The two main places where you can use GREP are in the GREP styles which can be found within the Paragraph Styles formatting options, and within the Find / Change options.

Here are some useful GREP examples that you might want to try, but feel free to add your own examples in the comments section.

Grep Style Examples

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GREP to prevent weird line breaks

GREP can be useful to prevent certain content breaking onto a new line, for example when displaying a weight such as 100 KG you don’t want 100 on one line and KG at the start of the next line. Here are some grep patterns that can be used to apply a character style with the no break setting enabled in it. 

Find and Replace with Grep

GREP can also be used in InDesign’s Find / Change dialog box to look for content matching a certain pattern and replace it with something else. These styles can help with this

Disclaimer: The examples above have been collected over time from various forums, blogs, etc. and are not produced by ourselves. Unfortunately we didn’t keep a list of where we found them, and are not even sure who the original authors are, so can’t acknowledge them in this instance.

In PDF accessibility, reading order refers to the logical sequence in which a document’s content is presented to users of assistive technologies (like screen readers). Unlike a printed page (where sighted readers infer order from layout), a PDF must explicitly define the order of text, images, and interactive elements so they make sense when read aloud or navigated by keyboard. This logical order is established through the PDF’s tag structure – essentially an outline of the content. In a properly tagged PDF, elements are sequenced in a meaningful hierarchy (headings, paragraphs, lists, etc.), ensuring the content is understandable in the intended order. If the reading order is incorrect or chaotic, it can confuse or mislead non-visual readers. For example, a multi-column layout that isn’t tagged correctly might be read straight across the page (mixing columns) instead of down the first column then the next, making the content incoherent to a listener. In short, maintaining a meaningful sequence is critical – it allows assistive technology to present the document in a way that preserves its meaning and flow.

Establishing the correct reading order is not just a best practice; it’s required for PDF accessibility compliance. Standards like WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) and PDF/UA (ISO 14289) emphasize logical reading sequence as a fundamental requirement. PDF/UA, the official ISO standard for accessible PDFs, explicitly requires that a PDF’s tag hierarchy reflect the document’s intended logical order. In other words, the PDF’s underlying tags must be arranged in the same reading sequence that a sighted person would naturally follow. The tagged PDF feature of PDF technology was designed for this purpose – it allows authors to specify both the structure and the sequence of content (e.g. identifying headings versus paragraphs, and their order) so that screen readers know what to read next. When a PDF is properly tagged and ordered, someone using a screen reader or other assistive tool will hear the content in a sensible order that matches the document’s intended meaning and layout. On the other hand, if tags are missing or ordered poorly, the output can be a jumbled mess. This is why designers creating accessible PDFs must pay careful attention to reading order from the start.

Checking Reading Order in Acrobat Pro: Key Panels and Tools

Once a PDF is exported (for instance, from InDesign), Acrobat Pro provides tools to check and fix the reading order as part of an accessibility review. The primary tool for this in Acrobat is the Accessibility Tags panel often just referred to as the Tags panel:

• Accessibility Tags Panel: This panel (accessible via View > Show / Hide > Navigation Panes > Accessibility Tags) displays the PDF’s tag tree – essentially a nested list of all content tags in the order they will be read. Think of it as the document’s structured outline. You can expand the tag tree to see the sequence of headings, paragraphs, figures, lists, etc. If something is out of order, you can rearrange it here by dragging tags into the correct sequence. For example, if a heading level is misplaced in the order, you can simply drag that <H1> or <H2> tag to the right spot in the tag tree. Rearranging tags in this panel changes the logical reading order that assistive technologies will follow. The Tags panel is considered the source of truth for reading sequence in a tagged PDF – in fact, making sure the Tags panel reflects a logical flow is a core part of PDF/UA compliance. Use this panel to verify that the structure makes sense (e.g., the title is the first tag, sections follow in order, etc.). Whilst you can control the tag order in this panel, I wouldn’t recommend doing so in many cases. Instead I would advise users to go back to their editing software (Adobe InDesign is particularly good at creating fully accessible PDFs) and adjust the order there then re-export the document. This approach ensure the changes are also present in future updates to the document

