Learn More About InDesign Classes in Atlanta
Founded over 40 years ago, Adobe offers a range of products and technologies that help you imagine, create, and bring your digital ideas to life. InDesign is a desktop publishing and page layout design software application developed by Adobe and first released in 1999. It is the go-to software for designing posters, flyers, brochures, magazines, newspapers, presentations, books, and eBooks. Known as the industry-standard editing software for laying out long-form, multi-page documents, Adobe InDesign can actually be used for so much more. Think of it as the software you use to create anything that combines text and graphics, like creating stationery, annual reports, business cards, or interactive digital publications.
What sets InDesign apart from the other software in Adobe’s suite is its ability to experiment with and customize typography by choosing from hundreds of different fonts and manipulating their kerning, dimensions, and style. The software even includes customizable grids and guides to assist with layout and typesetting, allowing you to create a font or typeset that is wholly unique to you.
Becoming an Adobe InDesign expert can open many doors. Not only can you create eye-catching long-form documents, but you can also create a one-of-a-kind font to represent your brand and solidify your identity in both print and digital spaces.
What Can You Do with InDesign Training?
InDesign is a must-have software for creatives. You can perfect a magazine or chapbook layout and format your self-published novel, ensuring that any multi-page project is organized and cohesive. You can design custom business cards that help you stand out at networking events, work conferences, or even casual conversations in a coffeehouse.
If you’re into web design, Adobe InDesign can help with that, too. The addition of pixel measurement since CS6 has improved InDesign’s role in web design. You can use it for the actual development of the design and even to output the final .jpg or .png files for each asset on your website – from backgrounds to individual page graphics. It can also ensure that all files are a manageable size, preventing them from consuming several gigabytes of memory when opened.
As you can see, there are many ways to use InDesign for both digital and print products. Keep reading below to learn more about what you’ll learn in an InDesign training course and what industries and jobs will open to you once you’re an InDesign expert.
What Will I Learn in an InDesign Class?
Each InDesign course will cover varying topics that are dictated by the class’s difficulty level and the intended use of InDesign. Most of these courses will cover the same basics, though, so you can expect to learn the following skills in any online or in-person course. This list is not exhaustive, so be prepared to learn even more upon enrollment.
Layout & Design Skills
Developing layout and design are the primary uses for InDesign, so having an eye for design and creative vision will be something most courses will explore. Elements such as typography, spacing, and color will come into play to help you create cohesive, distinctive, and visually appealing designs.
File Management
Managing files, including importing, exporting, and organizing, will be a crucial skill. InDesign can import files from several formats, including Microsoft Word and Adobe Illustrator, and export files in various formats, such as PDF, EPUB, and HTML. Messy InDesign files and file organization can slow down your workflow, create errors, and make it harder to collaborate with others. Luckily, a training course will walk you through tips and tricks to manage your files with ease.
Working with Images
InDesign is used to combine images and text, so you will need to be able to confidently add images to your documents, transform images, work with image linking, and wrap text around images. Things like the Place command and the Selection Tool will be taught in an introductory InDesign course so you can add, resize, and redesign images with ease in InDesign.
Working with Text
Mastering the use of text will be equally important. Working with text includes understanding the tools used to create frames (Type Tool, Frame tools, and Shape tools), which are located in the toolbox. Text and images in InDesign reside within a frame. When you place text in InDesign, a frame is created automatically for that content, indicating the area where the text will be displayed. You can also connect frames so that text can flow from one frame to the next. All of these skills and tools are necessary for your success with InDesign.
Collaboration
This is more of a soft skill, but just as important as those listed above. Collaboration is key to creative pursuits, and Adobe InDesign, along with Adobe Creative Cloud, makes it easy. You’ll want to know how to share files online (either with a private link or a secure password-protected public link), review documents online, and manage feedback. Streamlining your collaboration will help projects run more efficiently and produce better final products.
How Hard Is It to Learn InDesign?
How hard it will be for you to master InDesign depends on a few factors. Motivation, time, eagerness, resources, and lifestyle all factor into how difficult you’ll find it to learn InDesign.
What Are the Most Challenging Parts of Learning InDesign?
If you are unfamiliar with graphic design or creating layouts and various documents, mastering InDesign may be challenging. The software is widely regarded as user-friendly, particularly now that it seamlessly integrates with other Adobe Creative Cloud applications, thereby enhancing its functionality.
Other factors, such as your personal creative prowess and familiarity with digital design, can impact InDesign’s level of difficulty. The good news is that attending Adobe InDesign training can help minimize many of these challenges by providing a structured learning environment and a top-notch curriculum to guide you in mastering the software.
How Long Does It Take to Learn InDesign?
InDesign is meant for professional use, so it can be a bit overwhelming for beginners. But thanks to its user-friendly design, new users can grasp the basics of the program in a matter of a few days. Suppose your goal is to learn all the features of InDesign in a professional capacity. In that case, it may take months or even years, depending on your existing skill set in similar programs or Adobe Creative Cloud products. With this in mind, the time it will take to gain the necessary skill level will differ depending on whether you want to learn InDesign for personal or professional use. This means that students who intend to use the program lightly for academic projects or personal hobbies can learn the basic features of InDesign in under a week.
