Create modern, well-structured page layouts in InDesign with advanced typography and composition techniques.
Learn how to design professional page layouts with text & graphics in Adobe InDesign. This course covers styling, importing, packaging, and advanced techniques like styles, master pages, and tables. Perfect for creating books, magazines, and ads.
Begin your journey as a professional graphic designer by learning the essential skills and tools used by industry experts. Gain hands-on experience in Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator, and create a stunning portfolio to showcase your talent to potential employers or clients.
Advance your layout and design expertise while preparing for the Adobe Certified Professional exam in this hands-on InDesign Certification Program. Through expert-led classes, personalized tutoring, and real-world projects, you'll gain the skills and confidence to create polished magazines, brochures, books, and more.
Founded over 40 years ago, Adobe has developed multiple 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 that was first released by Adobe in 1999. It’s 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 much more. Think of it as the software you use to create anything that combines text and graphics, like stationery, annual reports, business cards, or interactive digital publications.
What sets InDesign apart from other software in Adobe’s suite is its ability to experiment with and customize typography by choosing from hundreds of fonts and manipulating their kerning, dimensions, and style. The software also includes customizable grids and guides to assist with layout and typesetting. These features allow you to create a font or typeset that is wholly unique to you.
Being 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.
InDesign is a must-have software for creatives. You can perfect a magazine or chapbook layout, and format your self-published novel, ensuring any multi-page project is organized and cohesive. If you’re looking to promote your business, you can design custom business cards that help you stand out at networking events, work conferences, or even casual conversations in a coffee shop.
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 all files are a manageable size so that opening them doesn’t consume large amounts of memory.
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 may be available once you become an InDesign expert.
Each InDesign course will cover varying topics based on the class’s difficulty level and the intended use of InDesign. Most courses will include the same core content, 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 once enrolled!
Developing layout and design is the primary purpose of InDesign. Having an eye for design and a strong creative vision is something most courses will emphasize. Topics such as typography, spacing, and color will be covered to help you create cohesive, distinctive, and visually appealing designs.
Managing files—including importing, exporting, and organizing—is a critical skill. InDesign can import files from several formats, including Microsoft Word and Adobe Illustrator, and export to formats like PDF, EPUB, and HTML. Disorganized files can slow your workflow, introduce errors, and make collaboration difficult. Training courses will walk you through tips and tricks to manage files efficiently.
Since InDesign combines text and images, you’ll need to confidently add, transform, and manage images. Introductory InDesign courses will cover image linking, text wrapping, the Place command, and the Selection Tool to help you add, resize, and reposition images with ease.
Working with text is equally important. This includes learning how to use the Type Tool, Frame tools, and Shape tools, which are used to create text frames in InDesign. All content—including text and images—resides within a frame. When you place text in InDesign, a frame is automatically created. You can also connect frames to allow text to flow from one to another. Mastering these tools is essential for effective layout design.
This soft skill is just as important as the others. Collaboration is key in creative environments, and Adobe InDesign—especially through Adobe Creative Cloud—makes it easy. You’ll learn how to share files online using private or secure links, review documents, and manage feedback. Streamlined collaboration leads to smoother project workflows and stronger final results.
Adobe InDesign is relatively easy to learn, but it can be challenging to master. Your experience level with other Adobe products and your technical or creative background can affect the learning curve. New users can often begin using InDesign’s basic features after just a few hours of training.
If you’re new to graphic design or page layout tools, learning InDesign may pose a challenge. Fortunately, the software integrates well with other Adobe Creative Cloud tools, which improves functionality and shortens the learning curve.
Factors like your creative confidence and experience with digital tools may also affect your learning. Enrolling in a formal training program can help ease these challenges by providing a structured learning environment with a top-notch curriculum.
InDesign is intended for professional use, so it can feel overwhelming for beginners. However, its user-friendly design means that students can typically grasp the basics within a few days. Learning all its professional features can take several months or even years, depending on your goals and previous experience. Students interested in casual or academic use may be proficient with basic features in under a week.
Your ideal learning format will depend on your learning style and schedule. Do you thrive in a collaborative environment with peer interaction and instructor feedback, or do you prefer to learn independently at your own pace?
In-person courses offer structure, accountability, and face-to-face support, which can be invaluable for students who learn best in traditional classroom environments. Online learning, meanwhile, offers greater flexibility. Live virtual classes provide real-time interaction, while on-demand training allows you to learn when and where it works best for you.
Regardless of your choice, you’ll benefit from a strong curriculum and expert instruction to guide your learning.