• Order Panel / Reading Order Tool: One source of confusion I often find is users relying on the Order panel or Acrobat’s Reading Order tool, believing it to be a reliable source of information for the read order. Its understandable, I mean it’s called the reading order tool, and it puts little numbers on every box on the page. Unfortunately this is misleading, as this is showing the visual rendering order of the content on the page which typically relates to the order in which content was added to the page during the documents creation. It is not referring to the order in which accessible devices like screen readers will read the document, and such devices will rely on the order of the tags in the tags panel. The order panel and the reading order tool are best thought of as legacy utilities for fixing untagged or broken PDFs, and are not relevant if you are working with properly tagged documents created in tools like InDesign.

It is also worth noting that Acrobat’s Read Aloud tool now follows the order found in the tags panel which is inline with modern accessibility standards and as such can be used to confirm if the content is being read in the right order. If you find certain decorative elements being read out when they shouldn’t, you will need to tag them as artifacts back over in InDesign and reexport the document, so that they’re removed from the reading order. The goal is that all essential text is read in a sensible flow, and things like headers/footers, decorative lines, or background images are skipped over by assistive tech.

InDesign Techniques for Automating Proper Reading Order (Overview)

Designers using Adobe InDesign have a head start when it comes to establishing a correct reading order before the PDF ever gets to Acrobat. InDesign is capable of exporting tagged PDFs with a defined structure and reading sequence, but you need to make use of its accessibility features during document setup. Here is a broad overview of key InDesign features and options that help automate reading order and tagging for accessibility:

• Articles Panel: InDesign’s Articles panel (Window > Articles) is the definitive tool for setting the reading order of content. Think of it as a way to gather all the text frames and graphics in the order that they should be read. By dragging and dropping frames into the Articles panel (and arranging them in the correct sequence), you are telling InDesign how to order those elements in the exported PDF’s tag structure. For instance, you might add your title, then subtitle, then body text frames, then images, etc., ensuring the sequence in the panel matches the logical flow of the document. When you export to PDF with Create Tagged PDF enabled, InDesign will use this order for the tags. Important: In the Articles panel’s options menu, make sure “Use for Reading Order in Tagged PDF” is checked as this ensures the panel’s order is used in the PDF export. Using the Articles panel is especially crucial for designs with complex layouts, multiple columns, or separate text boxes, as it guarantees the PDF’s reading order isn’t left to chance. It’s worth noting that with the Articles panel your content is either in it or it isn’t. If it isn’t, it doesn’t exist in the read order as far as screen readers are concerned.
  It’s worth noting that this doesn’t remove the need to undertake other best practice accessibility preparation, for example artifacting decorative images, as whilst such images would be ignored for the primary read order, they could still be encountered if users undertook actions outside of this, such as reading descriptions of all images out.

• Paragraph Styles Mapped to PDF Tags: Most InDesign users already leverage paragraph styles for consistent formatting. These styles can also be mapped to specific PDF tags to provide semantic structure automatically. In the Paragraph Style Options dialog (under the Export Tagging section), you can assign each style a PDF tag (e.g., map your “Title” style to <H1>, “Subhead” to <H2>, body text to <P>, etc.). This way, when exporting to PDF, InDesign knows to tag those elements as headings of the appropriate level or as paragraphs in the PDF’s structure. If you don’t do this, InDesign will by default tag most text as a generic paragraph <P> meaning your carefully styled headings might not be identified as headings for screen reader users. By mapping styles to tags, you automate the process of creating a structured, navigable PDF outline (and you won’t have to manually retag things in Acrobat). It’s a simple step that vastly improves the accessibility of the output: for example, an <H1> tag tells assistive tech “this is a top-level heading,” allowing users to navigate by headings, whereas a plain <P> tag would not. In short, style-to-tag mapping preserves the document’s hierarchy in the PDF and ensures the reading order has proper landmarks (like headings) for navigation.

