http://www.instantindesign.com/ en-us clean © 2008 InstantInDesign.com - All Rights Reserved Your resource for learning template design and high-speed production skills with Adobe InDesign Gabriel Powell The Instant InDesign Video Podcast is dedicated to helping you become more productive with Adobe InDesign with a particular focus on template design and sound document construction. Created for both novices and seasoned designers, it showcases a wide range of subject matter-from basic template architecture and streamlining routine tasks to creating a fully automated publishing workflow. It's also a perfect companion to the book, Instant InDesign: Designing Templates for Fast and Efficient Page Layout available from Adobe Press. After watching an episode, you can read more about that topic in the book. And to gain an even better understanding of what you've already read, you can turn to the video podcast to see the information in action. The Instant InDesign Video Podcast is dedicated to helping you become more productive with Adobe InDesign with a particular focus on template design and sound document construction. Created for both novices and seasoned designers, it showcases a wide range of subject matter-from basic template architecture and streamlining routine tasks to creating a fully automated publishing workflow. It's also a perfect companion to the book, Instant InDesign: Designing Templates for Fast and Efficient Page Layout available from Adobe Press. After watching an episode, you can read more about that topic in the book. And to gain an even better understanding of what you've already read, you can turn to the video podcast to see the information in action. Gabriel Powell gabriel@metafusiontraining.com Gabriel Powell Gabriel Powell On Thursday, April 8, 2010, I'll be delivering a webinar that teaches you how to export an InDesign document or book file as an eBook that can be read on a computer, smartphone, or dedicated eBook reader. Along the way, I'll be sharing a ton of tips and tricks for properly setting up a document that can be successfully converted to an eBook. To register for the webinar, click here. Here are some of the highlights: Export an eBook in the EPUB file format. Learn the differences between PDF eBooks and EPUB eBooks. Correctly format text for an eBook. Optimize Images for an eBook. Utilize cross-references, hyperlinks, and footnotes. Manage sections and chapters with a book file. Create a table of contents. Understand what will and what won’t export to an EPUB file. CS Magic is hosting the webinar. CS Magic webinars and training give you a variety of choices to learn Adobe Creative Suite software—from basic through advanced—taught by Adobe Certified Experts. To see what other webinars CS Magic offers, click here.> On Thursday, April 8, 2010, I'll be delivering a webinar that teaches you how to export an InDesign document or book file as an eBook that can be read on a computer, smartphone, or dedicated eBook reader. Along the way, I'll be sharing a ton of tips and tricks for properly setting up a document that can be successfully converted to an eBook. To register for the webinar, click here. Here are some of the highlights: Export an eBook in the EPUB file format. Learn the differences between PDF eBooks and EPUB eBooks. Correctly format text for an eBook. Optimize Images for an eBook. Utilize cross-references, hyperlinks, and footnotes. Manage sections and chapters with a book file. Create a table of contents. Understand what will and what won’t export to an EPUB file. CS Magic is hosting the webinar. CS Magic webinars and training give you a variety of choices to learn Adobe Creative Suite software—from basic through advanced—taught by Adobe Certified Experts. To see what other webinars CS Magic offers, click here. http://www.instantindesign.com/index.php?view=416 Tue, 16 Feb 2010 17:29:43 PST Gabriel Powell Gabriel Powell Adobe recently published three how-to guides that teach you how to produce EPUB eBooks from InDesign. They are very informative and go into great depth. The first white paper provides detailed instructions for setting up an eBook document in InDesign and exporting it to an EPUB file. The second white paper answers common questions about exporting EPUB files from InDesign. And the third white paper teaches you how to prepare images for optimum display on a variety of eBook readers. If you're serious about eBook publishing, you definitely want to download these white papers. You can download them from Adobe.com> Adobe recently published three how-to guides that teach you how to produce EPUB eBooks from InDesign. They are very informative and go into great depth. The first white paper provides detailed instructions for setting up an eBook document in InDesign and exporting it to an EPUB file. The second white paper answers common questions about exporting EPUB files from InDesign. And the third white paper teaches you how to prepare images for optimum display on a variety of eBook readers. If you're serious about eBook publishing, you definitely want to download these white papers. You can download them from Adobe.com http://www.instantindesign.com/index.php?view=415 Sun, 24 Jan 2010 16:16:02 PST Gabriel Powell Gabriel Powell In Episode 10, I introduced you to the EPUB format and I explained how it's different from a PDF file. I also started the process of setting up an InDesign document that can be accurately converted to the EPUB file format. In this episode, I show you how to create page breaks, setup a table of contents, insert hyperlinks and cross-references, and add metadata to the eBook. Then I walk you through the process of exporting the final EPUB file. If you would like even more in-depth information on creating EPUB files, check out my article in the October/November 2009 issue of InDesign Magazine.