Sporktown Brochure: Free InDesign Tutorial

Topics Covered in This InDesign Tutorial:

Placing Text, Photos, & Illustrations, Gradient Swatches, Drop Shadows, Alignment, Text Wrap

Exercise Preview

Exercise Overview

In this comprehensive exercise, you'll master the fundamentals of professional brochure design by creating a sophisticated hotel marketing piece. This hands-on tutorial demonstrates essential InDesign techniques that every designer needs: strategic placement of multiple graphics, seamless text threading between pages, professional text wrap implementation, and proper handling of bleed and strokes. These skills form the foundation of virtually every print marketing project you'll encounter in your career.

Creating the Document

We'll begin by establishing a professional document structure with proper margins and bleed settings—critical elements that separate amateur work from professional output.

1. Navigate to File > New > Document and configure the following settings:
   • Set Width to 4 in and Height to 9 in for this tri-fold brochure format.
   • Ensure both Pages and Start # are set to 1.
   • Uncheck Facing Pages since we're creating individual panels.
   • Expand the Margins section and set all margins to 0.5 in to provide adequate breathing room for content.
   • Expand the Bleed and Slug section and set all Bleed options to 0.125 in—the industry standard for commercial printing.

2. Click Create to generate your document.

3. Access Preferences from the InDesign menu (Mac) or Edit menu (Windows), then select Units & Increments.

4. Change both Horizontal and Vertical measurements to Picas—the traditional typographic unit that provides more precise control for professional layouts. Click OK.

5. Save your work immediately: File > Save As and name it yourname-sporktown-grand.indd.

Laying Out the Backgrounds

Professional brochures rely on carefully crafted background elements to establish visual hierarchy and brand identity. We'll create a sophisticated gradient overlay that adds depth while maintaining text readability.

1. Launch the Place command: File > Place.

2. Navigate to the InDesign Class folder, then the Sporktown Brochure folder, select background-pattern.ai and click Open.

   Notice the cursor transforms into a loaded image icon with a preview of the background—this visual feedback helps ensure accurate placement.

3. Position the cursor's top-left corner precisely at the red bleed guide (located ¹⁄₈ in beyond the page edge) and click once to place the background pattern.

4. Select the Rectangle Frame tool to create our gradient overlay.

5. Draw a rectangle extending from the top-left bleed guide to the bottom-right bleed guide, ensuring full coverage.

6. In the Control panel, click the bottom center reference point for precise positioning control.

7. Set the H (Height) to 46p4 and press Return (Mac) or Enter (Windows) to apply the change.

8. Verify the rectangle remains selected before proceeding to gradient creation.

9. Open the Swatches panel via Window > Color > Swatches.

10. Ensure the Fill swatch is active (frontmost) at the top-left of the panel. If not, click to activate it.

    

11. Create a custom gradient by accessing the Swatches panel menu and selecting New Gradient Swatch.

12. Configure the gradient with these specifications:

    Swatch Name:	text background
    Type:	Linear

13. In the Gradient Ramp section, select the left slider .

14. Set the Stop Color to CMYK with these values: 48% Cyan, 47% Magenta, 60% Yellow, 16% Black.

15. Select the right slider in the Gradient Ramp.

16. Configure the second color stop with: 63% Cyan, 62% Magenta, 67% Yellow, 57% Black.

17. Click OK to create the gradient swatch.

18. Now we'll customize the gradient direction. Ensure the rectangle remains selected.

19. Select the Gradient Swatch tool .

20. Hold Shift (to maintain perfect vertical alignment) and drag from the rectangle's top edge to its bottom edge.

21. Add professional depth with a drop shadow: Object > Effects > Drop Shadow.

22. Enable Preview to see real-time adjustments, then apply these settings:

    

23. Click OK to apply the drop shadow effect.

24. Access the Pages panel: Window > Pages.

25. Select page 1 to prepare for duplication.

26. Hold Option (Mac) or ALT (Windows) and drag page 1 downward to create a duplicate, as demonstrated below:

    

27. Switch to the Selection tool .

28. On page 2, reposition the gradient box to align with the top bleed guide.

29. Select the top left reference point in the Control panel.

30. Adjust the H (Height) to 44p3 to create a slightly shorter background element for page 2's layout.

Making the Front Page

The front page serves as your first impression—it must immediately communicate brand identity and capture attention. We'll strategically position the logo and supporting imagery to create maximum visual impact.

1. Navigate to page 1 and click in the empty pasteboard area to deselect all objects.

2. Import the logo: File > Place.

3. From the Sporktown Brochure folder, double-click Sporktown-grand-logo.ai.

4. With the loaded cursor, click once slightly above the page's top edge to place the logo.

5. Understanding InDesign's dual-selection system is crucial for professional work. Notice the content grabber (circular icon) in the image center when you hover over it.

   InDesign treats images as two distinct elements: the frame (container) and the content (image). The Selection tool can move both together (click anywhere except the content grabber) or adjust only the image position within its frame (click the content grabber). This flexibility is essential for precise image positioning.

6. Using the Selection tool, click anywhere on the logo except the content grabber, then position it so the spork's bottom edge aligns near the gradient rectangle's top, centered between the margin guides.

   IMPORTANT: Approximately half the spork should extend beyond the page's top edge—this creates visual interest and suggests the logo continues beyond the visible area.

   

7. Achieve perfect horizontal alignment by selecting the logo, then holding Shift and clicking the background pattern to select both elements.

8. Open the Align panel: Window > Object & Layout > Align.

9. Click the Align To dropdown and select Align to Selection.

10. Click Align horizontal centers to ensure perfect centerline alignment.

11. Click the pasteboard to deselect all objects before continuing.

12. Use the keyboard shortcut Cmd–D (Mac) or CTRL–D (Windows) for File > Place—memorizing shortcuts accelerates your workflow significantly.

