Kindle Create Basics I encountered a steep learning curve when creating an eBook with Kindle Create. After sorting through a lot of information and trying various methods, I developed a process that works really well. This blog post takes you through my process and, hopefully, eases some of the pain points for you. Start by bookmarking Amazon's Getting Started with Kindle Create page and use it for reference. You'll get a good overview of the requirements, features, and troubleshooting. The … [Read more...] about Create an eBook with Kindle Create
Graphic Design
InDesign: Single Pages vs. Facing Pages
When you create a New Document in InDesign, one of the most important choices you'll make is whether or not you want Facing Pages. The option is in the Preset Details, where Facing Pages is turned on by default for Print documents. But, if you want a Single Page layout, you can turn that off by deselecting it. In this tutorial, I'll explain the two scenarios and provide examples for each layout. Single Pages If the pages will be seen one at a time, then you use the Single Page … [Read more...] about InDesign: Single Pages vs. Facing Pages
Text Gradients in Adobe Illustrator
Three methods In this tutorial, I'll show you three ways to create text gradients in Adobe Illustrator. We use the same word for each method so you can easily compare the results. Gradients are a nice way to enhance the typography and add visual interest. 1. Text Gradients Using the Appearance Panel The first method was shared by a student in my Digital Design Essentials class. For this, he gets a big shoutout: Thanks Bryant! I thought Bryant's technique was very cool and wanted to … [Read more...] about Text Gradients in Adobe Illustrator
Create an eBook via InDesign Export to HTML
I've been designing print books with InDesign (IDD) for years. When my partner, Peggy, and I completed our third book together a couple of months ago (Inside the Rainbow: Soul Connection in Nature), the steps to prepare it for print on Amazon's KDP platform were familiar to me. Then, I leapt into the eBook world for the first time. It was quite the adventure! First, I tried Amazon's publishing tool Kindle Create. Unfortunately, it wouldn't work on my old iMac. Next, I tried exporting my IDD … [Read more...] about Create an eBook via InDesign Export to HTML
Top 14 Stock Image Sources
Having spent 20+ years in print design and 10+ years in web design, I've learned a thing or two about where to find the best images. There are basically three categories of stock images: rights-managed, royalty-free, and free. In this post, I share what I consider the top 14 stock image sources. Rights-Managed vs. Royalty-Free vs. Free RIGHTS-MANAGED Rights-managed pricing is based on an end-use formula: print quantity, physical size, resolution (300 ppi for print, 72 ppi for web), … [Read more...] about Top 14 Stock Image Sources
How to Build a Book Cover in InDesign
There are several ways to build a book cover in InDesign. I'll show you my tried and true methods, honed from years of experience working at an educational publishing company (Houghton Mifflin, now Cengage Learning). While there, first as a book cover designer and then cover design manager, I was involved in more than 500 books! We had to assemble and use accurate and flexible templates with all of the specifications required by various book printers. Specifications For each of my … [Read more...] about How to Build a Book Cover in InDesign
InDesign Parent Pages: Consistency and Efficiency
The main reasons to use parent pages are to ensure consistency throughout the publication and save time when producing the document. Consistency Maintaining consistency throughout a publication provides cohesiveness and builds reader confidence. Fonts, sizes, styles, colors, and positioning are the primary components that contribute to continuity. When considering what to use on InDesign parent pages (previously known as "master" pages), designers look for patterns that can be replicated. … [Read more...] about InDesign Parent Pages: Consistency and Efficiency
Three Great Ways to Create Grids in InDesign
Why Should You Use a Grid? Grids are the underlying structure to an InDesign layout. They are the skeleton upon which you place the text and images. You can see the grid in InDesign, but it doesn't display in the printed piece. Effective grids organize and align the components, providing consistency and cohesiveness to the layout. Grids are used in the design world, for sure. They can also be found in all sorts of other arenas: maps, city planning, architecture, crossword puzzles, … [Read more...] about Three Great Ways to Create Grids in InDesign