• Threaded Text Frames and Anchored Objects: InDesign documents often use multiple text frames, which can complicate reading order if you are not using the Articles panel (you don’t have to use the articles panel and on many documents don’t need to). Best practice is to thread text frames for continuous stories whenever possible (so that body text flows from one frame to the next in sequence). Threaded frames will export as one continuous content flow in the PDF tag structure. If you have an image or a sidebar that should be read at a certain point in the text, consider using anchored objects, that way, the image’s tag (Figure tag) will appear in the correct place in the reading order, instead of floating to the end of the tags or somewhere unpredictable. Essentially, anchoring an object means it travels with the text in a logical way. For designers, anchoring might sound like it will mess up your layout, but InDesign allows anchoring invisibly (the image can remain visually where you want it, but logically it’s linked at a point in the text). By anchoring graphics and other non-text elements to the related text content, you ensure the screen reader will announce those figures or sidebars at the right moment, instead of, say, reading all images at the end. This technique reduces the need for reordering later and preserves context for non-text elements.

• Automatic Tagging of Non-Text Elements (Alt Text and Artifacts): InDesign also provides tools to add accessibility metadata to non-text content, which indirectly affects the reading experience. Using Object Export Options, you can add alternative text to images or mark an object as an artifact. Alternate text (alt text) is a description read aloud in place of an image, and you can input this in InDesign so it gets exported into the PDF’s tags (as an Alt description on the <Figure> tag). Similarly, purely decorative items or redundant text frames (like decorative lines, background shapes, or repeated logos) can be marked as artifacts. This is important for reading order because any content marked as artifact will be skipped by screen readers (it won’t interrupt or clutter the reading sequence). By pre-defining artifact elements in InDesign, you ensure that when the PDF is read aloud, the user isn’t bombarded with irrelevant bits (like “Graphic: decorative border…” etc.). Essentially, use InDesign’s tools to label what each object is (heading, paragraph, figure, artifact) so that the exported PDF is as accessible as possible from the get-go. It’s also worth noting that InDesign gives you the option to now only create custom Alt text for your graphics but you can also import Alt text from the image metadata which can save a lot of time.

• Export Settings for Accessibility: When exporting from InDesign, always enable the options that preserve the structure. In the PDF Export dialog, make sure “Create Tagged PDF” is checked, as well as checking “Use Structure for Tab Order.” These settings ensure that the structure and reading order you established (via the Articles panel, threading, etc.) are embedded in the PDF. The result is a PDF where the reading order is correct, and form fields or links (if any) will be tabbed according to the document structure. It’s far easier to get these right at export time than to fix an untagged or mis-ordered PDF after the fact.

By taking advantage of these InDesign features, designers can automate the accessibility work and produce a PDF that is compliant, passes accessibility checks and ensures a good experience for users of assistive technology. The process essentially mirrors what you used to do manually in Acrobat, but is far quicker and easier. The end result showcases professionalism and accessibility expertise – you’re delivering PDFs that not only look good but also read right for everyone and are legally compliant under the relevant legislation. And while we haven’t dived into every possible trick or scenario, the above practices cover the broad strokes that every InDesign user should know when asked to create accessible PDFs. There are of course a variety of additional tips, tricks and techniques which help ensure your documents are fully accessible and these are covered in more detail in both my live pdf accessibility courses and the pre-recorded pdf accessibility video course.

Conclusion

For InDesign users new to PDF accessibility, understanding reading order is a key step toward producing inclusive documents. Remember that a PDF’s reading order is all about structure and sequence: by planning those in InDesign and verifying them in Acrobat, you can confidently output PDFs that comply with accessibility standards and provide a smooth experience for screen reader users. Always start with a well-structured source document (use those styles and articles!), then use Acrobat Pro’s Tags panels to check that everything came through correctly. With a bit of practice, ensuring the correct reading order will become a natural part of your design workflow – and your organization’s PDFs will be all the better for it, whether they’re destined for a public-sector website or a corporate report. By integrating these practices, designers demonstrate not only compliance but also a commitment to effective communication for all readers, which is the ultimate goal of accessible design.

Useful Resources 

1. Highlander Training’s video course on Creating Accessible PDFs in InDesign

2. Highlander Training’s live online course on Creating Accessible PDFs in InDesign

3. W3C Web Accessibility Initiative – PDF Technique PDF3: Ensuring Correct Tab and Reading Order

4. PDF/UA (ISO 14289) via PDF Association – Overview of Tagged PDF and Reading Order

In a hurry and just want the script to generate calendars?