What Should I Learn Alongside InDesign?
InDesign is a part of the Adobe Creative Cloud, so it’s recommended that you learn a few other Adobe programs as well. Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Photoshop Lightroom are excellent starting points. Illustrator is also worth learning, and mastering both InDesign and Illustrator will help you understand which projects are best suited for each software. With Illustrator, you can make graphics and other assets that draw readers’ attention. With InDesign, you can craft layouts that allow both text and visuals to exist harmoniously on the page.
Adobe’s products are designed to complement and work well with each other. By mastering most or all of them, you can harness your full potential as a digital creator and design products that are professional, engaging, and visually appealing.
Atlanta Industries That Use InDesign
Atlanta is a rapidly growing city recognized as a major economic powerhouse in the South. With nearly 6 million residents and over 150,000 businesses, Atlanta presents an attractive landscape for both Fortune 500 companies and emerging businesses. Factors such as the region’s low cost of doing business, accessibility via Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, a thriving, innovative ecosystem, and its reputation as a logistics hub contribute to its appeal. Among the prominent companies based in Atlanta are The Coca-Cola Company, Delta Air Lines, The Home Depot, and UPS. Other notable businesses include AT\&T, Aflac, Southern Company, and Mailchimp, which specialize in digital marketing. Additionally, there’s Chick-fil-A, a fast-food chain, and NCR Corporation, a leader in technology solutions. The city also hosts global brands such as InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) and PulteGroup. Given the diverse industries in Atlanta, there is a growing demand for experts in InDesign to assist these companies in developing various content formats, ranging from infographics to newsletters, digital templates, and training publications.
Healthcare
Atlanta’s healthcare and medical technology category is experiencing rapid growth, and despite being a mature industry, it’s expanding with the help of recent medical innovations. It’s also home to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and a growing number of non-governmental agencies and businesses responsible for responding to humanitarian crises. The healthcare industry often employs skilled professionals in Financial Analyst roles, where they can collect data, conduct analyses of spending, and monitor ongoing market changes and fluctuations.
Banking and Finance
The Atlanta financial market is booming and is also increasingly diversifying. Atlanta’s FinTech sector is one of the top in the world and continues to attract leading investment firms that are keen to invest in startups. In 2022, about 70% of all global credit, debit, and gift card swipes were processed through a Georgia company, according to the Metro Atlanta Chamber, with more than 160 FinTech services companies located in the state. The city’s largest FinTech companies include Global Payments Inc, which employs 4,500 people locally and posts $8.25 billion in revenue; Fiserv Inc., which has 4,000 employees in Atlanta; Equifax, which has 3,000 employees in Atlanta; NCR Corp., which has 3,000 employees locally; and U.S. Bank/Elavon, which employs 1,296 people in Atlanta, according to data from the Atlanta Business Journal.
Technology
The Atlanta region is home to Georgia Tech, one of the best schools in the country for computer science and engineering degrees, which is, in part, why the city is known as a world-class hub for technology design, implementation, and innovation. As one of the fastest-growing high-tech urban centers in the nation, Atlanta experienced 15% job growth in technology jobs in 2021, thanks to an increase of 146 new tech businesses. The tech industry relies heavily on funding and investing, making it an ideal industry for you to invest in or find work as an investor personally.
Real Estate
According to Redfin, Atlanta home prices are up 11.7% compared to 2023, selling for a median price of $430,000. It isn’t hard to see why: Atlanta boasts numerous booming industries that are drawing folks from across the nation to call it home. Compared to other major metropolitan areas (think L.A., San Francisco, New York, or Chicago), Atlanta’s real estate market remains relatively affordable. This affordability, combined with the city’s economic strength and growing population, creates a conducive environment for real estate investments.
InDesign Job Titles and Salaries
InDesign can lead to a vibrant and successful career in a variety of industries. There are several roles you could pursue, depending on your level of experience. Listed below are a few of the most common positions you’ll see listed, as well as a brief description of what each does and how much you can expect to be compensated.
Graphic Designer
There are many different careers you could pursue that require Adobe certification. You could become a Graphic Designer and use graphics, text, colors, and animations to develop branding, advertising, and messaging. Graphic designers often use Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator in their daily work, so it’s a good idea to become certified in these two programs. The average salary for a Graphic Designer in San Diego falls somewhere between $63,000 and $112,000, depending on your level of experience.
Web Designer
If you want to be a Web Designer, credentials with Dreamweaver, After Effects, and Bridge are worth pursuing. As a Web Designer, you’ll work on a team with Web Developers, Software Engineers, UX Designers, and Project Managers to create websites that are appealing and easy to use. Web Designers in San Diego typically make an average salary between $64,000 and $81,000.
Drafter
As a Drafter at an architecture firm, you could use Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and Fresco to sketch out designs and develop detailed diagrams, maps, and schematics. Drafters create technical plans by gathering drawings, determining specifications, outlining material and equipment needs, and creating diagrams using computer-aided design (CAD) software. Drafter salaries typically fall between $75,000 and $100,000, depending on your experience.
