There are lots of different preferences when it comes to text and how it is used. You may be familiar with how some of the tools are used because simple word processors may use them. Sometimes you want to justify the text to make the columns appear nicer and remove the raggedy edge (this is called the rag), and other times you want to edit the spaces in between the words, lines and even the letters. This is where InDesign stands out in comparison to other word processors.

Here are a couple tips on how to wrangle all that stray text for your next project.

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It is often the case that designers are competing for projects, and the client is selecting who to work with based on experience, rates and other factors. At the same time, designers should be deciding if the client is a good fit for them. While there are many ways to determine this, there are some classic red flags to look for… things a client might say that are a sign of only more trouble once the project is yours. If you hear any of these red flags, it certainly doesn’t mean you should automatically end the relationship. Use your judgement and the look at the situation as a whole before making decision.

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Writing a great creative brief for a creative project like a print ad, website, banner or brochure is demanding but ultimately rewarding. It is the number one thing you can do to help get quality and efficiency from a graphic designer. And really, the creative you get out in the end is only as good as the input supplied in the creative brief itself. Take a peek below for 9 quick tips to improve your results through a fantastic creative brief.

1. Realize that any designer you hire is a professional and must be treated as such.
2. Understand that designers are not mind-readers.
3. Before coming to a graphic designer, have your business model ready and your plan up to par. No design can save any business that is not well thought out.
4. Mentioning past campaigns that were successful (or unsuccessful) are always useful. Don’t forget to explain why!
5. Understand that it will not be free.
6. Communicate with the designer-do not dictate.
7. Don’t try and design for the designer. You hired them for a reason-their knowledge and talent.
8. A picture is worth a thousand words. Take a screen capture if you cannot put it in words.
9. Set expectations up front. This is the number one way to create a successful Creative Brief.

Here they are. Take it all in. This is what every Designer wants to say after they read your brief, hopefully it will be useful to you.

Everyone who works with Adobe InDesign realizes there must be more to this fantastic program. It is so versatile on it’s own, but if you dig deeper, there is still lots to learn. Here are 25 quick tips on how to improve and get more out of your experience.

25. Cmd-D (Ctrl-D) is the keyboard shortcut to place an image.

24. If Caps Lock is activated when you insert placeholder text, a different passage of Latin will be used.

23. InDesign will automatically update a linked image after it has been edited using Edit Original within InDesign, but will only flag it if edited otherwise.

22. Cmd-Option-Shift-C (Ctrl-Alt-Shift-C) is the keyboard shortcut for fitting content to frame. Cmd-Option-C (Ctrl-Alt-C) is the keyboard shortcut for fitting a frame to content.

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Some people wonder what it is like to be a Designer and are so puzzled by them sometimes. Who are these strange yet vibrant people? Why are they so weird? What makes them tick? Well, I am setting out to help answer this question with a little question of my own. “As a Graphic Designer, what do you want?”

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