> In Episode 10, I introduced you to the EPUB format and I explained how it's different from a PDF file. I also started the process of setting up an InDesign document that can be accurately converted to the EPUB file format. In this episode, I show you how to create page breaks, setup a table of contents, insert hyperlinks and cross-references, and add metadata to the eBook. Then I walk you through the process of exporting the final EPUB file. If you would like even more in-depth information on creating EPUB files, check out my article in the October/November 2009 issue of InDesign Magazine. http://www.instantindesign.com/index.php?view=414 Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:39:29 PST 19:08 adobe,adobe indesign,video,videos,epub,e-book,eBook,creating eBooks,creating EPUB files,desktop publishing,graphic design,design,eBook publishing,e-book publishing Gabriel Powell Gabriel Powell eBook publishing is becoming increasingly popular. More and more publishers are providing content in the eBook format. Major bookstores such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Borders are selling thousands of eBooks every day. And as more people become savvy with eBook readers, eBooks will become even more popular. This new and different way of distributing and accessing book content expands the opportunities for reading, just as the MP3 file did with digital music. Adobe InDesign lets you create eBooks in the EPUB (electronic publication) format, which is an open eBook standard that was designed to enable content to adapt to different screen sizes and resolutions. With more publishers, bookstores, and developers supporting the EPUB format, there is no better time to start exploring the world of eBook publishing. In this episode, I start by introducing you to the EPUB file format. Then I show you some best practices for setting up an InDesign file that can be accurately converted to an EPUB file.> eBook publishing is becoming increasingly popular. More and more publishers are providing content in the eBook format. Major bookstores such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Borders are selling thousands of eBooks every day. And as more people become savvy with eBook readers, eBooks will become even more popular. This new and different way of distributing and accessing book content expands the opportunities for reading, just as the MP3 file did with digital music. Adobe InDesign lets you create eBooks in the EPUB (electronic publication) format, which is an open eBook standard that was designed to enable content to adapt to different screen sizes and resolutions. With more publishers, bookstores, and developers supporting the EPUB format, there is no better time to start exploring the world of eBook publishing. In this episode, I start by introducing you to the EPUB file format. Then I show you some best practices for setting up an InDesign file that can be accurately converted to an EPUB file. http://www.instantindesign.com/index.php?view=413 Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:59:30 PST 16:49 adobe,adobe indesign,video,videos,epub,e-book,eBook,creating eBooks,creating EPUB files,desktop publishing,graphic design,design,eBook publishing,e-book publishing Gabriel Powell Gabriel Powell InDesign CS4 is an excellent tool for creating eBooks in the EPUB format. After laying out a document, choose File > Export for Digital Editions to generate an EPUB version of it. If you set up your document properly, it will be converted into a well-designed eBook. When you need to make changes to your eBook, simply edit the original InDesign document and re-export it. Sometimes, however, there are changes that cannot be made with InDesign. For example, if you want to create an expandable cover image, format a table, add additional metadata, or customize the TOC, you'll need to edit the EPUB file itself. When I started editing EPUB files, I would manually extract the contents of a file and edit its various components using a simple text editor. After making all the changes, I had to re-archive everything back into an EPUB file. If I wasn't satisfied with a change or if I needed to make more changes, I had to go through the process again. As you can imagine, this method is tedious and time consuming. I recently discovered that I can significantly speed up the editing process by using Oxygen XML Editor to directly open an EPUB file without having to extract its contents. Oxygen is a cross platform XML editor that provides an amazing set of tools for working with XML content and it makes it easy to work with EPUB files. If you create a lot of eBooks, Oxygen is definitely worth your investment.