Marketing Coordinator
A Marketing Coordinator develops strategies and monitors sales across a variety of channels, from email to web to social. Marketing Coordinators can use Adobe InDesign to create interactive and engaging PDF documents, helping them (or the company they work for) stand out against their competitors. All of this is true for other marketing roles as well (copywriter, SEO specialist, and Social Media Manager), but as a Marketing Coordinator, you can expect to earn around $50,000. More specialized roles within marketing can earn much more, even over six figures.
InDesign Classes Atlanta
Atlanta is a thriving metropolitan area, boasting the fifth largest population in the U.S. with 5.9 million residents. Corporations such as Coca-Cola, Home Depot, UPS, Delta Air Lines, and Turner Broadcasting all call Atlanta home, contributing to its status as one of the nation’s leading international cities. All of this makes Atlanta an exceptional place to learn and work with Adobe InDesign. Below are a few InDesign training sessions local to the Atlanta region, as well as several online offerings that may better fit your schedule.
Graphic Design Certificate
While not offered in-person in Atlanta, this in-depth Noble Desktop course still offers face-to-face interaction through its live online format. This three-month part-time (or one-month full-time) training offers hands-on experience in Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator, three essential programs for Graphic Designers. You’ll learn to edit & retouch photos in Photoshop, create vector graphics in Illustrator, and design page layouts in InDesign. Throughout the course, you’ll create a stunning portfolio to showcase your talent to potential employers or clients.
Tuition for this course includes one-on-one mentoring, setup assistance, and a free retake. Payment plans and other forms of financial assistance are available for those who need it.
InDesign in a Day
Noble Desktop also offers this quick one-day course that’s perfect for beginners. You’ll learn the fundamentals of InDesign, including page layout, typography, and image manipulation so that you can create professional documents with ease. Included in the cost of this course is a free retake, setup assistance, and a guaranteed small class size so that you can get the attention you deserve from an expert instructor.
InDesign Corporate Training in Atlanta
If you’re looking to offer in-person or online training to your office or team, Noble Desktop can help. They offer a variety of corporate training programs, including in social media marketing. You can order vouchers in bulk at a discount, choose which courses are available to employees, and even let your employees choose their own schedule. Plus, you can choose to have your training hosted at a location of your choosing, live online, or at Noble Desktop’s Manhattan office.
With a top-notch customizable curriculum and instructors who are experts in their industries, Noble Desktop’s corporate training is designed to cater to your business or organization’s needs. For more information or to schedule a complimentary consultation, please contact Noble Desktop at corporate@nobledesktop.com.
Learn From Noble Desktop’s Experienced InDesign Instructors in Atlanta
Atlanta’s professional scene is diverse and powerful, making it perfect for anyone looking to expand their skills in tech, design, business, or data. As one of the Southeast’s most important hubs for companies, the city brings together industries like finance, media, technology, and logistics. Through Noble Desktop’s network of experienced instructors, Atlanta-based professionals can access training from experts who truly understand the local job market.
These instructors have spent years in their fields and have developed a sense of pride in imparting their knowledge to others. This is a surefire way for students to turn their interests into real-world, applicable skills. Learning from instructors with professional layout and publishing backgrounds helps students gain experience with designing polished documents in InDesign. Their clear guidance makes complex layout decisions easier to understand.
Willie Morris
Based in Atlanta, Georgia, Willie Morris is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) with over 30 years of experience leading initiatives across government, aviation, and transportation industries. Willie, a retired U.S. Air Force veteran, has also held roles with the Department of Homeland Security and the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority. He has served as a Registered Educational Provider with the Project Management Institute and an Authorized Training Partner with Rita Mulcahy Learning Solutions. Drawing on his background of teaching PMP Exam Prep Certification courses, Willie now instructs professionals in Atlanta and nationwide, helping teams in federal industries strengthen their leadership and project management skills.
Kim Peppers
Kimberly Peppers dedicated 37 years to federal service, building her career through a range of audit, budget, and program analysis roles. Over the course of those decades, she rose to senior leadership positions, including Regional Inspector General and Audit Director across different federal agencies. She earned her Doctorate in Business Administration while simultaneously working on audit and investigative assignments in the Middle East. After retiring from federal service, Kim continued work in the public sector by moving into the federal consulting field. She is also an instructor at Graduate School USA, teaching mainly finance and accounting classes.
Ashley Otto
With more than 20 years of both personal and professional involvement in government HR, Ashley is an experienced human resources professional and educator. She currently works as an instructor at Graduate School USA, where she earned a reputation for delivering comprehensive marketing, project management, and HR concepts in a clear, understandable way. Drawing on her extensive experience, Ashley brings a unique twist to her courses through real-life, practical examples that help students bridge the gap between theory and actual application of the skills. Ashley holds a Master’s in Public Administration and remains dedicated to strengthening the public service sector through professional development and advanced education.