The InDesigner

Launch day for Adobe’s Creative Suite 5 is here, and so is my first podcast episode dedicated to the newest version of InDesign.

In this episode, I take a look at a number of very cool new features in InDesign CS5. There’s a lot more (see the full list below), but I’ve focused on some of my favorites, including span/split-column paragraphs, multiple page sizes, simplified transformations, metadata captions, the new Layers panel, and animation features (hinted at in my last post).

This episode is kind of a a long one, but I’ve included chapter markers so you can quickly jump to the section of the episode (there are five demo segments) you want to see.

Watch the episode here (36:46 | 70.1MB), or you can subscribe via iTunes.

Here’s a (just about) complete list of the new features in InDesign CS5. There are numerous other small details and enhancements, but here’s the biggest and the best: … (read more)

Posted in Automation, CS5, Design, Document Set-up, Graphics & Images, Interactivity, Layout, News/Announcements, Podcasts-Video, Productivity, Styles, Type & Text | 18 Comments » |

OK…Christmas has already come and gone, I know, but it’s still technically the holiday season, and the title of this episode is the title of a Christmas CD project I recently designed. That’s the project I showcase in this episode, in which I demonstrate a holiday grab bag of InDesign goodies including: … (read more)

Posted in Design, Graphics & Images, Podcasts-Video, Type & Text | 3 Comments » |

Normally, I pick one InDesign feature and build a whole episode around it. However, this is the second anniversary of the podcast, and I wanted to do something different, and demonstrate that combining InDesign features is far more powerful than using them individually. In this episode, I use six different features … (read more)

Posted in Graphics & Images, GREP, Podcasts-Video, Productivity, Styles, Type & Text | 5 Comments » |

It’s that little feature we all take for granted, but InDesign’s Text Wrap is a vast improvement over that other page layout application’s Runaround feature. This episode takes an in-depth look at all of InDesign’s Text Wrap options, reveals a few peculiarities … (read more)

Posted in Document Set-up, Graphics & Images, Layout, Podcasts-Video, Type & Text | 1 Comment » |

How would you like to have all versions of your (or your client’s) logo available in one placed file and never have to worry about re-positioning them in the frame in your layout? In this episode, I share the tip I presented during the … (read more)

Posted in Graphics & Images, Podcasts-Video, Productivity | 5 Comments » |

It’s time to get back to the original mission of the videocast — real-world examples of InDesign in action to help you work better, smarter and faster. In this episode, I take a look at a feature that debuted in CS2: Object Layer Options. Not only does InDesign understand the native Photoshop format, it also … (read more)

Posted in Design, Graphics & Images, Podcasts-Video, Productivity | 3 Comments » |

This installment is all about building photographic compositions on your InDesign page instead of relying on doing it in Photoshop like we’ve all become used to. Photoshop is great, but under the right circumstances, InDesign can be faster and more flexible. … (read more)

Posted in Graphics & Images, Podcasts-Video, Transparency | Comments Off on Episode 29: Photo Composition (VIDEO) |

I usually stick to things that can be done automatically within InDesign, but every now and then, you can’t avoid the fact that some things just haven’t made it into the product yet. In this episode, I demonstrate two methods for getting a solid-to-transparent gradient … (read more)

Posted in Graphics & Images, Podcasts-Video, Transparency | 5 Comments » |

The fourth episode of the podcast is now available. It’s the second installment of “Get Out of Photoshop Free”, in which I cover the good, bad and ugly about drop shadows — how easy they are to create and how to make yours more effective — within InDesign. Also, how to avoid creating clipping paths whenever possible by … (read more)

Posted in Graphics & Images, Podcasts-Audio, Transparency | 1 Comment » |

I love Photoshop as much as anyone, but I don’t love jumping back and forth between my page layout and image editing applications for minor tweaks and adjustments. In the latest episode of the podcast, I explain how to take advantage of features that’ll give you more options in your layout without … (read more)

Posted in Graphics & Images, Podcasts-Audio, Transparency | Comments Off on Episode 3: Get Out of Photoshop Free, Part 1 |