> InDesign CS4 is an excellent tool for creating eBooks in the EPUB format. After laying out a document, choose File > Export for Digital Editions to generate an EPUB version of it. If you set up your document properly, it will be converted into a well-designed eBook. When you need to make changes to your eBook, simply edit the original InDesign document and re-export it. Sometimes, however, there are changes that cannot be made with InDesign. For example, if you want to create an expandable cover image, format a table, add additional metadata, or customize the TOC, you'll need to edit the EPUB file itself. When I started editing EPUB files, I would manually extract the contents of a file and edit its various components using a simple text editor. After making all the changes, I had to re-archive everything back into an EPUB file. If I wasn't satisfied with a change or if I needed to make more changes, I had to go through the process again. As you can imagine, this method is tedious and time consuming. I recently discovered that I can significantly speed up the editing process by using Oxygen XML Editor to directly open an EPUB file without having to extract its contents. Oxygen is a cross platform XML editor that provides an amazing set of tools for working with XML content and it makes it easy to work with EPUB files. If you create a lot of eBooks, Oxygen is definitely worth your investment. http://www.instantindesign.com/index.php?view=412 Thu, 08 Oct 2009 01:16:06 PST Gabriel Powell Gabriel Powell In Episode 7, I introduced EasyCatalog. In Episode 8, I demonstrated how to use EasyCatalog to import data into InDesign and configure it. In this episode, I show you how to create a catalog template from start to finish. I start by creating the product style, which is a prototype of a typical product in the catalog. Then I test pagination by dragging data from the Data panel to the product style. This important step ensures that the product style works correctly. Once I finish testing, I finalize the template and test again by paginating multiple products at once. Along the way, I share a wealth of tips and tricks that make the template creation process faster and easier. After watching this episode, you might want to practice creating the catalog template yourself. After becoming a member, you'll be able to download the practice files.> In Episode 7, I introduced EasyCatalog. In Episode 8, I demonstrated how to use EasyCatalog to import data into InDesign and configure it. In this episode, I show you how to create a catalog template from start to finish. I start by creating the product style, which is a prototype of a typical product in the catalog. Then I test pagination by dragging data from the Data panel to the product style. This important step ensures that the product style works correctly. Once I finish testing, I finalize the template and test again by paginating multiple products at once. Along the way, I share a wealth of tips and tricks that make the template creation process faster and easier. After watching this episode, you might want to practice creating the catalog template yourself. After becoming a member, you'll be able to download the practice files. http://www.instantindesign.com/index.php?view=411 Tue, 14 Jul 2009 23:01:46 PST 18:24 adobe,adobe indesign,video,videos,indesign templates,automation,easycatalog,easy catalog,catalog design,price list,desktop publishing,graphic design,design,database publishing,publishing and printing Gabriel Powell Gabriel Powell In Episode 7, I introduced you to the amazing capabilities of EasyCatalog. Now I'd like to show you how to create a template that automates the production of a product catalog. Originally, this episode was going to demonstrate the entire process from start to finish, but I quickly discovered that there just wasn't enough time in one episode to teach you everything. So I've created a third part, which will be covered in Episode 9. In this episode, I demonstrate the first two steps involved in creating the template. I start by studying the mock-up layout, which is a sample layout that represents the size, arrangement, and formatting of every element to be included in the publication. Then I show you how to use EasyCatalog to import the data for the catalog and configure it. EasyCatalog gives you complete control over the formatting and organization of your data. This episode highlights the most important features and demonstrates different ways to organize the imported data. In Episode 9, I'll show you how to finish building the template.