Adobe InDesign CS3 Classroom in a Book (Paperback)

~ Adobe Creative Team (Author)
Key Phrases: paragraph styles, text wrap, outer glow, Choose File, Choose View, Choose Edit (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

This thorough, self-paced guide to Adobe InDesign CS3 is ideal for beginning users who want to master the key features of this program, while readers who already have some experience with InDesign can use this book to familiarize themselves with InDesign CS3's newest features. Using step-by-step, project-based lessons, each chapter contains a project that builds upon the reader's growing knowledge of the program, while review questions at the end of each chapter reinforce the most important skills learned in each lesson. The companion CD contains all the assets readers will need to work through each project in the book. Adobe InDesign CS3, Adobe's page layout and design software, has been updated to accelerate user productivity with loads of new features: new Photoshop effects--including gradient feathering, inner shadows, and glows--that you can apply to objects on a page; finer transparency controls, which let you apply transparency settings independently to an object's fill, stroke, and content for more complex visual looks; numerous productivity enhancements; advanced find/change features; new table and cell styles; export to XHTML, and more.

Educational instructor notes—created to help teachers plan, organize, and time their lessons—are available for this book (and for other Classroom in a Book titles) at www.peachpit.com/instructorresources.

SPECIAL NOTE: Before starting the lessons in the book, visit www.peachpit.com/indesigncs3cib for important lesson and project file updates. 

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About the Author

The Adobe Creative Team of designers, writers, and editors has extensive, real world knowledge of Adobe products. They work closely with the Adobe product development teams and Adobe's Instructional Communications team to come up with creative, challenging, and visually appealing projects to help both new and experienced users get up to speed quickly on Adobe software products

Product Details

• Paperback: 450 pages
• Publisher: Adobe Press (May 8, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0321492013
• ISBN-13: 978-0321492012
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #39,852 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

51 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars poor quality update, June 2, 2007

By	Russ Holland - See all my reviews

This book is disappointing. Aside from the typos, poor grammar, and a few technical errors, there is almost no use or mention of the new CS3 features. The new features are glossed over in a few pages at the start of the book, but it is nothing but marketing fluff. The book is really a re-hash of the same content that existed in previous versions. Definitely do NOT get this book if you want to learn the new features. To make it worse, the writers are from a training company in Seattle - not Adobe - and they shamelessly promote their services in several of the chapters. The book is like a paid advertisement that needs better proofreading.

76 of 79 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A big waste of time and money, June 18, 2007

By	Steven Smith (Cerritos, CA) - See all my reviews

I am a brand new Adobe InDesign CS3 user. I purchased this book because it was published by Adobe. I figured, who better to learn about an Adobe product from then Adobe?

Big mistake!

This book is terrible. It has typos, grammatical mistakes, and instructions that are both incorrect and incredibly difficult to follow. The pictures and instructions often leave you scratching your head. I've gotten half way through several of their lessons only to give up frustrated. I turned the page back and forth to make sure I didn't miss something only to find out that I hadn't.

I am an advanced computer user. In fact, I am a software product trainer. I mention this because I want to make a point of saying that I am not a "newbie". I know computers and software. Even with my knowledge, I found this book useless. If I wrote this, I would expect Adobe to fire me.

Do yourself a favor, steer clear of this book.

52 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Mediocre At Best, May 25, 2007

By	CMOS (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

This book should cost about $20 tops, for the amount of detail it covers (not a lot, compared to how complex and powerful the application itself is), and the quality of editing. There are several typos and grammar errors throughout the book, and the quality of the paper is poor IMO.

But the main disappointment is the half-hearted coverage of InDesign's most powerful features, both new and those existing from prior versions. Most examples and descriptions are of the "nuts and bolts" variety and are hard to follow at times. Not sure why it is that Adobe's own books often fall short in the technical merit department, compared to 3rd party authors who cover Adobe software.

As someone who teaches Photoshop for a living and uses InDesign fairly often to help run my business (brochures, newsletters, etc.), I was expecting more from Adobe on this one. Worst of all I purchased this book through another vendor at what I thought was a discounted price, paying $40 for it. Even at $30 though, it would be a waste of money IMO. Look elsewhere for InDesign help.

I've heard good things about the Real World InDesign series, though I do not own the latest copy yet...