Moorpark College Graphic Design

Reading: Bible p.547-569 – Setting up Tabs and Tables

While InDesign allows for the most complex of formatting jobs, it supplies a number of tools to ease the tedium and redundancy where formatting text is concerned. When dealing with large quantities of data, such as the information for a price list or catalog, Tables can pick up where Paragrarph Styles, Tab and Paragraph Rules leave off.

First, consider the data flow. The initial data can originate from a number of sources. It may come from Microsoft Word, Excel, or it can come right off the internet. If you are getting the data from a website, ask the provider to export the data to an Excel file. Once you have the Excel file, you can open it and determine if any fields can be eliminated, as it is easier to edit the data before importing into InDesign.

Creating the Initial Table

With the data finally prepared, go to File>Place, importing the Excel file into InDesign. When placing, be sure to check “Show Import Options.”

In the “Show Import Options” dialog, at the top of the dialog you’ll see, “Sheet.” Here, you need to choose the specific worksheet associated with the Excel file.

Formatting: Table > Unformatted tabbed text. By choosing this option, you will be able to control all aspects of formatting the table in InDesign.

With an active text cursor within the table, Select>All and go to the Table Menu>Convert Text to Table. The Column separator can remain set at Tab, and the Row Separator at Paragraph.

Apply Design Styles to the Table

Once your text is converted to a table, it is similar to an inline graphic in that it resides within a text frame. However, to make changes to the table or its contents, use the text tool. With an active cursor in the table, you can edit the column or row size by moving the cursor directly over the line. When it turns to a double-headed arrow, click and drag to change the size. Edit the column widths appropriately so that the rows fit comfortably on a line.

Drag with the text cursor to highlight text in a cell. To highlight all the text in the table, first highlight a row, then go to Edit>Select All to change the font, style and size. Incorporate paragraph styles and a complex task is eased.

The Table>Table Options gives information about the table, and control over the spacing, strokes and fills for columns and rows in the table for graphic customization.

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No matter what type of publication you’re working on: newsletter, magazine, brochure, catalog, greeting card, etc., once the design problems are resolved, the rest is mostly production work. Because production work tends to have repetitive procedures, there are a whole slew of “tricks” that can speed the process up and take the tedium out of the work.

The Page Palette

1. Duplicate a page with all of its elements, including guides – Click on the page in the page palette, hold down the option key and drag it below the existing page. Voila, a twin!
2. To edit and remove master elements from a page in the publication – Click on the page palette pop up menu>Override All Master Page Items. They are no unlocked and free to move about the cabin.
3. In the same palette, you can steal master pages from other documents by first saving, then loading master pages.
4. For that matter clone a page from a different file by dragging its page icon from one file to the other.

Step and Repeat

1. One of my favorite and one of the more useful features for production is Step and Repeat found under the Edit Menu. Use it to duplicate and position elements with a single operation.

Assign Color to Line Art

1. In photoshop, convert your line art to Bitmap. If you scanned it in RGB, you’ll need to convert the file to grayscale before converting it to Bitmap. In the conversion dialog, choose 50% threshold, which converts all pixels under 50% gray to white, and those greater than 50% to black.
2. Place the bitmap file into InDesign.
3. Select the content of the frame with the Direct Select (white) arrow tool and the “fill” swatch active.
4. Choose a color from the swatches palette to convert the contents to the desired color.
5. To fill the background with a color, use the Black Selection arrow tool.

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From this session through the end of the semester, we will concentrate on multiple page publications. Everyone needs to turn in a written proposal specify what your final project will consist of. Your choices are:

• Magazine
• Newspaper
• Newsletter
• Book
• Multi-panel, multi-page brochure
• Catalog
• Instruction manual
• Website Design

You are free to choose the type of publication, the subect matter/content, size, media, and client. You can work for yourself, or you may work with a business or non-profit association. Be forewarned that you are on a deadline, and if you choose to work with or under the direction of another person or organization, you are still obligated to meet all of your class deadlines. There are approximately 6 more weeks to class. Your final project proposal is due NOW. We will discuss the proposals on Wednesday, Oct. 22.

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The purpose of this exercise is to update an old logo and recreate it in an Illustrator digital format. The original card was printed on textured paper in two-color thermography. The updated logo will be printed in 4-color process on 15pt. card stock with a UV coat. Download PDF.

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In this exercise, we will re-create sections of the Melrose Café Menu as instructed in class. Appetizers, gourmet salads, chicken, pasta, etc.. Include the pizza section and the catering menu. The section headers contain inline graphics. The graphics you use may differ from those in the Melrose Cafe menu. Try to match type as closely as possible.

Objectives:

• Input text and graphics content
• Format text and tag with Character and Paragraph styles
• When to use “next” styles
• Properly separate paragraphs with “space” after paragraph
• Understand indents and tab alignments
• When to use Leaders
• Using Paragraph Rules

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The due date for the magazine layout has been postponed until Wed. Oct. 1

Objective can be found in the post dated Sept. 9, 2008.

The page layout and the typography should match the original as closely as possible. That means that you’ll need to key-in the type, if you haven’t already done so, in order to match the type size, leading, line lengths, etc.

Make sure to keep everything pertaining to the job/assignment in your folder, including a job sheet listing the objectives and specs of the job, a printed xerox copy of the original, or the original layout. Each working copy that you print should be included in the folder, along with any notes you make to yourself about changes that need to be made along the way. Also, include your final printed layout. When you turn in your job/assignment, your folder must come with it. The ability to check your folders each week, gives me the greatest opportunity to analyze the progression of your work and plus, it gives me a tangible way to give you feedback.

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History of the Poster

The role and appearance of the poster has changed continuously over the past century to meet the changing needs of society. Although its role is less central than it was 100 years ago, the poster will evolve further as the computer and the worldwide web revolutionize the way we communicate in the 21st century.

The Poster Connection

A poster is typically a printed paper announcement that is displayed publicly and functions as a tool for the promotion of a product, an event, or a sentiment or cause through image and/or text. A poster’s principal task is to be noticed: it must attract attention and influence the passerby.

Wikipedia on Posters

Posters from 8-year old Contest

AIGA – Get Out the Vote

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Due Date: Wednesday, Sept. 3rd.

Format:

1. Digital file (jpg or pdf) attached to email. This part is due promptly upon completion.
2. Print and turn in with completed assignment folder.
3. A copy of the assignment sheet is to be printed and assembled into a new folder and turned in with each printed assignment.

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Here’s another useful book you can add to our list of required books. It’s under $10 and it’s got tons of great information. It’s Chuck Green’s Logos, Letterheads, & Business Cards, part of the Rockport “Design It Yourself” series. We’ll refer to this book as DIY.

We’ll be discussing the “how-to’s” of designing and laying out the business card part of a stationery system.

Reading: DIY: 1-45.

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