Using InDesign CC

Forum|Forum|7 years ago
July 18, 2018
4 replies
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Is it just me or do these applications suck? I am seeing a lot of things I can't do.

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jane-e

Community Expert

christophery76280259 wrote
Is it just me or do these applications suck? I am seeing a lot of things I can't do.

If you are trying to use InDesign without learning how, then you may be right with your first guess: "is it just me?"

You do not need to make a thousand frames for each line. You can have one text frame per page if you want to. The frames can be threaded across hundred of pages so that when edits are made the text flows between the threaded frames.

No, you can't apply a theme. That's Microsoft. With InDesign, you are the creative. There are, however, some free templates from Adobe Stock that you can use if you need them to get started.

All those hours you spent on Google would have been better spent learning the program before trying to use it. Steve suggested a tutorial, and that's the best one to start with.

Would you try to put together an IKEA cabinet without instructions? If you failed, is it IKEA's fault?
Would you try to change your oil without learning how? If you messed up your engine, is it the car maker's fault?
If you got hurt skiing down the advanced slope without ever taking a lesson, would you blame the skis?

Of course you wouldn't do any of those things. And it's the same thing with InDesign. When you invest some time learning it, you will love this awesome program!

John Mensinger

Community Expert

Lovely post as usual, Jane.

Except this part:

Would you try to put together an IKEA cabinet without instructions? If you failed, is it IKEA's fault?

As someone who authors assembly/installation instructions, I'd say that even when you are equipped with IKEA's insufferable child-drawings of mute and faceless non-persons, you are indeed "without instructions." I often marvel and then chuckle sarcastically over how often Product Manager-types will cite IKEA instructions as something good—a benchmark of sorts—while so many in The Market would readily express profuse disdain for the very notion of slicing open a carton of IKEA press-board and endeavoring to arrive at a neatly finished piece of furniture without also needing to be forcibly muzzled at some point during the ensuing 7 hours in order to avoid devouring their own children along with any unfortunate puppies who also happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

So uh . . . yes the failure (not to mention the above run-on sentence), is IKEA's fault.

jane-e

Community Expert

Point taken, John!

Disclaimer: I have never put together an IKEA cabinet or changed oil and have only skied on beginner slopes after instruction.

(I also learn software before using it.)

Barb Binder

Community Expert

Hi Christopher:

Is it just me or do these applications suck? I am seeing a lot of things I can't do.

InDesign is a professional layout application, and as such, one needs to take the time to learn how to use it. Watch videos. Take a class. Buy a book. Ask specific questions here. You've already been offered suggestions above, and I'm happy to add more if you are interested.

InDesign is very powerful, and can be used to lay out short colorful documents like brochures and flyers, multi-story documents like newsletters and magazines and even long documents with table of contents, index, variables, cross-references, conditional text and more. But as a career InDesign trainer, I can tell you from experience that most people can not simple open InDesign and start using it effectively without investing the time to learn how it works. It's not Microsoft Word (thank goodness).

~Barb

~Barb at Rocky Mountain Training

christophery76280259Author

Inspiring

None of that works nor applies. I have never seen an application where every function i try to do i have to google. I have now been for hours trying to apply a theme, at this point in time, seems like i cant

Steve Werner

Community Expert

InDesign doesn't use the concept of a theme, whatever that means.

I suggest that you look for some video tutorials to learn the program. You can get a free 30 day trial at Lynda.com. David Blatner's InDesign courses are excellent:

InDesign CC 2018 Essential Training

christophery76280259Author

Inspiring

am i literally not allowed to make a text box, type some words, hit enter and go to the next line? The insertion point is at the end of the sentence, i hit enter and the blinky thing disappears, i type, no words, no idea where it goes, i have tried over 5 times, open and closed it. As far as I can tell i am forced to make a thousand text boxes for each line i want.