You’ll find the download link below. Please note: the script is provided as-is, with no warranties—implied or otherwise.

To use it, simply download the script and save it in your InDesign Scripts folder.
If you’d like to style the calendars using a Table Style, be sure to create the necessary table, cell, and paragraph styles beforehand. This ensures they’ll be available for selection during calendar generation.

Click to download Calendar Script

Elevate Your Bids with Adobe InDesign: Why It's Essential for Tender Teams

Transform Your Bids with Adobe InDesign

In the competitive world of bids and tenders, standing out is more than just having the best content—it's about presenting it in a way that captivates and convinces. Adobe InDesign has emerged as an indispensable tool for tender teams, offering powerful features that elevate the quality, clarity, and persuasiveness of proposals. This article delves into why InDesign is not just a design software, but a strategic asset for bid managers, proposal writers, and business development teams.

Whether you're crafting a complex government tender or a corporate bid, InDesign's capabilities go beyond basic word processing. It allows for professional layout design, ensures brand consistency, enhances visual storytelling, and streamlines collaboration. By the end of this piece, you'll understand how investing in InDesign and proper training can significantly boost your win rates while improving operational efficiency.

Professional Layout Design for Differentiated Submissions

One of the primary reasons Adobe InDesign is essential for tender teams is its advanced layout tools that transform ordinary documents into polished, professional submissions. Unlike standard word processors, InDesign offers precise control over every element of your design, ensuring your bids are not only readable but also visually compelling.

InDesign's layout features, such as grids, guides, and parent pages, allow you to create structured documents that maintain consistency across pages. For instance, parent pages act as templates for recurring elements like headers, footers, and page numbers, saving time and reducing errors. This means your team can focus on content rather than formatting, giving you an edge over competitors who submit cluttered, generic proposals.

Consider a scenario where a bid proposal needs to include complex charts, images, and text. Without InDesign, these elements might appear haphazardly placed, leading to a disjointed reading experience. However, with InDesign, you can use its layout tools to align content perfectly, creating a flow that guides the reader through your narrative. This differentiation is crucial in high-stakes tenders, where first impressions can make or break your chances.

Moreover, InDesign's templates ensure that every submission adheres to your organization's branding guidelines. By setting up reusable templates, teams can produce bids that look cohesive and professional, reinforcing your brand's identity and building trust with evaluators.

Enhancing Brand Consistency and Visual Storytelling

Leveraging Styles and Typography for Cohesion

Brand consistency is a cornerstone of successful bids, and Adobe InDesign excels in this area. With its robust style management, you can define and apply typography, colors, and formatting across your entire document effortlessly. This ensures that every heading, paragraph, and element aligns with your brand's visual language, making your proposals more memorable and credible.

For example, InDesign allows you to create character and paragraph styles that enforce consistent font choices, sizes, and spacing. This is particularly useful in large teams where multiple contributors are involved, as it prevents inconsistencies that could undermine your proposal's professionalism. Imagine submitting a bid where headings vary in size or colors don't match your logo—such oversights can signal a lack of attention to detail.

Integration with Other Adobe Tools

InDesign doesn't operate in isolation; it integrates seamlessly with other Adobe Creative Cloud tools like Photoshop and Illustrator. This enables tender teams to incorporate advanced visual elements, such as high-resolution images, infographics, and animations, directly into their proposals. By doing so, you enhance visual storytelling, turning static documents into engaging narratives that resonate with decision-makers.

Take visual storytelling a step further by using InDesign to embed interactive elements, like hyperlinks or buttons, which can guide readers through your proposal interactively. This not only improves clarity but also makes your bid more persuasive, as evaluators can explore key points at their own pace.

Strategic Benefits: Standing Out and Improving Win Rates

In the fiercely competitive landscape of bids and tenders, differentiation is key to success. Adobe InDesign helps teams stand out by enabling the creation of persuasive visuals that highlight your unique value proposition. Through professional design, your proposals can effectively communicate complex information, making it easier for evaluators to grasp and appreciate your offerings.

