Posts by Michael Murphy

OK…Christmas has already come and gone, I know, but it’s still technically the holiday season, and the title of this episode is the title of a Christmas CD project I recently designed. That’s the project I showcase in this episode, in which I demonstrate a holiday grab bag of InDesign goodies including: starting a document [...]

Normally, I pick one InDesign feature and build a whole episode around it. However, this is the second anniversary of the podcast, and I wanted to do something different, and demonstrate that combining InDesign features is far more powerful than using them individually. In this episode, I use six different features — Anchored Objects, Frame [...]

It’s that little feature we all take for granted, but InDesign’s Text Wrap is a vast improvement over that other page layout application’s Runaround feature. This episode takes an in-depth look at all of InDesign’s Text Wrap options, reveals a few peculiarities to watch out for, and demonstrates the additional options added in CS3.
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Who says data and design are mutually exclusive? Not InDesign, that’s for sure. Under the right circumstances, data-driven layout is the way to go. Unlike XML, which makes designers run from their computers, the Data Merge feature in InDesign is an easy way to accomplish fast, flexible data-driven layout creation and updates. Using a subscriber’s [...]

Who wants to see the home videos from my vacation? Wait! Before you run for the exits, let me rephrase that: Who wants to learn about how to add and work with videos in InDesign, create buttons to control them, and export PDFs that will play them? In this episode, you’ll learn how to put [...]

How would you like to have all versions of your (or your client’s) logo available in one placed file and never have to worry about re-positioning them in the frame in your layout? In this episode, I share the tip I presented during the closing “tip extravaganza” session at last week’s InDesign Conference in New [...]

It’s time to get back to the original mission of the videocast — real-world examples of InDesign in action to help you work better, smarter and faster. In this episode, I take a look at a feature that debuted in CS2: Object Layer Options. Not only does InDesign understand the native Photoshop format, it also [...]

After putting InDesign CS3 through it’s paces, I’ve summed up my impressions of the new version not only in the overview article for InDesign Magazine, but also in a full-blown product review on CreativePro.com that went live this morning.
The review covers the major new features, enhanced existing features, and many small touches, and is illustrated [...]

Another glipmse into the new and improved user experience you can expect when CS3 ships. This episode takes a quick look at the Pages palette (which now shows page thumbnails), the much-improved Control Panel, and menu customization in the new version.
Download it now or watch it in your browser:
The InDesigner – Episode 39 (9:09 mins. [...]

Icons and panels and docks…oh my!
At long last, the wait is over and the veil of secrecy is lifted. In this first look at InDesign CS3, I give a glimpse of what the new version looks like, because Adobe has given it — and all of the Creative Suite applications — a new user interface. [...]