InDesign CS3 For Dummies (For Dummies (Computers)) [Paperback]

Galen Gruman (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0470118652 | ISBN-13: 978-0470118658 | Publication Date: April 30, 2007 | Edition: 1

Packed with the latest InDesign tips and techniques

The secrets of InDesign page layout - explained in plain English!

New to InDesign? Making the switch from QuarkXPress®? No worries - this easy-to-follow guide shows you how to master this electronic publishing tool, customize the interface, work with objects and graphics, calibrate color, create PDF files, and more. From pages, panels, and pictures to text, tabs, and tables, you'll design and output like a pro every time!

• Set up a new publication
• Create and use master pages
• Add frames, lines, and colors
• Manage chapters and books
• Output your files
• Import and place pictures

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Packed with the latest InDesign tips and techniques

The secrets of InDesign page layout — explained in plain English!

New to InDesign? Making the switch from QuarkXPress®? No worries — this easy-to-follow guide shows you how to master this electronic publishing tool, customize the interface, work with objects and graphics, calibrate color, create PDF files, and more. From pages, panels, and pictures to text, tabs, and tables, you'll design and output like a pro every time!

• Set up a new publication

• Create and use master pages

• Add frames, lines, and colors

• Manage chapters and books

• Output your files

• Import and place pictures

About the Author

Galen Gruman is the principal at The Zango Group, an editorial and marketing consulting firm. Currently a regular contributor to Macworld, Layers Magazine, CIO, and InfoWorld, he has also been editor of Macworld and M-Business, executive editor of Upside, West Coast bureau chief of Computerworld, and vice president of content for ThirdAge.com. He is coauthor of 20 other books on desktop publishing. Gruman led one of the first successful conversions of a national magazine to desktop publishing in 1986 and has covered publishing technology since then for several publications, including the trade weekly InfoWorld, for which he began writing in 1986, Macworld, whose staff he joined in 1991, and, most recently, Layers Magazine.

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies; 1 edition (April 30, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470118652
• ISBN-13: 978-0470118658
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #234,659 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Galen Gruman has written more than two dozen books, mainly on desktop publishing software: InDesign, QuarkXPress, and PageMaker. You can find more details on his InDesign books at www.indesigncentral.com. He has also was lead author for the Mac OS X Snow Leopard Bible. Gruman was a pioneer in the use of desktop publishing technologies in the mid-1980s and has covered and used all the major software in production environments ever since. In addition, he has been executive editor of Macworld, M-Business, InfoWorld, and Upside magazines, among other roles in high-tech publications. Gruman lives and works in San Francisco as a writer, editor, and consultant on high-tech and business issues. His Web site is www.zangogroup.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for those new to book lay out and design, October 8, 2007

By 

Annie B. Lawrence "Author Love's Secret Live ... (Sedona Arizona) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: InDesign CS3 For Dummies (For Dummies (Computers)) (Paperback)

I am a new author and wanted to get software for my future books. Indesign is a great software program and I purchased it through the CS3 suite. Love the software and this books helps. You can either use it on a look up basis or by reading through the entire book. I am the do it and look up person.

I find all the dummies books to be a great resource book for learning and mastering new software. The books are designed to be user friendly and simple to follow. Great book and great software.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Helpful, But Not Too Helpful, June 30, 2008

By 

C. Russell, Jr. (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: InDesign CS3 For Dummies (For Dummies (Computers)) (Paperback)

If you've never used an Adobe product before, or have trouble using computer programs in general, this book will be very helpful. Otherwise, this book contains about 50% helpful information and 50% useless information. The book is filled with minutiae that is not specific to desktop publishing. My guess is that most readers want to learn about the special features and hidden techniques that will help them produce better layouts, not about how to open and save a file.

To give an example, Chapter 13 is devoted entirely to teaching readers how to search and find text within a document, and how to use a spell-checker. Is that really necessary?

It's a bit frustrating to see "this is an expert feature that is beyond the scope of this book" every ten pages, but there is a lot to be learned from reading the book. If you're a complete beginner you will be taught good habits, such as creating layers and object styles, which will save time and lead to well-organized documents in the future. Just be prepared to spend a lot of your time reading about things that you already know how to do.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great "For Dummies" Book, February 8, 2008

By 

A. A. Robertson - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: InDesign CS3 For Dummies (For Dummies (Computers)) (Paperback)

Great book for those of us without a background in graphic design. I'm having to learn InDesign CS3 for work and the whole concept of this type of program is new to me. This book is clear and consise and puts it into terms that a layman can understand.