Key details

InDesign training course for beginners, teaching how to create effective page layouts quickly.

Adobe InDesign is the industry-standard tool for laying out pages for print. It also provides everything you need to develop and publish content for playback on iPad and Android tablets.

Introduction to Adobe InDesign training covers key techniques and features, including setting up new documents, shapes, frames and placeholders, textual content, formatting text, working with styles, placing images, using layers, creating special effects, tables, object libraries and preflighting.

This course is ideal for newcomers to InDesign, and those with limited InDesign experience.

Upcoming course dates

View all course dates and book

Accredited InDesign training

Armada is an Adobe Authorised Training Centre (AATC), accredited by Adobe to provide InDesign training.

InDesign courses are hosted by Adobe Certified Instructors from a graphic design background with vast experience of using the application professionally. For further details, see Expert trainers.

In-class or online

Our centres are open for in-class training, with full safety measures implemented. Where numbers allow, you’ll sit at a desk without anyone sitting next to you.

All courses are available in our popular live online format.

How will I learn?

InDesign training is hands-on and practical.

Our trainers teach the necessary theory then demonstrate techniques step-by-step. You then practice the techniques taught on a computer running InDesign. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to ask questions.

Windows or Mac

InDesign works almost identically on the Windows and Mac platforms.

Our centres offer both Windows and Mac computers for delegates to use, so you can choose to carry out exercises on the platform you’re familiar with.

InDesign training guide and certificate

Course delegates receive:

• A practical InDesign training guide, to refer to during the course and use as a refresher after. Choose from a printed, bound guide or a PDF – whatever suits you best. If you’re participating online and you choose a printed guide, we’ll post this to you.

• An e-certificate confirming successful completion of an Adobe‑accredited InDesign course. Click here to see an example of the certificate you receive.

After course support

Following InDesign training, delegates are entitled to 30 days’ email support from their InDesign trainer to help with any post-course issues. For further details, see Support.

Prerequisites

No prior InDesign knowledge is necessary.

InDesign version

Training is based primarily on InDesign 2022. The techniques taught are relevant to all recent releases of InDesign.

All InDesign training is suitable for both Windows and Mac users.

Our guarantees to you

We offer:

• A price guarantee that you’re getting the best value for money.
• A training guarantee that you’ll learn the concepts and skills you need.

On-request InDesign training available

Introduction to InDesign training is also available on-request, i.e. one-to-one training or a ‘closed course’ for your group, hosted at one of our centres, your venue or online.

On-request InDesign training can be tailored to take into account any existing knowledge you have, and the work you’re going to be doing. Please contact us for a quote.

General information

Course times

9.30am–4.30pm.

Payment

Payment for InDesign training can be made by:

• Bank transfer. Please call 01527 834783 for our bank details.
• Card. All major credit and debit cards accepted. Payment can be made securely online or over the phone. Card payments are processed by Stripe. Armada doesn’t record or store your card details.

If you’re self-funding your training, you can pay in staged payments, interest-free, over 12 months. For further details, see Staged payments.

Purchase orders

We accept purchase orders from UK-registered companies or public sector organisations.

Cancellations and transfers

You can cancel a booking on a scheduled training course, or transfer to a later course, without penalty providing you give us 10 working days’ notice. Any fees already paid will be refunded.

If you cancel a booking on a scheduled Introduction to InDesign course giving less than 10 working days’ notice, or request a transfer to a later course, a cancellation/transfer fee is payable. The fee charged depends on the notice period given. For details, see cancellation terms.

Different terms apply for the cancellation or postponement of an on-request course (one-to-one training or a ‘closed course’ for your group). For details, see course cancellations.

Terms and conditions

Training course bookings are subject to our terms and conditions.

Expert trainers

Introduction to InDesign training courses are hosted by:

• Phil Talbot
• Alistair Dabbs
• Lynne Telfer
• Richard Bird
• Marek Mularczyk
• Mark Gatter
• Philip Odell

Phil Talbot

Phil works as an Adobe Design Specialist and Adobe Certified Instructor (ACI).

He has expert knowledge of Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Creative Cloud Express and Acrobat, and he has used all of these applications extensively for over 25 years in his professional work.

Phil’s professional qualifications and extensive experience provide an ideal base to train delegates using blended learning techniques to improve the individuals’ and organisations’ capabilities. He has worked with and trained many blue-chip organisations, including FTSE 100 companies.