13. Select hotel-exterior.tif from the Sporktown Brochure folder.

14. Click once off the page's left side, being careful to avoid clicking into the gradient rectangle.

15. Enter precise coordinates: X: –0p9 and Y: 14p3 for optimal positioning.

Making the Back Page

The back page typically contains supporting information and contact details. We'll efficiently place multiple images and establish the groundwork for our text content.

1. Navigate to page 2 and click the left pasteboard to ensure no objects are selected.

2. Access File > Place to begin importing multiple images.

3. Hold Cmd (Mac) or CTRL (Windows) to multi-select these three files:
   • coastline.psd
   • martinis.ai
   • no-smoking.ai

4. Click Open to load all three images into your cursor.

5. The cursor now displays a "3" indicating three loaded images, with the current image previewed. Use arrow keys to cycle through loaded images if needed—the coastline photo should be active first.

6. Click once off the left side of the page to place the coastline photo.

7. The cursor automatically advances to show "(2)" with the martinis image preview.

8. Click once off the right side of the page to stage the martinis image.

9. Place the no-smoking sign by clicking once slightly below the page bottom.

10. Reposition the no-smoking sign to the center of the pattern section for balanced composition.

11. Move the coastline photo to the page top, fitting precisely within the margin guides to maintain professional alignment.

Bringing in the Text

Professional workflows often involve importing pre-styled text from other documents. This approach ensures consistency and saves significant time on large projects.

1. Open the prepared text file: File > Open and select Sporktown-text.indd from the Sporktown Brochure folder.

2. Select the Type tool .

3. Click inside the top text frame and select all content using Cmd–A (Mac) or CTRL–A (Windows).

4. Copy the selected text: Cmd–C (Mac) or CTRL–C (Windows).

5. Return to your yourname-sporktown-grand document.

6. Navigate to page 1.

7. Create a text frame by clicking and dragging within the margin guides, below the photo and extending to the page bottom (purple guide). Leave appropriate white space between the photo and text for visual breathing room.

8. Paste the copied text: Cmd–V (Mac) or CTRL–V (Windows).

9. Notice the red text overflow symbol at the frame's bottom-right corner. This indicates excess text that requires additional space—we'll thread this overflow to page 2.

10. Move to page 2.

11. Create another text frame within the margin guides, below the photo and extending to the gradient box's end (blue guide).

12. Return to page 1.

13. Switch to the Selection tool .

14. Click directly on the text overflow symbol to load the overflow text into your cursor. The cursor should display a preview of the text content.

15. Navigate to page 2.

16. Position the loaded cursor over your prepared text frame. When it transforms into a chain link icon , click to establish the text thread. The overflow text will automatically flow from page 1 to page 2.

17. Switch back to the Sporktown-text document (reopen if previously closed).

18. Select the Type tool .

19. Select the bottom text block content (not the frame itself).

20. Copy this text: Cmd–C (Mac) or CTRL–C (Windows).

21. Return to your yourname-sporktown-grand document.

22. Ensure you're viewing page 2.

23. Create a final text frame at the page bottom, spanning the margin width over the pattern area (positioned slightly below the gradient for optimal visual separation).

24. Paste the final text block: Cmd–V (Mac) or CTRL–V (Windows).

Text Wrap

Text wrap is a fundamental design technique that creates professional-looking integration between text and graphics. When implemented skillfully, it guides the reader's eye naturally through your content.

1. Select the Selection tool .

2. Attempt to select the no-smoking image. If text overlays the image, direct clicking may not work due to InDesign's layering system.

3. Use Cmd-click (Mac) or CTRL-click (Windows) to click through overlapping objects and select the no-smoking sign beneath the text layer.

   NOTE: This "click-through" technique is invaluable for selecting objects in complex layouts. You may need several attempts to reach the desired object.

4. Bring the image forward: Object > Arrange > Bring to Front to ensure it's above the text layer.

5. Access the Text Wrap panel: Window > Text Wrap.

6. Click the Jump object button at the panel's top.

   This setting forces text to jump completely below the object rather than wrapping around its sides—ideal for maintaining clean, readable text blocks.

7. Expand the text frame vertically as needed; extending beyond the bottom margin guide is acceptable for this layout.

8. Fine-tune the no-smoking sign's position so text naturally breaks after "smoke-free resort" for optimal readability.

9. The no-smoking sign requires scaling for better proportion. Follow these steps:
   • Select the sign with a single click.
   • Hold Cmd–Shift (Mac) or CTRL–Shift (Windows) to scale both frame and content proportionally.
   • Position your cursor over the bottom-right resize handle.
   • Click and hold briefly (approximately one second) before dragging to enable live preview during scaling.
   • Scale down to roughly ³⁄₄ the size of a pattern element for visual balance.

   

10. With the no-smoking sign selected, Shift-click the text frame to select both elements for group alignment.

11. Visually center both elements within the pattern area's vertical space.

12. Open the alignment controls: Window > Object & Layout > Align.

13. Configure page-based alignment by clicking the Align To button and selecting Align to Page:

    

14. Apply perfect horizontal centering with the Align horizontal centers button .

15. Locate and select the martinis image on the pasteboard.

16. Ensure easy future selection by bringing it forward: Object > Arrange > Bring to Front.

17. Position the martinis over the body text's lower-right corner for dynamic visual interest.

18. Access the Text Wrap panel: Window > Text Wrap.

19. Apply sophisticated text wrapping by selecting Wrap around object shape —the third button in the panel.

20. Fine-tune the wrap distance by setting the offset values to create appropriate spacing between the text and the martini glasses, ensuring both readability and visual appeal.