> In Episode 7, I introduced you to the amazing capabilities of EasyCatalog. Now I'd like to show you how to create a template that automates the production of a product catalog. Originally, this episode was going to demonstrate the entire process from start to finish, but I quickly discovered that there just wasn't enough time in one episode to teach you everything. So I've created a third part, which will be covered in Episode 9. In this episode, I demonstrate the first two steps involved in creating the template. I start by studying the mock-up layout, which is a sample layout that represents the size, arrangement, and formatting of every element to be included in the publication. Then I show you how to use EasyCatalog to import the data for the catalog and configure it. EasyCatalog gives you complete control over the formatting and organization of your data. This episode highlights the most important features and demonstrates different ways to organize the imported data. In Episode 9, I'll show you how to finish building the template. http://www.instantindesign.com/index.php?view=410 Fri, 03 Jul 2009 09:55:31 PST 13:42 adobe,adobe indesign,video,videos,indesign templates,automation,catalog design,easycatalog,price list,database publishing,publishing and printing,design,graphic design Gabriel Powell Gabriel Powell I've been using and teaching EasyCatalog for the past four years and I'm still amazed at how powerful and easy it is to use. This amazing plug-in allows you to publish content directly from a database or a spreadsheet into InDesign and it makes it easy to keep all of your information up-to-date. You don't even need any programming or scripting skills! This episode introduces you to EasyCatalog. I first automate the production of a product catalog and then I demonstrate how the same data can be used to automate a price list. But EasyCatalog isn't limited to producing catalogs and price lists. The plug-in can also be used to automate the production of brochures, directories, product sheets, and more.> I've been using and teaching EasyCatalog for the past four years and I'm still amazed at how powerful and easy it is to use. This amazing plug-in allows you to publish content directly from a database or a spreadsheet into InDesign and it makes it easy to keep all of your information up-to-date. You don't even need any programming or scripting skills! This episode introduces you to EasyCatalog. I first automate the production of a product catalog and then I demonstrate how the same data can be used to automate a price list. But EasyCatalog isn't limited to producing catalogs and price lists. The plug-in can also be used to automate the production of brochures, directories, product sheets, and more. http://www.instantindesign.com/index.php?view=407 Sat, 20 Jun 2009 08:19:33 PST 14:08 adobe,adobe indesign,video,videos,indesign templates,automation,easycatalog,easy catalog,catalog design,price list,desktop publishing,graphic design,design,database publishing,publishing and printing Gabriel Powell Gabriel Powell I recently recorded this video tutorial for Adobe. It teaches you how to create interactive forms using Adobe InDesign and Adobe Acrobat Pro. You'll learn how to start a form in Adobe InDesign, export that form as a static PDF file, and then use Adobe Acrobat Pro to automatically convert it into an interactive form. Along the way, you'll pick up a number of tips that can make the form creation process easier. > I recently recorded this video tutorial for Adobe. It teaches you how to create interactive forms using Adobe InDesign and Adobe Acrobat Pro. You'll learn how to start a form in Adobe InDesign, export that form as a static PDF file, and then use Adobe Acrobat Pro to automatically convert it into an interactive form. Along the way, you'll pick up a number of tips that can make the form creation process easier. http://www.instantindesign.com/index.php?view=406 Fri, 15 May 2009 06:14:43 PST Gabriel Powell Gabriel Powell I received this question several months ago. Since then I've been asked the same question a number of times, so I thought I should post the answer for everyone else who has ever wondered the same thing. "I have many screen shots, all of which have to be placed at 50%. I see no provision for this in the options within an object style. Is there something that I am missing?" – Carole, NY Actually, you aren't missing a thing. Unfortunately, object styles don't provide an option for scaling an image to a given percentage. This is at the top of my list of highly requested features though. For now, if you want every image you import to be automatically placed at 50% (or any other percentage), follow this procedure.