What is InDesign?

Released in 1999, Adobe InDesign is the industry-standard in page layout design software, and it is one of the software programs that comprise the Adobe Creative Cloud. Together with Photoshop and Illustrator, InDesign is one of the most commonly used creative design tools across a number of industries, ranging from publishing to graphic design. Built to streamline the process of designing page layouts for books and magazines, InDesign has a plethora of uses that make it a versatile tool for many creative endeavors. As part of a heavily integrated array of creative tools, Adobe InDesign gives creatives the chance to create compelling and vibrant page layouts.

In this overview, you’ll learn more about what InDesign is, what it can do, who uses it, and how to learn it so you can determine how to add this skill to your professional toolbox.

What Can You Do with InDesign?

Adobe InDesign allows users to create vibrant and memorable design layouts that can be used for anything from print advertisements to promotional brochures to newsletters and magazines. Almost any print layout can be built with InDesign, and the tool is often used to help Web Designers produce mock-ups of web pages. Users can add text, color, and images to their layouts to ensure they communicate what they are trying to communicate. InDesign also lets users easily create templates or replicate pages to streamline the multi-page design process.

InDesign also has numerous non-professional uses for users who are hoping to create eye-catching posters, infographics, or flyers for their own organizations or communities. Visual design skills can help users share information in memorable and effective ways, and learning InDesign will help anyone hoping to communicate with the masses. Additionally, many small businesses or private commercial organizations like Etsy shops or local bands can greatly benefit from having individuals on staff with InDesign training, as the program helps non-professionals make professional-grade graphic page layouts.

Additionally, because InDesign is so closely integrated with the rest of the Adobe Creative Cloud, users who are familiar with other programs can seamlessly integrate their work in other programs into their layout designs. Photos and illustrations can be edited or created in Photoshop and Illustrator and then easily brought over in InDesign to populate a layout. Users can also transfer work between InDesign and XD to help build prototype web layouts. These connections help expand the functionality of all Adobe Creative Cloud applications.

How Do You Download InDesign? How Much Does it Cost?

Adobe InDesign can be downloaded directly from Adobe’s website. Adobe offers a free trial of InDesign (as well as all of its creative programs). However, once the trial period ends, users will need to subscribe to the Adobe Creative Cloud in order to access InDesign.

An Adobe Creative Cloud subscription will have a fee attached depending on the length of the subscription and the number of services the user subscribes to. InDesign can be accessed on its own, with pricing options available to be paid monthly or annually, or it can be accessed as part of a subscription plan that gives users access to all of the programs in the Adobe Creative Cloud. This package also allows users to pay monthly or annually, but it is far cheaper than subscribing to each Adobe product individually.

What Are the Benefits of Learning InDesign?

Learning InDesign will help creatives and aspiring Graphic Designers streamline the process of building page layouts. The program lets users construct vibrant layouts using text, shapes, and color modification tools, and it is perfect for anyone who designs print advertisements, magazines and newspaper layouts, infographics, posters, or brochures. Anyone, professional or amateur, who wants to create eye-catching printed graphic designs can learn InDesign to take their creative output to the next level.

Additionally, because InDesign is a part of the Adobe Creative Cloud, learning how to create design layouts in InDesign will also help users become more skilled at using other Adobe Creative software. Learning InDesign is often paired with training in programs like Photoshop or Illustrator because the programs are closely integrated. This means that learning InDesign can either help users become more proficient with programs they already know, or learning InDesign can help make learning new programs easier. This means that learning InDesign won’t simply make a user better at building page layouts, but it can also open the door to more easily learning skills like photo editing, vector graphics design, or web interface design.

Read more about why you should learn InDesign.

InDesign Careers

InDesign is an important tool for creatives who hope to turn their passion for design into a career. Anyone looking to work in industries connected to the publishing industry, either books or magazines, will stand to benefit from training in InDesign.

• Publishers and Layout Artists: These professionals are tasked with designing and building the layouts of magazines, periodicals, books, brochures, and many other traditional print objects. They will work to ensure that the layouts are free from error, but they will also build them to help readers navigate the page with eye-catching, easy-to-follow designs. Compelling-looking magazine spreads or newspaper layouts aren’t made by accident, and Adobe InDesign helps these professionals bring these designs to life.

• Ad Designers and Content Marketers: print and digital advertising layouts, marketing brochures, and print advertising. Most consumers only look at advertisements for a short period of time, so it is vital that they catch the eye of prospective customers. Ad Designers and Content Marketers will use InDesign to make their advertisements more effective at grabbing the attention of onlookers.

• Graphic Designers: Graphic Designers is an umbrella term for creatives who build and design elements for printed material and websites. Graphic designers most frequently utilize InDesign to build layouts for branded products when they are also brought on to design logos and icons for those products.

How to Learn InDesign

For most students looking to learn how to use InDesign, live professional instruction is often the most desirable option. These courses, which are available both in-person and online, let students receive professional instruction from live instructors who can help troubleshoot issues and respond to questions in real-time. Whether taken in-person or online, these courses offer students the chance to receive hands-on InDesign training from expert instructors to ensure that students are learning the skills they need to master the application. Interested students can search for live training options available to them using Noble’s Courses Near Me tool to find both online and in-person options.

