InDesign is a critical tool or software for any designer, regardless of their field of expertise. It will help you create the best documents and designs. However, when using InDesign, you can run into specific errors that may be difficult to correct. The errors can affect your document quality, and you may end up restarting the work or wasting more time on a task.
It is possible to avoid these errors and work on your design faster and efficiently without facing any challenges. But first, there are certain essentials you must understand, as discussed here.
1. Caution when exporting files
The latest versions of InDesign make it much easier for designers to export files to PDF. You can choose different layouts such as printing, PDF, proofing, and interactive. However, you need to be cautious when exporting the files. The interactive will be ideal when you want to export a file. Using others will lead to certain errors, such as InDesign hyperlinks not working in pdf.
You can add the hyperlink in any location on your document. Before exporting, try the URL on the hyperlink panel to ensure it is active since inactive URLs can also lead to errors. If you encounter such errors, you need to re-export the link to help you avoid errors such as wrong layout selection.
2. Pay attention to the styles
There are different styles available in InDesign, and you must understand the link between the styles you use. When you change styles or an attribute in style, the change will reflect in all the texts formatted with the same style. Therefore, you must specify whether the attribute changes apply to the whole body or a specific document section.
The next focus should be on the Next Style option. When you create a paragraph style, you need to use the Next style setting, which will specify the style you need to apply after the current style. Failure to do so, the change will occur in the whole document when you press the enter button.
When you make changes in a paragraph, then copy-paste the changes to the other sections of the document, the formatted text may change hence the need to specify the style before copy-pasting. Double-clicking on the paragraph or character style is not a good idea. Double-clicking may lead to changes in the entire document. This is not a good idea to edit styles; follow the contextual menu guidelines to make the desired changes.
3. Using the InDesign tools
There are different InDesign tools you can use to modify or create your document. The tools are also critical for navigating your document. Every tool has an independent function; hence you need to understand the roles before using them.
When using the tools, you must avoid the keyboard unless you are editing. You can activate these tools by clicking specific keys on the keyboard or multiple functions. This can occur subconsciously and affect your document. Correcting errors or changes can be tricky since you cannot trace the source. Use the mouse to select the tools; you should only use the keyboard when you are a pro at using InDesign.
4. The essential roles of workspace panels
The key to creating the best document of designs is to utilize the Adobe panels and pasteboard. There are different panels in InDesign to help you create the perfect document and minimize the errors you may likely make. The workspace is centrally located on the window or the page, while the panels are on the right sides. The docking area panel lets you control objects and make different designs before moving them to the work area.
Anything in the work area will appear in the working document, and anything outside the work area border will not be printed or seen by anyone else except you. Therefore, you have the freedom to make all the edits out of the work area to ensure the final copy is clean. You can also use the pasteboard to hold an object while editing and then return them later. You can also use the pasteboard to have notes to guide you on your designs.
5. Using guides
Before you begin editing or creating a design, you need a mental image of what the final document should look like. You can create this, in reality, using the guides provided. The guides include the margin guides and ruler guides. You should create the guide before working on the new design or document. Creating the margins after the design is complete will affect the objects and design. You can easily cut out some content.
Begin by setting the margin guides, which will help you to create a perfect space around the edge of the document. This is essential when you print the document. It can help you whenever you want to trim the printout, i.e. when making business cards. You can use the rule guides to manually set the guides or use the default margins templates available for different designs such as postcards, business cards, etc.
Conclusion
The most significant advantage of using Adobe InDesign is the ability to modify, edit and make all the changes on the panels before moving them to the final document. Take advantage of all the panels to ensure you have the best output. Also, set your margins before you begin working and ensure you use the available styles sparingly to avoid errors.