> I received this question several months ago. Since then I've been asked the same question a number of times, so I thought I should post the answer for everyone else who has ever wondered the same thing. "I have many screen shots, all of which have to be placed at 50%. I see no provision for this in the options within an object style. Is there something that I am missing?" – Carole, NY Actually, you aren't missing a thing. Unfortunately, object styles don't provide an option for scaling an image to a given percentage. This is at the top of my list of highly requested features though. For now, if you want every image you import to be automatically placed at 50% (or any other percentage), follow this procedure. http://www.instantindesign.com/index.php?view=405 Wed, 06 May 2009 09:04:36 PST Gabriel Powell Gabriel Powell In case you're wondering why I haven't posted any new episodes for a few months, I was busy recording a Photoshop CS4 training DVD for Video2Brain and Adobe Press. I'm very excited about this project and can't wait until it finally ships on May 15th. This training package contains 19 hours of video and a printed booklet that provides additional learning material and a topic-by-topic guide to the video. It's designed to teach you everything you need to know to pass the Adobe Certified Associate exam. The video is wrapped in a very cool interface that allows you to jump to specific topics and bookmark topics for later review. All the project files are on the disk, so you can practice what you've learned. And at the end of each section are several review questions that help reinforce the skills you've learned. Perhaps the best thing about this video is that it's very affordable—just $59.99. You can even save 10%-30% if you buy it directly from AdobePress.com. > In case you're wondering why I haven't posted any new episodes for a few months, I was busy recording a Photoshop CS4 training DVD for Video2Brain and Adobe Press. I'm very excited about this project and can't wait until it finally ships on May 15th. This training package contains 19 hours of video and a printed booklet that provides additional learning material and a topic-by-topic guide to the video. It's designed to teach you everything you need to know to pass the Adobe Certified Associate exam. The video is wrapped in a very cool interface that allows you to jump to specific topics and bookmark topics for later review. All the project files are on the disk, so you can practice what you've learned. And at the end of each section are several review questions that help reinforce the skills you've learned. Perhaps the best thing about this video is that it's very affordable—just $59.99. You can even save 10%-30% if you buy it directly from AdobePress.com. http://www.instantindesign.com/index.php?view=401 Fri, 01 May 2009 06:56:15 PST Gabriel Powell Gabriel Powell This is the second in a series of video podcasts dedicated to teaching you my favorite InDesign CS4 features. In this episode, you'll learn how to use the Conditional Text feature. This powerful new feature allows you to create several versions of a publication—such as a brochure with multiple languages or a catalog with several pricing variations—all within one document. Watch this episode to see how the Conditional Text feature can greatly simplify the production of a training manual that has both a student edition and a teacher's edition. You'll also learn how you can use the Find/Change dialog to automate the process of applying conditions. After watching this episode, you'll think twice about using the Layers panel or creating separate documents to manage multiple versions of a publication! > This is the second in a series of video podcasts dedicated to teaching you my favorite InDesign CS4 features. In this episode, you'll learn how to use the Conditional Text feature. This powerful new feature allows you to create several versions of a publication—such as a brochure with multiple languages or a catalog with several pricing variations—all within one document. Watch this episode to see how the Conditional Text feature can greatly simplify the production of a training manual that has both a student edition and a teacher's edition. You'll also learn how you can use the Find/Change dialog to automate the process of applying conditions. After watching this episode, you'll think twice about using the Layers panel or creating separate documents to manage multiple versions of a publication! http://www.instantindesign.com/index.php?view=400 Tue, 16 Dec 2008 23:02:40 PST 10:48 adobe,adobe indesign,video,videos,indesign templates,indesign cs4,conditional text,Find/Change,desktop publishing,graphic design,design,automation Gabriel Powell Gabriel Powell This is one of a series of video podcasts dedicated to teaching you my favorite InDesign CS4 features. In this episode, you get an introduction to Kuler, an online community dedicated entirely to color. You'll also learn how to use InDesign CS4's new Kuler panel, which makes it easy and fun to create the perfect colors for any project.> This is one of a series of video podcasts dedicated to teaching you my favorite InDesign CS4 features. In this episode, you get an introduction to Kuler, an online community dedicated entirely to color. You'll also learn how to use InDesign CS4's new Kuler panel, which makes it easy and fun to create the perfect colors for any project. http://www.instantindesign.com/index.php?view=399 Fri, 31 Oct 2008 22:13:49 PST 13:59 adobe,adobe indesign,video,videos,indesign templates,indesign cs4,indesign templates,kuler panel,kuler,color,design,graphic design,desktop publishing Gabriel Powell Gabriel Powell This question appeared in my inbox about a week ago. At first it had me completely baffled, because I had never seen the issue before. But, I have finally found an answer and would like to share it with everyone. Thanks to Otto from the Netherlands for bringing it to my attention. "I encountered a problem with Data Merge which I am unable to solve. When I export a file out of Excel to a comma separated file (.csv), I end up with a semicolon (;) separated file instead of a comma (,) separated file. When I import that file into the Data Merge panel, the fields are not imported properly." – Otto, The Netherlands The easiest way around this issue is to simply save your Excel file as a tab delimited text file, which is perfectly compatible with Data Merge. However, I prefer working with CSV files since they are easier to open and edit in Excel. So, why do the CSV files that Otto exports use semicolons, while the files I export use commas?