Adobe InDesign (Classroom in a Book) Book

If you've already read the manual and want more training in Adobe InDesign, the tutorials in Adobe InDesign 1.5 Classroom in a Book can help get you up and running in a few hours. You'll be walked through exercises step by step, using project files and graphics provided on the companion CD-ROM. You'll also learn how to set up new documents, manipulate text, add graphics or create them using the drawing tools, set your monitor for better colour management and prepare your files for output. Version 1.5 of InDesign has several new features, including the ability to place text along a path and to vertically justify lines of type (that is, adjust the leading to fill out a text frame). This edition of the book refers to these new features, although some get only a cursory mention. For example, one of the coolest new tools is the eye dropper, that can quickly copy and apply text or graphic-formatting attributes. But the usefulness of this, particularly with respect to text attributes, is never fully explored in a tutorial. On the other hand, the book does have extensive information on the new ability to create clipping paths from Photoshop alpha channels, even choosing from multiple saved clipping paths. The original edition of this book had a less than thorough index. This seems to have been corrected here. However, keep in mind that the Classroom in a Book series is best when you read the books from front to back, following along at the computer. The books in the series are generally less effective for jumping around and troubleshooting. Although Adobe InDesign 1.5 Classroom in a Book doesn't make the best desk reference, once you've finished you can refer back and apply the lessons to your own projects. New users especially will appreciate the well-constructed exercises, which incorporate many features, tools and issues in each lesson. --Angelynn Grant, Amazon.comRead More