For students looking for a less structured approach to learning InDesign, many self-paced and on-demand learning options are available. These courses let students dictate the pace of their own training, letting them avoid the hassle of regular classroom meetings or arbitrary homework deadlines. For self-motivated students or whose schedule doesn’t afford them the time to attend a live training seminar, these courses can provide a suitable alternative to live instruction.

Some students may feel hesitant to enroll in an expensive training seminar if they are very new to a program like InDesign. Those students may wish to consider taking advantage of some of Noble’s free seminars and resources to learn the basics of InDesign before deciding whether or not to enroll in a live training course. Noble offers a number of video tutorials on InDesign through their official YouTube page’s graphic design playlist, and interested students can find helpful resources and articles at Noble’s Learn InDesign hub. These resources can’t replace more immersive skill training courses, but they are great places for new users to start to familiarize themselves with InDesign.

Read the full guide on how to learn InDesign.

A Brief History of InDesign

Adobe InDesign was released in 1999 as the successor program to Adobe’s previous design layout program, PageMaker. The new program was released as a companion to Photoshop and Illustrator, and this release structure helped solidify InDesign as an industry-standard design tool. Since then, Adobe has released numerous new updates to InDesign, adding new features to make the program easier to use and more compatible with different operating systems.

In 2017, InDesign was moved onto the Adobe Creative Cloud with the rest of Adobe’s creative software, allowing users to have easier access to the programs. In addition, this shift made sharing and collaborating with other users and other programs far easier, further entrenching InDesign as the most popular page layout design tool on the market.

Comparable Applications

Although it is an industry-standard tool for designing page layouts, new users may wish to consider alternatives to InDesign. There are many alternative options available, such as Xara Page & Layout Designer, VivaDesigner, or Affinity Publisher. All of these programs have similar features and options, though some are designed with professional publishers in mind, like Affinity Publisher. This means that some of the programs may be less beginner-friendly than Adobe since they are designed with a specific, skilled clientele in mind.

Like many other Adobe Creative Cloud applications, InDesign's biggest advantage is its ease of integration with other Adobe programs. Since very few Graphic Designers only use InDesign, they will likely use other graphic design software during their usual work, which usually means using other Adobe programs. Since each program has become industry-standard, one of the largest advantages of using InDesign is how easily it works with other programs users are already likely to be familiar with.

The high monthly cost of InDesign is another issue that users may want to consider. InDesign is a more expensive program than many of its alternatives, particularly for users who are licensing the full suite on their own. Free alternatives, like Scribus and a paired-down version of VivaDesigner, are available. In addition, many alternatives to InDesign don’t use a subscription model and can be purchased directly, though the upfront cost will be a bit higher.

Key Takeaways

• Adobe InDesign is the industry-standard page layout design program used throughout the print publishing industry. Using tools to manipulate shapes, text, images, and photos, users can build eye-catching and memorable page layouts for projects ranging from brochures to magazines to print advertisements.
• InDesign is available as part of an Adobe Creative Cloud subscription. Users can choose from several payment options to fit their needs, but after a short free trial, users will need to pay a monthly or annual fee to access InDesign.
• InDesign is used by a number of different kinds of creative professionals. Graphic Designers use it to build page layouts, Publishers utilize InDesign to format and standardize layouts for books and magazines, and Marketers and Advertisers use InDesign to create traditional advertisement layouts, such as print ads or billboards.
• Learning InDesign is straightforward and accessible. There are many options, both live and online, for learning InDesign and the relative ease of learning the basics of the program means students will have options concerning how in-depth they feel their training will need to be.
• InDesign has been an industry-standard tool for more than two decades, and while alternative options exist, they almost always position themselves in relation to InDesign, either as cheaper alternatives or for more advanced professional projects.

Learn InDesign with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop offers a wide range of training options for students seeking to learn Adobe InDesign. Ranging from introductory courses such as InDesign in a Day to immersive career training programs like the Graphic Design Certificate program, Noble has a training program built to fit your needs. These courses are all taught by professional instructors with years of training as both teachers and graphic designers. Each course comes with the option to retake the course for free within a year of the initial enrollment, meaning that students have the option to take the courses again in order to receive more hands-on experience with InDesign or to gain more training in skills that they found difficult the first time through.

The Adobe InDesign Bootcamp gives students hands-on experience working with InDesign through exercises that mirror the kinds of projects that professional Graphic Designers would work on. Students will learn how to create layouts with InDesign’s text, color, and graphic tools, they will learn how to import formats and styles to easily build layouts, and they will learn how to work with parent pages to easily create complex, multi-page designs for projects like brochures and magazines. This course is ideal for students who want to learn the advanced features of InDesign within a professional context. At the end of this bootcamp, students will be prepared to use InDesign as part of their professional lives, and they will be able to demonstrate to their employers that they have received in-depth InDesign training.

Noble’s Graphic Design Certificate program takes this InDesign training and pairs it with career-focused training in Photoshop and Illustrator. Students will learn the background of graphic design, receiving training in philosophies of composition, color theory, and typography. Then, they will learn how to use Illustrator and Photoshop to create digital illustrations and assets that can be imported to InDesign to populate finished page layouts. Bringing these programs together, the Graphic Design Certificate program is built to take students from novice users to trained designers, aiming to help them find a new career once they’ve completed the course. This certificate program also provides students with one-on-one career mentoring so that when the course is complete, graduates will be ready to enter the workforce as Graphic Designers.