Alistair Dabbs

Alistair is a highly-experienced trainer with expert knowledge of various Adobe creative applications including InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects and Premiere Pro. He has held Adobe Certified Instructor (ACI) status for almost 20 years, delivering courses in both English and French.

Alistair has worked in a wide range of publishing roles including prepress production, graphic design and editorial production. He has delivered workshops and chaired debates at IT industry conferences.

When not training, Alistair works as a journalist and technical writer, writing on topics including digital imaging, computer arts, fintech, data security, AI and VR. He is a regular contributor to various computer and graphic arts magazines including The Register and Ars Technica, and is the author/co-author of several published books, including the best-selling Digital Designer’s Bible.

Lynne Telfer

Lynne Telfer is long-standing Adobe Certified Instructor with over 25 years’ experience working as a professional trainer.

In the late nineties, Lynne worked for Adobe as a trainer and consultant, hosting courses in FrameMaker and other applications at all levels for Adobe’s clients. She’s provided training in Adobe’s Technical Communication and Creative applications ever since.

Lynne has expert knowledge of:

• Adobe FrameMaker – both Unstructured and Structured use.
• Adobe RoboHelp.
• Adobe Creative Cloud applications: InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator and Acrobat.
• Adobe’s e-Learning tools – Captivate and PResenter.
• Microsoft Office suite of applications, covering the mainstream applications Word, Excel and PowerPoint to advanced level.

Lynne has a BA Hons in Educational Practice from Oxford Brookes University.

Richard Bird

Richard is a long-standing Adobe Certified Instructor and an Associate of the Learning and Performance Institute (TAP accredited). Richard has 30+ years’ experience in the design industry and 20+ years’ experience training experience.

He began his career at the London College of Printing, and then worked as a magazine designer and art editor. Later, on switching to the advertising industry, he made a name as a freelance typographer and studio manager working for top London studios including Domino, Mustard and Face. Richard enjoys bringing his wealth of knowledge and experience to others.

Richard’s extra-curricular interests include horse riding, military history, travel and typography.

Marek Mularczyk

Marek is a long-established Adobe Certified Instructor.

Adobe applications which Marek has expert knowledge of include InDesign, Photoshop, Lightroom, Animate and Acrobat. He is an Adobe Certified Expert in all of these applications, and he uses them regularly in his professional work.

Marek is the author of a range of published books and video training DVDs including The Complete Photoshop CC, The Complete Lightroom CC and Unleash the power of Photoshop.

Based on delegate feedback collected by Adobe in 2015, Marek was ranked in the top 10 Adobe Certified Instructors in the world!

Prior to focusing on training, Marek worked as a professional photographer for over 12 years. Photography remains his passion, and in his spare time he travels Europe in search of that perfect picture.

Mark Gatter

Mark is an Adobe Certified Instructor (ACI) with expert knowledge of Adobe’s key creative applications – InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects, Premiere Pro and Acrobat. He also has expert knowledge of Maxon Cinema 4D.

Mark has specialised in all aspects of the digital pre-press process for over three decades, including 18 years in California, where he worked as the production manager for the biggest print shop in the north part of the state.

He began training in 1998, and he holds a teaching qualification.

He has published five books, which you’ll find on Amazon, covering topics relating to graphic design and polytunnel gardening, one of Mark’s interests when not delivering training.

Philip Odell

Philip is an Adobe Certified Instructor (ACI), specialising in Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Acrobat and FrameMaker.

Philip began his working life with Texas Instruments, before joining Adobe in 1995, where he worked for five years. Philip still has links with Adobe, manning their stands and carrying out presentations when they’re exhibiting in the UK.

For the last eighteen years, Philip has worked as a graphic design specialist, consultant and trainer. He continues to use Adobe applications extensively in his day-to-day professional work.

Course content

The work area

• Using toolbox, panels and menus
• Opening, saving and closing files
• Navigation
• Customising the work area
• Preferences and defaults
• File export

Setting up new documents

• Creating new documents
• Setting up master pages
• Using ruler guides, smart guides and grids

Text

• Inserting text
• Placing text – incl. file formats
• Threading text – flowing text
• Import options – what can be imported
• Entering special characters
• Using the Story Editor
• Tracking changes
• Using Find/Change
• Spell checking – incl. languages

Colour

• Colour theory – RGB/CMYK/Spot colours
• Applying colour
• Colour swatches
• Gradients
• Filling and stroking shapes and transforming objects
• Eyedropper tool

Typography

• Formatting text
• Size/leading/tracking/kerning/ indents/spaces…

Stylesheets

• Formatting Paragraphs
• Character, Paragraph and Object styles
• Importing and deleting styles

Working with images

• Placing images
• Using the content collector tool
• Modifying graphic frames and their contents
• Using the spacing tool
• Creating in-line frames
• Wrapping text around objects and managing links.

