In lesson 4 we started to go through the tools of the Tools palette. We will finish our overview with this lesson. Keep in mind that this is a basic course that might not cover some features of the tools.
Navigating This Lesson: There are 7 separate tutorials for lesson 5. The Rotate, Scale, Shear, Free Transform Tools tutorial, the Eyedropper and Measure Tools tutorial, the Gradient Tool tutorial, and the Scissors tutorial all have 2-10 steps each. You'll find a shorter single page description/tutorial for the Button tool, the Hand tool, and the Zoom tool. Navigation among the steps in the multi-part tutorials of Lesson 5 is found at the bottom of each step.
To navigate from one tutorial to the next, use the links in the sidebar under "Tools Tutorials" or bookmark this page and use the links below.
Lesson 5 - The Tools in InDesign CS, Part 2:
Self-Study: To get the most out of this lesson, click on each tool as it is discussed, and try it out quickly. Do any practice exercises described in the tutorials.
Next Steps: In the next lesson, (NOT YET ONLINE) How to Handle Text and Paragraphs, Part 1, we'll explore text frames, using the Type Tool, character and paragraph palettes, and creating paragraph rules.
Assignment: As with Part 1 of the Tools, you have leeway in this assignment. Let loose and have fun. Using the various tools explained in this lesson, draw a shape and rotate, scale, and transform the shape. Use the Eyedropper to copy colors and text attributes. Add a gradient fill to your shape using the Gradient Tool and the Gradient Palette, noting how they differ. Use the scissors tool to cut up your shape. Simply exercise the use of all the covered tools and post what you have done in the DTP Classroom thread titled Lesson 5 - Assignment, with an explanation of what you have done. Be creative. Ask questions you have concerning the use of the tools covered in this lesson.
Don't forget to practice navigating and viewing your document using the Hand and Zoom tools, including various Zoom shortcuts.
