How to create a new file in Adobe InDesign

1. Creating a new file
InDesign

2. InDesign document
creation
Overview

3. Restoring default preferences
The preference fire controls how command settings appear on your
screen when you open Adobe InDesign program. Each time you quit
Adobe InDesign the position of panels and certain command settings
are recorded in difference preference files. If you want to restore the
tools and settings to their original default settings, you will need to
delete the preference file. Adobe InDesign will create a new one the
next time you start the program and save.

4. Restoring default preferences MAC USERS:
As soon as the Application’s
Icon is clicked, hold down the
Shift, Control, Option, and
Command keys. Continue
holding until after the
application is open.
WINDOW USERS:
As soon as the Application’s
Icon is clicked, hold down the
Alt, Control, and Shift keys.
Continue holding until after
the application is open.

5. Adobe InDesign New Document
Print presets
After opening the application you are presented with a
variety of options. At the top left of the screen you have
two view options, Home and Learn.
Home will show you recent files that you have worked
on (if you have deleted your preference file, this may be
empty). You have the option of sorting these by date,
name, size, or kind. There are also a row of common
preset sizes.
Learn will offer you Hands-on tutorials and tutorials on
the web. Some of these we will cover in this course.
VIEW OPTIONS

6. Adobe InDesign New Document
Print presets
Under Home and Learn areas are two buttons, Create
new and Open. They are pretty self-explanatory, to
start a new black document, you will select Create new
and to continue working on a document, select Open.
For now, select the Create new button.
CREATE NEW
& OPEN

7. TOP BARYou should see a
screen similar to this.
The Template area
might be different
since this is updated
regularly. There are 4
major areas, the top
bar, the Blank
Document Presents,
Templates, and on the
far right, Present
Details.
BLANK
DOCUMENT
PRESETS
TEMPLATES
PRESET
DETAILS

8. TOP BAR
The top bar repeats
the ability to to see
your recent files and
saved files along with
preset groups. The
groups are Print, Web
and Mobile. Each of
these have a common
size. For instance,
Print, shown here, has
letter, legal, tabloid,
and letter-half as its
presets.

9. These are the Print
presets. The most
common sizes in the
US are letter, legal,
tabloid, and letter-
Half. You will need to
know these three
sizes. Letter is 8 ½ by
11, legal is 8 ½ by 14,
tabloid is double letter
size or 11 by 17
inches, Letter-Half is
just like it sounds.
Most professional in-
house personal
printers can handle
these paper sizes.
BLANK
DOCUMENT
PRESETS

10. Templates are a good
place to find
inspiration. You’ll
notice the on this
screen, the three
shown are free and
these can be
downloaded and
modified. Others may
be available, but cost.
They can still provide
inspiration for your
own design.
TEMPLATES

11. This shows the
setting for the
selected preset, in
this case, letter size.
Here is where you’ll
set up your new
document, picking the
size, orientation,
artboards, and bleeds.
PRESET
DETAILS

12. Since you’re not a professional graphic designer,
you’ll probably not want to work in Points.
Points were devised for type with 72 points to an
inch. It’s great for small measurements like with
type.
You’ll probably want to switch this setting to
inches instead. The other options are picas
(another form of measurement used by graphic
artist), Millimeters, Centimeters, Cicerio, Agates,
and Pixels. If you were designing for Adobe After
Effects or Adobe Premiere, you would probably
choose pixel for your unit of measurement.
UNIT OF
MEASUREMENT

13. Here is where we decide the orientation of our
new document. There are three choices
although you only see two. They are Portrait,
Landscape, and Square.
Portrait orientation has the longer part on the
left and right sides, Landscape has the longer
part on the top and bottom. Square, of course is
equal on all sides.
When you choose a preset the width and height
are automatically filled, but these can be
changed to whatever dimensions you want.
ORIENTATION
WIDTH &
HEIGHT

14. Pages is where you could enter the number of
pages for the document. If you are going to
make a stapled booklet, remember that the
number must be a multiple of 4.
Facing pages means there will be a left page and
a right page which is know as a spread.
Pages
& Facing Pages
Single page Spread or
Facing pages

15. Start is requesting what page number will this
document start at. It doesn’t have to be 1, but any
number. Later, when making a book, you might want to
do chapters which will start in the middle of the book
and not at page 1.
Primary Text Frame is asking if you want a text frame
on the document. This is where the text will reside, and
can always be added or changed later.
START &
PRIMARY TEXT
FRAME

16. Your document can have multiple Columns per page,
and you would set that number here. The Column
Gutter is the space in between the columns. All of
these setting can be modified or changed later once
the document is opened.
COLUMN &
COLUMN
GUTTER

17. Margins are the areas between the edge of the page and the
text box on the page. They can be equal on or four sides, or
different. The linked chain icon on the right means if you
change on value, they will all change. Click on the chain icon
to provide different values in each box.
On a Page it will be Top, Bottom, Left, and Right. On a Spread
(like this) it will read Top, Bottom, Inside, and Outside.
MARGINS

18. The bleed is the amount of area the extends beyond the
document edge. It's difficult for printing equipment to apply
ink up to the cut edge of a sheet of paper. So an extra .125"
(3mm) margin is typically added on each side of the design,
enabling the background color, graphic, or image to extend
past (i.e., "bleed off") the paper's final trim edge. This extra
bleed area will be cut off the printed sheet.
BLEED
The illustration on the left shows a page printed with bleed, before
trimming. will be 8.75" x 11.25" before being trimmed to a finished size of
8.5" x 11". The illustration on the left shows a page printed with bleed,
before trimming. When trimmed, the finished piece will have color or
graphic content extending to the finished, cut edge on all four sides. The
illustration on the right shows a page designed without any bleed. When
trimmed, the finished piece will have an unprinted border on all four
sides.

19. The slug is the amount of area the extends beyond the bleed
edge. This is an area that will be printed, but like the Bleed, it
will be trimmed and not part of the final page. Its purpose
would be for additional information for the printer. Often, it’s
the designer’s contact information in case the printer needs
to contact the designer. It might also contain the date and
other important information.
SLUG

20. Finally, the Create button will create the blank file for you.
You also have a preview checkbox to check your settings
before you commit.
CREATE