Yes, you can learn InDesign basics for free online using YouTube, blogs, and short workshops. Be sure to choose up-to-date content to ensure you’re learning the latest features and design standards.
That said, advanced skills are best acquired through formal training. A structured course taught by expert instructors will offer guided practice, troubleshooting support, and valuable feedback. This environment promotes focus and success. If you’re serious about learning InDesign beyond the basics, a formal class or workshop is your best option.
InDesign is part of the Adobe Creative Cloud, so it’s recommended that you learn other Adobe programs as well. Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom are excellent for photo editing, while Illustrator complements InDesign for creating illustrations and design assets. Mastering both InDesign and Illustrator helps you determine which tool is best for each project—InDesign excels at layout, while Illustrator handles vector graphics.
Adobe’s suite is designed for interoperability. Learning multiple programs will enhance your digital creativity and help you produce professional, visually engaging designs.
Orlando’s growing economy and industry diversity make it a great location for building an InDesign-based career. Below are some leading industries in the region where InDesign skills are in-demand.
Orlando’s strategic location as a quinti-modal transportation hub—accessible by land, air, sea, rail, and even space—makes it ideal for advanced manufacturing. The city is home to over 2,400 advanced manufacturing companies and 115,000 employees in the sector, with 6,000 annual graduates in related programs.
Seven Fortune 500 aerospace and defense companies operate in or near Orlando. The city is also home to the University of Central Florida, the nation’s top supplier of aerospace and defense workers. Orlando sees over $6 billion in annual simulation-related contracts.
Orlando is a major digital media hub supported by local industry and education. The city’s creative village is a 68-acre downtown district that supports tech companies and digital production. Organizations like Lockheed Martin, Darden Restaurants, and Siemens rely on creative professionals, including those skilled in InDesign and Photoshop, to help communicate their brand through powerful visuals.
Orlando’s healthcare and life sciences industries include major players like AdventHealth, Orlando Health, CVS, and Walgreens. With over 195,000 professionals employed in the sector, the demand for marketing and communication materials—including those created in InDesign—is significant.
InDesign proficiency can lead to a rewarding career across multiple industries. Below are common job titles and salary ranges you might expect.
As a Graphic Designer, you’ll use tools like InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator to create branded designs, advertisements, and marketing materials. The average salary for a Graphic Designer in Orlando ranges from $67,000 to $114,000, depending on experience.
Web Designers collaborate with Web Developers, Software Engineers, UX Designers, and Project Managers to build intuitive websites. Proficiency in Dreamweaver, After Effects, and Bridge is valuable. Web Designers in Orlando earn between $74,000 and $96,000 annually.
A Drafter at an architecture or engineering firm may use Illustrator, Photoshop, and Fresco to sketch and develop technical diagrams, maps, and schematics. These professionals often work with CAD software. Drafter salaries typically range from $62,000 to $100,000, based on experience.
A Marketing Coordinator creates and manages campaigns across multiple channels. InDesign is frequently used to create polished, interactive PDFs and marketing assets. Marketing Coordinators in Orlando earn around $63,000 annually, with specialized roles in marketing reaching six figures.
ONLC Training Centers offers this in-person course for learning InDesign fundamentals. Topics include tool and panel navigation, customizing workspaces, setting up complex documents with master pages, grids, and placeholders, and managing pages using the Pages panel. Basic computer and file management skills are required. An on-demand version of this course is also available for added flexibility.
Offered by Noble Desktop, this comprehensive course teaches students how to design professional page layouts using text and graphics. Topics include styling text, importing graphics, using master pages, threading text frames, setting up tables, and packaging files for print or web. You’ll also learn professional typesetting techniques and how to generate PDFs.
While not offered in-person in Orlando, this live online course from Noble Desktop includes training in Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign. Students build a professional portfolio and benefit from one-on-one mentoring, setup assistance, and a free course retake. Offered part-time over three months or full-time in one month, this course prepares students for careers in design.
Noble Desktop offers this one-day beginner-friendly course to cover InDesign fundamentals. Learn layout, typography, and image placement to produce polished print and digital documents. The course includes a free retake, setup assistance, and small class sizes for personalized attention.
If your team needs to learn InDesign, Noble Desktop offers corporate training in-person or online. You can schedule private sessions, order discounted vouchers for open-enrollment courses, and choose from a customizable curriculum delivered at your office, online, or at Noble’s Manhattan location.
To learn more or to request a consultation, email corporate@nobledesktop.com.