Graphic Design

Adobe InDesign Training Course

About this course

Our Adobe InDesign courses are designed for both beginners looking to build a strong foundation in page layout and document design, and experienced users wanting to develop more advanced publishing and production workflows.

Delivered in Belfast, Dublin, and across the UK, these instructor-led courses provide practical, hands-on training in creating professional layouts for print and digital publishing using Adobe InDesign.

The Beginner course focuses on core skills and essential workflows, helping learners understand the InDesign interface, document setup, typography, image placement, page structure, master pages, and exporting professional documents for print and digital use.

The Advanced course is designed for users who already understand the fundamentals and want to refine their skills through advanced layout techniques, long-document workflows, style automation, interactive publishing features, professional prepress setup, and efficient production processes.

Suitable for marketers, designers, publishers, communications professionals, and business users, the courses emphasise practical workflows, strong design principles, and real-world publishing techniques used across brochures, magazines, reports, presentations, marketing materials, and digital publications.

By the end of the course, participants will be able to confidently create polished, professional documents and layouts using efficient Adobe InDesign workflows for both print and digital publishing projects.

Beginner Course Outline

Day 1

Learn how to:
  • Understand raster vs vector graphics

  • Know when to use Photoshop vs Illustrator

  • Identify real-world use cases (photography, marketing, social, web)

Learn how to:
  • Navigate the Welcome Screen

  • Create new documents for print and digital

  • Understand pages, spreads, and pasteboard

  • Customise workspaces and panels

Topics:
  • Properties Panel (CC 2026)

  • Control Bar

  • Pages Panel

  • Tools overview

Document Presets & Page Sizes

Learn how to:
  • Set up documents correctly from the start

  • Choose bleed, slug, margins, and columns

  • Understand facing pages vs single pages

Learn how to:
  • Add, delete, and reorder pages

  • Work with facing-page layouts

  • Navigate large documents efficiently

Learn how to:
  • Create and apply master pages

  • Add repeating elements (headers, footers, page numbers)

  • Override master items safely

Learn how to:
  • Rename and organise parent pages

  • Use multiple parent layouts

  • Maintain consistency across documents

Learn how to:
  • Create and resize text frames

  • Link text frames across pages

  • Identify and fix overset text

Learn how to:
  • Use Character and Paragraph controls

  • Adjust leading, tracking, kerning

  • Align text professionally

Learn how to:
  • Create paragraph styles

  • Apply character styles

  • Update styles globally

Learn how to:
  • Avoid manual formatting

  • Build scalable documents

  • Maintain consistency in long documents

DAY 2

Learn how to:
  • Place images correctly (linked vs embedded)

  • Scale and fit images proportionally

  • Understand resolution warnings

Learn how to:
  • Use frame fitting options

  • Crop images non-destructively

  • Align images within layouts

Learn how to:
  • Use rulers, guides, and baseline grids

  • Align text and objects consistently

  • Build structured layouts

Learn how to:
  • Align objects precisely

  • Distribute spacing evenly

  • Use smart guides effectively

Learn how to:
  • Understand CMYK vs RGB in layout

  • Create and manage swatches

  • Use global colours for branding

Learn how to:
  • Update colours across documents

  • Prepare files for brand guidelines

  • Maintain colour accuracy for print

Learn how to:
  • Create and format tables

  • Apply table and cell styles

  • Align tables with text styles

Learn how to:
  • Use automatic page numbers

  • Create text variables

  • Build structured multi-page documents

Learn how to:
  • Create multiple layouts from a data file

  • Automate repetitive content

  • Use data merge for simple personalisation

Learn how to:
  • Use AI-assisted layout suggestions

  • Speed up formatting tasks

  • Maintain creative control while using automation

Learn how to:
  • Identify missing fonts or images

  • Fix colour and resolution issues

  • Prepare documents for print

Learn how to:
  • Export print-ready PDFs

  • Export interactive PDFs

  • Understand bleed, marks, and compression settings

Learn how to:
  • Avoid common InDesign mistakes

  • Work efficiently on large documents

  • Collaborate with printers and teams

  • Decide when to combine InDesign with Photoshop and Illustrator

Advanced Course Outline

Learn how to:
  • Set up documents for scalability

  • Plan page architecture before design begins

  • Avoid structural mistakes that slow production later

Learn how to:
  • Build complex parent page hierarchies

  • Use multiple parent pages within large documents

  • Apply and override parent items safely

Learn how to:
  • Manage page numbers, running headers, and folios

  • Use text variables for dynamic content

  • Maintain consistency across large publications

Learn how to:
  • Build advanced paragraph and character style systems

  • Use nested styles and GREP styles

  • Control typography across hundreds of pages

Learn how to:
  • Manage complex text reflow

  • Control widows, orphans, and hyphenation

  • Use baseline grids effectively

Learn how to:
  • Create and apply object styles

  • Combine object styles with text styles

  • Update layouts globally with confidence

Learn how to:
  • Use smart suggestions to speed up formatting

  • Reduce repetitive manual tasks

  • Maintain creative control while using automation

Learn how to:
  • Manage linked assets efficiently

  • Control image resolution and colour profiles

  • Avoid common print and export issues

Learn how to:
  • Use Creative Cloud Libraries strategically

  • Maintain brand consistency across documents

  • Update shared assets across multiple files

Learn how to:
  • Build and style advanced tables

  • Use footnotes and endnotes correctly

  • Create live cross-references

Learn how to:
  • Manage Book (.indb) files

  • Synchronise styles across documents

  • Handle large-scale publishing projects

Learn how to:
  • Use Data Merge for bulk content

  • Build personalised layouts efficiently

  • Combine Data Merge with styles for clean output

Learn how to:
  • Speed up work using Quick Apply

  • Use scripts to automate tasks

  • Reduce manual production time

Learn how to:
  • Manage CMYK, RGB, and spot colours

  • Use global colour updates

  • Maintain brand colour accuracy

Learn how to:
  • Build custom preflight profiles

  • Catch errors before export

  • Prepare documents confidently for print

Learn how to:
  • Create print-ready PDFs

  • Export interactive and digital PDFs

  • Control compression, marks, and bleed settings

Learn how to:
  • Package files correctly for printers or teams

  • Deliver clean, organised projects

  • Avoid common production handoff mistakes

Included With Course

  • Free Course Retake on our public schedule
  • Full course recording

Success Stories

Claire Youd

Both course content and instructor knowledge is exceptional – fresh, engaging and relevant. The ongoing support that Big Rock Designs provides is a real plus. I plan to attend future courses and would recommend other do too!

Joanne Doherty

Although my Photoshop knowledge was very limited, I found the organised sessions very easy to follow and I was over the moon at the amount I had learned. I’m looking forward to putting it all into practice in the coming months ahead.

Lorna McGivern

As someone who has attended numerous digital workshops and training I can honestly say Big Rock Academy’s introduction to Photoshop was the best I’ve ever experienced. They excelled in teaching us the logic behind the main tools in a very easy to understand way.

Rachael Weir

I just completed the Advanced Photoshop course at Big Rock Academy and I’m extremely pleased with what I’ve learnt. I now feel equipped to put it into practice in my job. I had a great teacher and I was able to really get to grasps with the software very quickly.

Course Requirements
£295 +vat