Customer Reviews

Adobe InDesign CS2 @work: Projects You Can Use on the Job

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Adobe InDesign CS@ Work by Cate Brosseau Indiano (ISBN 0-672-32802-X) is a great resource for someone like myself. InDesign is the one application in the Creative Suite that I have the least experience. That said, the first and third chapters of the book seems unnecessary. It first tries to convince you of the advantages of InDesign and chances are if you are reading the book, you have already purchased the application. The third chapter deals with converting from PageMaker or Quark - again a decision that has already been made.

The heart of the book is really the project section. It takes real world projects and takes you step by step how to create them. The projects include developing print collateral, creating an advertisement, designing a production sheet and a business brochure. This section is enhanced by an online resource, where assets used in the projects can be downloaded - so you don't have to worry about stopping and creating content while trying to learn the program. Of course, if you want to substitute own your content, no problem.

Ms. Indiano uses clear and concise language, easy to understand and follow. There are sufficient pictures included, so that you can follow the visual cues, as well as the written word. After a few sessions with this book and InDesign, you'll be up an running too!

Adobe InDesign CS2 @ work is an excellent resource for those employees responsible for creating the company collateral. The author has chosen projects that are commonly required from fairly simple business cards and letterheads to sophisticated newsletters and annual reports. As a technical trainer, I am often teaching marketing professionals, administrators and their assistants how to use InDesign. This book is perfect for this market. Many people who are not professional designers, including small business owners, are tasked with creating catalogues, order forms and more and simply do not know where to begin. Or perhaps they have tried on their own, only to find their local printer telling them that they did it all wrong. This book will guide you with simple step by step instructions for using a powerful software application. Your projects will look professional and perhaps more importantly, you will understand the printing process and how it affects your design projects. I highly recommend this book for people who need to produce business reports and company collateral, but may not use InDesign every day as a working professional. By the time you are finished you will be using the software like a professional graphic artist.

Cate Indiano's "InDesign CS2@Work" is a good resource not only for those wanting to learn more about this versatile desktop publishing program, but also anyone looking for tips or information on getting started with your own design projects.

Each chapter contains step-by-step instructions for creating different items like letterhead, product sheets and catalogs, while teaching various tools and functions of the program along the way. A well developed table of contents and index also make the book one you'll go back to when you need more information on these functions in the future.

In addition, Indiano's years of experience in graphic design enable her to go beyond the application itself and offer important tips for creating successful projects and working with printers and output agencies. Files are available on the publisher's website to give you the opportunity to practice what you're learning if you don't yet have files of your own. As an experienced InDesign user, I highly recommend this book for anyone getting started with InDesign CS2.

This book is a step-by-step, by detailed step, often incoherent, crawl to creating very basic business collateral. "Draw a graphic frame to fit the upper left corner of your text box, just below the headline, to fit the first column with the following coordinates x: .5", y: 3.5". Set the width..." Get the idea?

The author manages to take the design out of InDesign by presenting examples that lack any evidence of a graphic arts background. Take a look at the "poster" for evidence. The short bio on the back of the book states that she consults "with graphic arts professionals". She should have.

If you have to design the company's annual report and have never used InDesign before, then you might be in the wrong job. In any event, this book will not get you there in twenty pages, and the place it does get you is nothing you'd want to send to any shareholders, even your mom.

Though amazon displays "Search this book!", the feature isn't functional for this title. Browse a copy somewhere before you order it, and then look first on Ebay for my one dollar copy if you still want it. (You won't.) I have never had occasion to give one star to a book and it's a very generous star.

If you are a graphic designer or graphic design instructor or student PASS THIS ONE UP. There is no basis in design or typography mechanics here whatsoever; it is full of errors and you will have no idea why you are doing anything. Trainers should not be writing books that are considered advanced level design topics. Designers should. Go look up author RYDBERG.

I have worked though many how to books, and have one pet peeve, missing steps or something left out, well this book is loaded with them, on the one hand it is so detailed, and then you are going along and something is done and not mentioned. I also found typos and errors that also added to the confusion. If I did not have a grasp on InDesign, I would not have been able to complete the exercises as shown, at times, I was digging into the screen shots to figure out what step was missed and there were a lot. As others mentioned this is not a book for people who work with Indesign in the prepress, it is for desk top publishers.

This book serves great for beginners but also as a "refresher" for those who have been using InDesign already. Great examples, and done in a professional matter.

A very useful resource. Does exactly what it says on the cover. Provides useful projects relevant to the real word. Practicing them brings you a good understanding of InDesign and you feel that what you are learning has a practical application to the world of graphic design. A word of warning,some knowledge of the application is needed though, but not much.

This book would only suit a desktop publisher rather than a Prepress or Graphic Designer, I found it failing in the concept of Type and general overall usage.