Learn How to Design Business Cards in Indesign

Title: Learn How to Design Business Cards in Indesign Category: ROOT Clicks: 1 Listing added: Dec 15, 2010 PageRank: 0/10

InDesign is a commercial software product published by Adobe. The software allows users to create custom layouts and designs for a variety of published materials, including stationary and business cards. InDesign can manage many different design elements at once, which can include shapes, text and graphics. Templates of different sizes can also be loaded into the software. These provide basic guides and design cues, and assist the user in creating visually pleasing business card layouts.
Difficulty: Moderate
Instructions

Open a blank business card template from InDesign. Click "File" and then "Open." In the dialog box, browse to the folder holding the templates and select the business card file. Click "Open." If no business card templates are available, download them from sources such as the Adobe Exchange website.

Turn on guides to provide an outline for the new business card design. Click the "View" menu and select "Grids and Guides." Click "Show Guides." Lines called "safe areas" appear on the screen. Keep important elements of the design, such as text and logos, within the center of these guides.

Change InDesign to CMYK color mode to ensure that colors are reproduced properly when the design is printed. Click "Window," then "Color." Select "CMYK." This standard, short for "cyan, magenta, yellow and key," is used by most printing companies.

Apply lines, shapes and colors to the template using the tools located on the left side of the screen. Display the function of each available tool by hovering the cursor over the associated icon. Click a tool to select it, and click and drag to apply the function.

Import existing graphics such as a company logo or slogan and include it in the design. Click "File" and then "Place." Browse to the desired file and click "OK." Click and drag the imported design to position it.

Save the business card design. Click "File" and then "Save As." Enter a name for the file and make sure that ".indd" is selected as the file type. Click "Save."