Pages

• Master Pages – creating ‘page templates’
• Auto page numbering

Layers

• Creating, locking, hiding, printing

Effects and styling

• Transparency
• Feathering

Bullets and Numbers

• Bulleted and Numbered Lists
• Customising Bullets and Numbers

Tabs

• Setting up Tabs

Tables

• Creating and editing tables
• Adding content and formatting tables

Libraries

• Creating assets for use in InDesign and across CC

Preflighting, packaging and outputting

• Managing Links

Online features

• Publish online feature
• Publish on Behance

Mobile apps

• Adobe Comp
• Adobe Capture

Live online training

Online training lets you participate in a live InDesign course from your place of work or home.

We do everything possible to make your online training experience as close as possible to actually being in the classroom. You can:

• See and hear our trainer, and the other delegates participating in the course…
  
• Watch our trainer demonstrate techniques in InDesign.
• Interact by speaking, using chat, or raising your ‘virtual hand’ if you need assistance.
• Share your screen with our trainer, and allow them to take control to explain something.

Like our in-class courses, online Introduction to InDesign courses…

• Are presented by Adobe Certified Instructors.
• Give you plenty of opportunity to carry out assisted, practical exercises using InDesign.
• Offer 30 days’ email support from your trainer.

All you need is an Internet-connected computer with…

• InDesign installed. If you don’t have access to InDesign, we can usually send you a link to fully-functional trial software to download and install.
• A webcam and audio capability. If your computer running InDesign doesn’t have these, you can use a second device, such as another computer or tablet. See Hardware recommendations for live online training for further details.

If there’s anything you’re not sure about we’ll do our best to help you. We won’t, however, be able to assist with your InDesign installation.

We provide everything else…

• Links to download the files, resources, etc. you’ll use in your course.
• A training guide. For most courses, you can choose from a printed copy that we post to you, or a PDF.

In the week before your course, we’ll send you an email containing everything you need to prepare for and participate in the training. Then, a couple of days before your course, we’ll give you a courtesy call to make sure you have everything in place and answer any questions you may have.

Please note that we are not able to record scheduled online courses for privacy reasons.

When you attend live online training, you’re participating in a real course, hosted by a real trainer, in real time

 

Discounts and bundles

To make your InDesign training as affordable as possible, we offer:

• A discounted InDesign training bundle.
• A range of training discounts on our scheduled (public) InDesign training courses.
• A price guarantee that you won’t get InDesign training for less.

InDesign training bundle

Book classroom-based courses in:

• Introduction to InDesign (2 days), and
• Advanced InDesign (1 day)

for £495 + VAT (classroom-based) or £375 + VAT (live online training), saving £45 + VAT in both cases.

The bundle price will be applied automatically when you add these two courses to your basket.

Training discounts

Multiple places

If you book multiple places on any courses, we can offer you:

• 10% discount if you book two places.
• 15% discount if you book three or four places.
• 20% discount if you book five or more places.

This can be for several people attending one course, one person attending several courses, or a combination.

These discounts are available for both classroom-based courses and live online training.

Concessions

We offer a 10% discount on scheduled InDesign course places to:

• Students, teachers and lecturers.
• People who work for a registered charity.
• ISTC members.

These discounts are available for both classroom-based courses and remote training.

Please call us if you qualify for a discount. Evidence of your status that entitles you to a discount may be requested.

Terms and exclusions

Only one of the above discounts can be applied to any booking.

The above discounts are not available for on-request course bookings (one-to-one training or a ‘closed course’ for your group).

Price guarantee

When you book training with Armada, we want you to be certain that you’re not paying over-the-odds. So, if you book a place on any scheduled (public) course and then find the same course at a lower price elsewhere, we will match that price.

To qualify for the price match:

• The course you find must be comparable. By this we mean it must:
  • Cover the same subject.
  • Be the same duration or longer.
  • Hold the same accreditations as our course, i.e. it must be provided by an Adobe Authorised Training Centre (AATC).
  • For classroom-based courses, be in the same region, i.e. within 50 miles of our centre.
  • For online training, be a live course, i.e. not pre-prepared e-learning content.
• The lower price must be advertised on the other company’s website.

To claim a price match, just call any time before attending your course and tell us where you saw the price.