InDesign Training Cost

Looking to learn InDesign? Adobe offers a free trial for new users looking to familiarize themselves with the application. Once that trial is over, users will need to subscribe to the Adobe Creative Cloud in order to continue accessing the program. Beyond this, something you’ll want to consider is the cost of InDesign training. The cost of learning Adobe InDesign will depend mostly on how much training a student needs. Students who only need to learn the very basics of InDesign won’t spend more than a few hundred dollars on professional training and may be able to take advantage of free resources. Students who want professional skills training may need to pay upwards of a few thousand dollars. Read on to find out more about how much you can expect to spend on learning InDesign.

What is InDesign?

Released in 1999, Adobe InDesign is the industry standard in page layout design software, and it is one of the software programs that comprise the Adobe Creative Cloud. Together with Photoshop and Illustrator, InDesign is one of the most commonly used creative design tools across a number of industries, ranging from publishing to graphic design. Built to streamline the process of designing page layouts for books and magazines, InDesign has a plethora of uses that make it a versatile tool for many creative endeavors. As part of a heavily integrated array of creative tools, Adobe InDesign gives creatives the chance to create compelling and vibrant page layouts.

Unlike its sister programs, Illustrator and Photoshop, InDesign serves a specific but vital function, building page layouts. Creatives will use InDesign to build prototype layouts for everything from brochures to web pages, and the program has tools for populating those prototypes with graphics, texts, and even interactive elements. While it is primarily used in traditional print media, InDesign is seeing increasing use in the digital sphere, such as the world of ePublishing and website design.

Read more about what InDesign is and why you should learn it.

What Can You Do with InDesign?

Adobe InDesign allows users to create vibrant and memorable design layouts that can be used for anything from print advertisements to promotional brochures to newsletters and magazines. Almost any print layout can be built with InDesign, and the tool is often used to help Web Designers produce mock-ups of web pages. Users can add text, color, and images to their layouts to ensure they communicate what they are trying to communicate. InDesign also lets users easily create templates or replicate pages to streamline the multi-page design process.

InDesign also has numerous non-professional uses for users who are hoping to create eye-catching posters, infographics, or flyers for their own organizations or communities. Visual design skills can help users share information in memorable and effective ways, and learning InDesign will help anyone hoping to communicate with the masses. Additionally, many small businesses or private commercial organizations like Etsy shops or local bands can greatly benefit from having individuals on staff with InDesign training, as the program helps non-professionals make professional-grade graphic page layouts.

Additionally, because InDesign is so closely integrated with the rest of the Adobe Creative Cloud, users who are familiar with other programs can seamlessly integrate their work in other programs into their layout designs. Photos and illustrations can be edited or created in Photoshop and Illustrator and then easily brought over in InDesign to populate a layout. Users can also transfer work between InDesign and XD to help build prototype web layouts. These connections help expand the functionality of all Adobe Creative Cloud applications.

In-Depth Review of the Training Cost

The cost of learning InDesign largely depends on the training level a student plans to receive. Professionals looking to expand their career opportunities will need more expensive training than novices looking to experiment with the application. Students will also need to decide whether they are looking for InDesign training or graphic design training, which will include training in InDesign.

The most traditional and by far the most expensive option for learning Graphic Design skills is a four-year college degree. This option isn’t possible for everyone, but it does offer a complete education and the most commonly accepted demonstration of skill. Like most professional training programs, this will teach students far more than just InDesign.

Likewise, professional training certificates and skills bootcamps can teach students skills beyond just InDesign. The courses offered by Noble provide students with a wide range of graphic design training, including seminars in Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator. This is a far more cost-effective alternative to a traditional four-year college degree, but it still provides students with the tools they need to build a career in graphic design.

The next option is live, professional instruction in just InDesign. These courses are cheaper than career-focused certificate programs, but fewer jobs strictly use InDesign, meaning that students will likely need to pay for additional training elsewhere. These courses can also have hidden costs, such as the cost of transportation if taken in person or the cost of licensing InDesign if the course is taken online.

Even cheaper are self-paced or on-demand courses, which can often cost only a few hundred dollars or even less if they are part of a platform’s subscription model, like LinkedIn or Skillshare. These courses are ideally suited for students who need a more flexible learning environment and have the self-motivation to learn InDesign. As with other online learning options, students will need to acquire the program.

There are a number of free online resources that students can use to help learn InDesign. However, for the vast majority of learners, these resources will need to be supplemented with other training if students want to learn more than just the basics of InDesign.

Free Introductory InDesign Course Online

Students looking for free online tutorials should start at Noble Desktop’s blog, and the articles tagged InDesign. Here, students will have access to articles and interviews explaining the basics of InDesign, and they will be able to find free online Graphic Design and InDesign courses. Noble’s InDesign overview page also includes links to free online training resources. These free resources are constantly updated, and they are built as onboarding tools for Noble’s paid training seminars, so using these resources will prepare students for the more immersive learning options made available through Noble.

One of the best ways to introduce yourself to InDesign is through a free online video tutorial. Noble’s blog and Graphic Design YouTube playlist provide students with free introductory videos covering both broadly graphic design principles and Adobe InDesign in particular. These videos are a great place to start getting a feel for InDesign, as they allow students to learn the basics of the program at their own pace. Noble’s videos cover the basic functionalities of InDesign, teaching students how to navigate the interface, add text and images to a layout, and how to export and prepare simple layouts for publication.

Students looking for a more detailed background in InDesign should consult the Learn InDesign page on Noble’s Learn Hub. Here, students will find constantly updating free resources to help guide them through the early process of learning InDesign.

Read about more free InDesign videos and online tutorials.

Learn InDesign with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop offers a wide range of training options for students seeking to learn Adobe InDesign. Ranging from introductory courses such as InDesign in a Day to immersive career training programs like the Graphic Design Certificate program, Noble has a training program built to fit your needs. These courses are all taught by professional instructors with years of training as both teachers and graphic designers. Each course comes with the option to retake the course for free within a year of the initial enrollment, meaning that students have the option to take the courses again in order to receive more hands-on experience with InDesign or to gain more training in skills that they found difficult the first time through.

The Adobe InDesign Bootcamp gives students hands-on experience working with InDesign through exercises that mirror the kinds of projects that professional Graphic Designers would work on. Students will learn how to create layouts with InDesign’s text, color, and graphic tools, they will learn how to import formats and styles to easily build layouts, and they will learn how to work with parent pages to easily create complex, multi-page designs for projects like brochures and magazines. This course is ideal for students who want to learn the advanced features of InDesign within a professional context. At the end of this bootcamp, students will be prepared to use InDesign as part of their professional lives, and they will be able to demonstrate to their employers that they have received in-depth InDesign training.

Noble’s Graphic Design Certificate program takes this InDesign training and pairs it with career-focused training in Photoshop and Illustrator. Students will learn the background of graphic design, receiving training in philosophies of composition, color theory, and typography. Then, they will learn how to use Illustrator and Photoshop to create digital illustrations and assets that can be imported to InDesign to populate finished page layouts. Bringing these programs together, the Graphic Design Certificate program is built to take students from novice users to trained designers, aiming to help them find a new career once they’ve completed the course. This certificate program also provides students with one-on-one career mentoring so that when the course is complete, graduates will be ready to enter the workforce as Graphic Designers.