From Beginner to Master: InDesign

If you’re new to Adobe InDesign, our Getting Started with Adobe InDesign course provides a clear and practical introduction to creating professional layouts for print and digital use. 

Across two hands-on sessions, you’ll be introduced to the InDesign interface and learn how to confidently set up documents, navigate the workspace, and manage files. You’ll then move on to building pages using text, images and colour, gaining a solid foundation in the core tools needed to start designing with confidence. 
 
Course Details and Outline: 
 
After attending the Getting Started with Adobe InDesign course, attendees will have a strong understanding of InDesign’s purpose, capabilities, and essential workflows. They will be able to create and edit documents for both print and digital formats, work comfortably within the workspace, and apply core layout techniques. 

Participants will learn how to add and format text, place and adjust images using appropriate file formats, apply colour to page elements, and export a simple print-ready PDF. By the end of the course, attendees will be equipped with the fundamental skills needed to begin creating clear, well-structured layouts using Adobe InDesign. 
 
Session One (3 hours) 

Introduction to InDesign & Document Setup 
• Understand what InDesign is and what it’s used for 
• Explore and navigate the InDesign workspace 
• Personalise essential settings 
• Open, view, save and close documents 
• Create new documents for print and digital use 
• Make changes to your document 
• View documents in different ways 
 
 
Session Two (3 hours) 

Building Pages: Text, Images & Core Tools 
• Populate a page with text 
• Apply basic text formatting 
• Place images using correct file formats 
• Resize and fit images within frames 
• Select, move and align frames together 
• Apply colour to elements within a document 
• Export a simple PDF for print 

The Go Further with Adobe InDesign course is designed for those who already have a basic understanding of InDesign and want to build on their existing skills using more advanced tools and techniques. 

Through a mix of practical exercises and guided instruction, you’ll develop greater control over text, styles, images, shapes and colour. This course focuses on improving efficiency, consistency and accuracy when working on more complex layouts. 
 
Course Details and Outline: 
 
After attending the Go Further with Adobe InDesign course, participants will deepen their understanding of InDesign’s more advanced features and workflows. They will learn how to manage longer blocks of text using styles, improve typography, and work more confidently with images, shapes and colour. 

Attendees will gain skills that support more polished, professional layouts, including checking image quality, editing and combining shapes, managing linked assets, and preparing documents correctly for print by adding bleed. 
 
Session One (3 hours) 

Working With Text and Styles 
• Create columns within text frames 
• Understand type spacing terms: kerning, tracking and leading 
• Thread text between text frames 
• Wrap text around frames and objects 
• Master advanced text formatting using paragraph and character styles 
• Use Find/Change to quickly edit and update text throughout a document 

 
Session Two (3 hours) 

Working with Graphics, Shapes & Colour 

• Check image resolution for print output 
• Flip images within their frames 
• Manage images using the Links panel 
• Edit shapes and paths 
• Use Pathfinder tools to combine and manipulate shapes 
• Create and apply colour using the Colour Theme tool 
• Add bleed to a document 

Take your Adobe InDesign knowledge further with this advanced course, designed to help you work more efficiently and confidently on complex layouts. 

This course focuses on refining layout control, improving organisation through parent pages and layers, and enhancing designs using effects. You’ll also develop greater precision when working with objects and tables, enabling you to create structured, professional documents suitable for more demanding design projects. 
 
Course Details and Outline
 
After attending the Propel Your InDesign Skills to the Next Level course, participants will have a deeper understanding of advanced layout techniques and workflow improvements within InDesign. They will learn how to manage colours consistently, structure documents using grids and parent pages, and apply visual effects to enhance layouts. 

Attendees will also gain confidence working with object styles, alignment tools and tables, allowing them to produce well-organised, polished documents that meet professional design standards. 
 
Session One (3 hours) 
 
Layouts, Parent Pages & Effects 
• Manage document colours effectively 
• Use the Effects panel, including transparency, shadows, glow and feathering 
• Organise documents using layers 
• Create and work with parent pages 
• Use a simple grid to build structured layouts 
 
 
Session Two (3 hours) 
 
Object Control, Alignment & Tables 
• Align, distribute and group objects accurately 
• Create, apply and modify object styles 
• Create and edit tables in InDesign 
• Add colour to tables 
• Convert and manage header rows for tables 

Please note: To enrol in this course, attendees must have completed "Getting Started," "Go Further," and "Propel Your Skills to the Next Level" in the same subject. Additionally, there is a mandatory fee of £90 for the ACP exam and support materials, payable before the course begins. These prerequisites and fees are required to ensure participants are well-prepared and can fully benefit from the course content.

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Overview

Take your InDesign knowledge and skills to the next level, explore the topic of interactivity within the application and learn how to create engaging interactive documents, then go on to discover how to preflight, archive and export your documents, picking up tips to speed up your workflow, along the way. 

Course details and outline

After completing the InDesign Mastery course, participants will achieve a high level of proficiency in Adobe InDesign. They will master advanced features such as incorporating interactivity into a document and archiving, preflighting and exporting projects efficiently.

By the end of the course, they will be confident in their ability to push creative boundaries and handle any InDesign challenge with mastery.

​​Session One (3 hours)

• ​Design interactive documents 
• ​Create interactive document navigation 
• ​Add animations and multimedia elements to a layout 
• Create and add in hyperlinks 
• ​Build web and navigation links using buttons 
• ​Publish documents online and share content 

​Session Two (3 hours)

• ​Check and fix errors using a Preflight method 
• Create custom 'preflight' checks to ensure clean and reliable output 
• Package and archive documents 
• Add metadata file info into documents to protect them 

Eligibility or prerequisites

​We require the completion of a short questionnaire. This assessment will help ensure the course content is appropriate for your skill level and learning goals​.