> This question appeared in my inbox about a week ago. At first it had me completely baffled, because I had never seen the issue before. But, I have finally found an answer and would like to share it with everyone. Thanks to Otto from the Netherlands for bringing it to my attention. "I encountered a problem with Data Merge which I am unable to solve. When I export a file out of Excel to a comma separated file (.csv), I end up with a semicolon (;) separated file instead of a comma (,) separated file. When I import that file into the Data Merge panel, the fields are not imported properly." – Otto, The Netherlands The easiest way around this issue is to simply save your Excel file as a tab delimited text file, which is perfectly compatible with Data Merge. However, I prefer working with CSV files since they are easier to open and edit in Excel. So, why do the CSV files that Otto exports use semicolons, while the files I export use commas? http://www.instantindesign.com/index.php?view=392 Tue, 14 Oct 2008 20:35:13 PST Gabriel Powell Gabriel Powell Numbered lists provide an excellent way to organize information, but producing them can be demanding work. Thanks to InDesign, you can entirely automate the list creation process. This episode teaches you how to use the Bullets and Numbering feature to create a complex multilevel numbered list. You'll also learn to create a series of paragraph styles that can be used together to automatically number and format the list. If you produce technical manuals or textbooks, you definitely want to check out this episode.> Numbered lists provide an excellent way to organize information, but producing them can be demanding work. Thanks to InDesign, you can entirely automate the list creation process. This episode teaches you how to use the Bullets and Numbering feature to create a complex multilevel numbered list. You'll also learn to create a series of paragraph styles that can be used together to automatically number and format the list. If you produce technical manuals or textbooks, you definitely want to check out this episode. http://www.instantindesign.com/index.php?view=391 Sun, 31 Aug 2008 01:57:03 PST 18:12 adobe,adobe indesign,video,videos,indesign templates,numbered list,numbered lists,textbook design,automation,bulleted list,automated lists,technical document,styles Gabriel Powell Gabriel Powell Peachpit publisher, Nancy Aldrich-Ruenzel, recently interviewed me about my book, Instant InDesign. Nancy's podcast, Author Talk, features interviews with authors about their latest works, techniques, and technologies. In this interview, we talk about the book's features, the importance of templates, and the principles of great template design. Click here to listen to the interview> Peachpit publisher, Nancy Aldrich-Ruenzel, recently interviewed me about my book, Instant InDesign. Nancy's podcast, Author Talk, features interviews with authors about their latest works, techniques, and technologies. In this interview, we talk about the book's features, the importance of templates, and the principles of great template design. Click here to listen to the interview http://www.instantindesign.com/index.php?view=390 Wed, 06 Aug 2008 16:56:10 PST Gabriel Powell Gabriel Powell Great templates are created through a carefully planned combination of individual tools and technologies. Like a machine, all of the various parts work so well together that when using it, everything seems to be operating from a single intelligence. To succeed in perfecting your page production machine, it's important to understand some of the foundational principles that support the creation of quality templates. Use the seven principles covered in this article to guide the decisions you make throughout the template construction process.