These projects help you learn the basics and explore more advanced features of Adobe InDesign by creating the same type of projects you might tackle as an in-house or freelance graphic designer. The 12 categories of tutorials include business cards and letterhead, magazines, newsletters, and newspapers, and posters. In most cases, tutorials start with setting up your document (or some start with the initial sketches and planning) and go all the way to printing or saving as PDF or digital publication.
Unless otherwise noted, these tutorials go to sites outside of About.com.
Also see these InDesign Collections:
Best Tutorial Sources | Interface & Tool Basics | Templates
1. Ads and Direct Mail
Make the sale in a mag or in the mail.
- Perfectly Cropped Mailer
Designing a direct mail piece with custom crops and folds and a coupon. It's a 6:50 minute video tutorial at Layers Magazine by Jeff Witchel. - How to Create a Coupon in InDesign CS4
Beginner level tutorial with 32 steps at vector tuts+ by Simona Pfreundner. - Design a Print-ready Ad
45-step tutorial by Jonathan at vector tuts+.
2. Brochures, Leaflets, Pamphlets
Build a better brochure by learning to use InDesign.
- How to Make a Print Ready A5 Leaflet in InDesign CS5
Beginner level tutorial for creating a 4 page leaflet or brochure uses some of the type setting features that were new in CS5. 22 steps. From James Andrew at vector tuts+. - Create and Print a Brochure with Photoshop, InDesign, and UPrinting.com
Part 1: (14 steps)
Part 2: (9 steps)
From Collis at psd tuts+ / vector tuts+, artwork is created in Photoshop then placed into InDesign for further work. - Pamphlet Project
Ues InDesign to create a 3-fold pamphlet. From Shield Yearbook.
3. Business Cards and Letterhead
Express your unique identity using Adobe InDesign
- How to Create a Business Card Using InDesign
A very basic introduction video from About.com. - Designing a Business Card in InDesign
7:24 minute Video tutorial by Christy Winter at Layers Magazine. - Designing a Business Card
Download the WL-OL244 template and use it to create a business card, bring it into an 8-up template. From Worldlabel.com - Design a Print Ready Business Card for Designers
Lengthy, detailed, illustrated tutorial from Chris Spooner. - How to Design a Business Card in InDesign
By Wehtam at Creative Fail, download the artwork for this tutorial. - Design Business Cards in Adobe InDesign
GreatFX provides a template and illustrated instructions for basic business card creation. - Designing a Basic Letterhead With InDesign CS5
Beginner level 10-step tutorial by James Andrew at vector tuts+. - How to Design a Print Ready Letterhead & Comp Slip
From Chris Spooner, uses mostly Illustrator but uses InDesign for output. - Letterhead Project
"Learn InDesign by designing stationery for your business." A tutorial from Shield Yearbook.
4. Digital Publications
Repurpose print content or design specifically for iPad and other digital devices.
- How to Create a Digital Publication Using InDesign
From About.com, an introductory video by Herman Mak. - Using InDesign CS5 to Publish Your iPad Magazine
Terry White at Layers Magazine uses CS5 and the Adobe Digital Publishing Suite. - Create an Interactive Magazine for the iPad
This DigitalArts tutorial uses CS5 or later, Photoshop, and the Mag+ plug-in. - Take a Design From Print to iPad
This DigitalArts tutorial uses CS5.5 and Adobe Digital Publishing Suite to take a printed magazine and make a digital version for the iPad. - Creating iBooks (EPUB) With InDesign CS5
Uses InDesign CS5 to design book, exports in EPUB format, and tests it in Adobe Digital Editions player. From Layers Magazine and Terry White.
5. Invitation
You are invited to learn how to use Adobe InDesign.
- How to Create an Invitation Using InDesign
An About.com basics video tutorial for those new to InDesign. - Design a Halloween Invitation With InDesign CS5
A vector tuts+ Beginner tutorial by James Andrew. - Invitation Design
Part 1: (9:14 min)
Part 2: (9:11 min)
Layers Magazine video tutorials with Christy Winter. Creates a Baby Shower/Party Invitation. Downloadable files available.
6. Magazines, Newsletters, Newspapers
Read all about it! InDesign does beautiful periodicals.
