InDesign Workshop...Lesson II.

Learning further methods, techniques and short cuts aswell as emulating an already-existing document (here I have written a short selection of hints and tips)...

Interaction between frames on a page...

-Change the shape of the text frames if you wish to place an image among/within the text by text wrapping (buttons on the top tool bar)

OR

-Windows>text wrap (additional options for how condensed the text is around the image, etc) and unlink the link button when sizing to stop the wrap spacing being squared off.

-If you need to use transparency in an image use a PSD file as TIFF doesn't support transparencies (the background the image is on being the transparent element)- TIFF's are flattened images. 

-When setting up a facing page document, the first page is always a single page- as it would be in a magazine- you only see the DPS when you open the cover and 2nd page.

When creating a DPS, work with a 3 page document, but ignore the 1st page.

-ALWAYS apply your text wrap to your image>contour options>alpha channel.

-If you want to edit an image in photoshop that has got a background but want to make it a transparency, follow these simple steps...

*unlock layer- now this will support transparencies.

* create a pen tool path around the image.

*select the bottom right-hand 'path' tab (by the layers tab, etc)

*Click the "burst dash" button (...I will find out the name of this...one day...) to select your image.

*Select>Inverse.

*Delete background

*Done!

Other tips and tools...

To change block colour in a complex image that you want to make transparent either change the opacity of the image or...

select>windows>effects>change opacity of image

to vertically justify text/image frames in a box you may have resized...

object>text frame options

also, inset text away from the frame/text box.

All of these tips and tools were very helpfully in the larger part of today's session, whereupon we attempted to reproduce (as closely as we could) a DPS of tutor Mike's choice...here were my efforts...

By eye it proved a little difficult aligning all of the elements, so it was certainly useful to have a ruler and printed out copy of the document at hand. I feel that the more I experiment and learnt about the methods of constructing grids and layouts, the more confident I become, and will enjoy experimenting in the further weeks for my InDesign Workshop project.