> Great templates are created through a carefully planned combination of individual tools and technologies. Like a machine, all of the various parts work so well together that when using it, everything seems to be operating from a single intelligence. To succeed in perfecting your page production machine, it's important to understand some of the foundational principles that support the creation of quality templates. Use the seven principles covered in this article to guide the decisions you make throughout the template construction process. http://www.instantindesign.com/index.php?view=389 Tue, 29 Jul 2008 23:15:04 PST Gabriel Powell Gabriel Powell If you've been using InDesign for a while, chances are you've heard at least some of the buzz surrounding XML. It seems that everyone is using it lately. Web developers, database developers, programmers, scientists, and even desktop publishers are taking advantage of XML. What is this "magic" that XML seems to have? Should you care about it? Well, with all the hype going around, you can't afford to ignore XML any longer. In my opinion, every graphic designer should have at least a basic understanding of what XML is and how you can work with it in Adobe InDesign. This episode is designed to introduce you to the world of XML and show you how to create an XML-ready template that automates the production of a set of business cards.> If you've been using InDesign for a while, chances are you've heard at least some of the buzz surrounding XML. It seems that everyone is using it lately. Web developers, database developers, programmers, scientists, and even desktop publishers are taking advantage of XML. What is this "magic" that XML seems to have? Should you care about it? Well, with all the hype going around, you can't afford to ignore XML any longer. In my opinion, every graphic designer should have at least a basic understanding of what XML is and how you can work with it in Adobe InDesign. This episode is designed to introduce you to the world of XML and show you how to create an XML-ready template that automates the production of a set of business cards. http://www.instantindesign.com/index.php?view=388 Mon, 07 Jul 2008 13:49:27 PST 16:15 adobe,adobe indesign,video,videos,indesign templates,xml,automation,xml template,indesign xml,business cards,automated workflow,graphic design,publishing and printing Gabriel Powell Gabriel Powell Peachpit Press has posted an excerpt from my book on their web site. The excerpt is from Chapter 3: Step-by-step Approach to Designing Templates. It walks you through each step in the template design process, helping you to forge a path toward the successful completion of any template. If you're thinking about buying the book, here's your opportunity to get a glimpse into it before you buy it. Click here to read the article> Peachpit Press has posted an excerpt from my book on their web site. The excerpt is from Chapter 3: Step-by-step Approach to Designing Templates. It walks you through each step in the template design process, helping you to forge a path toward the successful completion of any template. If you're thinking about buying the book, here's your opportunity to get a glimpse into it before you buy it. Click here to read the article http://www.instantindesign.com/index.php?view=387 Thu, 19 Jun 2008 12:34:58 PST Gabriel Powell Gabriel Powell What do Data Merge, an Excel spreadsheet, the Running Header text variable, the section marker, and Layout Adjustment all have in common? They are just a handful of InDesign tools that can be combined together to create a powerful page production machine. Watch this episode to learn how you can use these five tools to design a template that automates the layout of a product catalog.> What do Data Merge, an Excel spreadsheet, the Running Header text variable, the section marker, and Layout Adjustment all have in common? They are just a handful of InDesign tools that can be combined together to create a powerful page production machine. Watch this episode to learn how you can use these five tools to design a template that automates the layout of a product catalog. http://www.instantindesign.com/index.php?view=386 Wed, 21 May 2008 14:11:56 PST 20:42 adobe,adobe indesign,video,videos,indesign templates,data merge,datamerge,variable publishing,automation,database publishing,layout adjustment,spreadsheet,excel,desktop publishing Gabriel Powell Gabriel Powell I'm pleased to bring you the first episode of the Instant InDesign Video Podcast. Choosing the first topic wasn't easy since InDesign has so many great features. I decided to talk about style sheets since they are a core feature of just about every template. If you haven't ventured far beyond the basic use of paragraph and character styles, you'll be impressed by InDesign's ability to combine multiple types of style sheets into a magic button that can apply several levels of formatting in just one click of the mouse.> I'm pleased to bring you the first episode of the Instant InDesign Video Podcast. Choosing the first topic wasn't easy since InDesign has so many great features. I decided to talk about style sheets since they are a core feature of just about every template. If you haven't ventured far beyond the basic use of paragraph and character styles, you'll be impressed by InDesign's ability to combine multiple types of style sheets into a magic button that can apply several levels of formatting in just one click of the mouse. http://www.instantindesign.com/index.php?view=374 Wed, 23 Apr 2008 22:21:57 PST 10:22 adobe,adobe indesign,video,videos,indesign templates,style sheets,automation,paragraph style,character style,nested style,object style,next style,automate indesign,indesign styles