
    E. Transform a copy numerically from default point of origin
    F. Transform a copy numerically from new point of origin
    G. Transformation panel
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VIII. Layers palette
    A. Organize your drawing & layouts
    B. Make a new layer and Layer Options
    C. Layer palette controls
    D. Move selected object(s) to new layer
    E. Rearrange the layer order to affect stacking order of objects
    F. Delete a selected layer
    G. Layers palette shortcuts
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IX. Pen tool:"bezier" drawing
    A. Drawing three types of points: corner, curve and hybrid
    B. Line and path attributes
        1. Stroke weight
        2. Cap and Join attributes
        3. Line Type
        4. Arrowheads and rounded corners
    C. Drawing with Pen tool: practice drawing simple wave line
    D. Close a path
    E. Continue from a non-selected open path
    F. Ways to edit a path
    G. Make a custom text or graphic frame with Pen tool
    H. Use same path as a custom text frame for imported text
    I. Wrap text around custom frame
    J. Type design: convert text into path outlines
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