- Magazine Design With InDesign
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
At Layers Magazine, this basic 3 part tutorial by Chad Neuman includes master pages, auto page numbers, shapes, text import from a Word file, text wrap, and other features. Uses Illustrator for some steps. Downloadable files provided. - How to Create a Professional Magazine Layout
A vector tuts+ Intermediate level tutorial for CS4/CS5 from Otto Coster. - Design a Multi-Page Mag Feature
Jo Gilliver of Computer Arts demonstrates how to set up a complex including grid setup, creating a template, and adding finishing touches. Downloadable support files. The tutorial is a PDF dowload as well. - Create a Newsprint Magazine
Download the PDF tutorial from Computer Arts which includes tips on designing a "complex, versatile grid system" and how to work with black and white images and cheap paper but get great results. - Magazine Cover Design in InDesign CS3
13-step tutorial by Terry White at Layers Magazine includes techniques for making a cover that stands out on the magazine rack. - Create a Five-Color Magazine Cover Using a Spot Metallic
An Intermediate/Advanced level tutorial by Mark Mayers at psd tuts+ that uses InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, and Acrobat Pro. It's two parts all on one (very long) page. - How to Create a Music Magazine Cover in InDesign
From vector tuts+ and Simona Pfreundner, this is an introductory or beginner level tutorial. - Create a Hip Magazine Cover in Adobe InDesign
From SpryeStudios, a 14 step tutorial. - Newsletter Project
This Shield Yearbook tutorial uses columns for a simple, single page newsletter. A Basic introduction to using InDesign. - Create a Newsprint Publication
From Computer Arts, topics covered include grids, consistency, and use of two color printing. For InDesign and Photoshop CS3 or later.
7. Menu
On the menu: InDesign Tutorials
- Design a Coffee Shop Menu Layout From Scratch With Photoshop and InDesign CS5
Part 1: (24 steps)
Part 2: (35 steps)
Intermediate level tutorial by Alvaro Guzman at psd tuts+ using Photoshop to create the artwork to be imported into InDesign for the addition of more text and print to PDF.
8. Photo Albums, Photobooks, Yearbooks
Create picture-perfect photo layouts.
- How to Create a Photo Album Using InDesign
An About.com basics video tutorial by Herman Mak that shows the basics of setting up a 12" x 12" album and saving it as a PDF. - Create Photo Albums for Print
14-step tutorial from Terry White at Layers Magazine. - Designing a Photobook in Adobe InDesign CS4
A Layers Magazine 11:49 minute Video tutorial by A.J. Wood. - Yearbook Project
Create a photo-heavy spread for a yearbook using Adobe InDesign. Tutorial from Shield Yearbook.
9. Portfolio
Strut your stuff in an interactive portfolio.
- Creating an Interactive Portfolio With InDesign CS3
14 step tutorial by Mike Mchugh at Layers Magazine. - Create a Quick One-Page Portfolio in InDesign CS4
24-step Beginner tutorial by Simona Pfreundner at vector tuts+. - Creating an Interactive Portfolio With InDesign CS5
14 step tutorial by Terry White at Layers Magazine.
10. Posters
Plaster your walls with posters.
- Create a Striking Exhibition Poster
From Luke O'Neill at Computer Arts, uses InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop to create a logotype, create an Illustrator pattern, and work with a grid and type. - Designing an Event Poster
An 8:47 minute video tutorial by Christy Winter at Layers Magazine uses "Object Styles to add intensity to the headline." - Use Glyphs to Create a Striking Typographic Poster in InDesign
This Computer Arts tutorial by Jo Gulliver is for InDesign CS3 or later. - Design a Cool Outlaw Flyer With InDesign
The images are not loading for this tutorial but the text instructions may be useful. It's by Danny Outlaw.
11. Resumé or CV
Land a better job with a good-looking resumé
- Using InDesign CS4 to Create a Designer Resumé
Lengthy, 32-step Intermediate level tutorial from Simona Pfreudner at vector tuts+. - Create a Grid Based Resumé/CV Layout in InDesign
From Chris Spooner, detailed, illustrated tutorial. - How to Create a Modern CV/Resumé With InDesign
SpryeStudios provides a download of the InDesign files used in this tutorial.
12. Other Miscellaneous Projects
You can create almost any kind of graphic design project using Adobe InDesign.
- InDesign CS3, In Good Form
Right way to build a form. Tutorial by Terry White at Layers Magazine. - Book Cover Design in InDesign CS5
9:08 minute video tutorial by Jeff Witchel at Layers Magazine makes use of the CS5 feature allowing multiple size pages in a single document. - Create Numbered Tickets the Easy Way in InDesign
Simona Pfreundner uses InDesign and the Data Merge Tool in this tutorial at vector tuts+. - Designing a Basic Compliment Slip With InDesign CS5
Beginner level 11-step tutorial by James Andrew at vector tuts+. - Create a Pocket Folder Template in CS5
From Keith Gilbert at InDesignSecrets.com, the basic steps to create a pocket folder layout.