Strategically, InDesign contributes to higher win rates by reducing errors and ensuring consistent outputs. For instance, automated features like spell-check and layout previews catch mistakes early, allowing for polished submissions that exude confidence. Operationally, it speeds up the creation process; what might take hours in other tools can be accomplished in minutes with InDesign's efficient workflows.

Real-world examples abound: Companies using InDesign report not only faster turnaround times but also a marked improvement in how their bids are perceived. By presenting data through visually appealing charts and infographics, teams can emphasize strengths and mitigate weaknesses, ultimately swaying decisions in their favor.

Efficient Collaboration and Practical Feature Examples

Streamlining Teamwork with Collaboration Tools

Collaboration is often the Achilles' heel of tender teams, but Adobe InDesign addresses this with features designed for seamless teamwork. Cloud-based sharing and real-time editing allow multiple users to work on a document simultaneously, reducing bottlenecks and fostering a more dynamic workflow.

Practical examples include using parent pages for reusable layouts, which ensures that all team members start from the same foundation. This feature is invaluable for maintaining consistency in large proposals. Additionally, InDesign's integration with tools like Adobe Acrobat allows for easy review and feedback cycles, where comments can be added directly to the layout.

• Parent pages: Create once and apply across documents for uniform design.
• Shared libraries: Access common assets like logos and colors across the team.
• Export options: Generate PDFs or interactive files that preserve the original design intent.

These tools not only enhance efficiency but also minimize errors, such as misplaced elements or formatting issues, which are common in collaborative environments.

The Strong Case for Investing in InDesign and Training

While the benefits of Adobe InDesign are clear, realizing its full potential requires investment in both the software and comprehensive training. For bid teams, this means equipping staff with the skills to leverage advanced features effectively, ensuring maximum impact on bid success.

Quote from one of our InDesign courses:

"Andy was amazing, very clear course and useful tips." – Bid Manager, Mace Interiors

Training programs can cover everything from basic layout techniques to advanced integrations, empowering teams to innovate and adapt. The return on investment is evident: Organizations that prioritize this see improved productivity and a stronger market position. Ultimately, the strategic advantages—such as enhanced persuasion and differentiation—outweigh the initial costs, making InDesign a smart choice for forward-thinking tender teams.

Ready to Boost Your Bid Success?

In conclusion, Adobe InDesign is more than a design tool; it's a game-changer for tender teams aiming to elevate their proposals. By focusing on professional layouts, brand consistency, visual storytelling, and efficient collaboration, you can differentiate your submissions and improve win rates. The operational benefits, including speed and reduced errors, further solidify its value.

To wrap up, investing in InDesign and dedicated training ensures your team harnesses these advantages fully. Start today by getting in touch to see how we can help your team get up to speed on InDesign. Your next bid could be the one that wins big—make it count with InDesign and professional InDesign training from Highlander.

Photoshop Sky Replacement

The Sky Replacement tool in Photoshop lets you easily swap out dull skies for more dynamic ones, adding drama and interest to your photos. With a collection of pre-loaded skies, including Blue Skies, Spectacular, and Sunset categories, you can quickly transform your horizons. Additionally, you can download free sky presets created by professional photographers, featuring options like stars, tornadoes and fireworks.

Adobe’s AI tools automatically detect the original sky and seamlessly replaces it, adjusting the lighting and shadows to match the new sky. The results are fully editable, allowing for fine-tuning in the Layers panel.

You can even capture your own skies while out and about and import them into Photoshop, making the Sky Replacement tool perfect for enhancing any scene with the sky you envision.

Photoshop Generative Crop

Photoshop’s Generative Expand, allows you to effortlessly resize your canvas and create additional content, perfect for when you need more space for text or want to change the aspect ratio of an image. Instead of just cropping to make images smaller, you can use the Crop tool to extend the canvas beyond its original borders.

Whether you’re transforming a landscape image into a portrait format for Instagram Stories or expanding a horizontal image to fit Facebook cover photo dimensions, this tool makes it easy to adapt your visuals without losing quality. Simply extend the canvas to the desired size using the Crop tool, and let Generative Expand fill in the extra space with AI-generated content that seamlessly matches your original image. This allows you to repurpose a single image across different social media platforms, ensuring your content looks polished and cohesive, no matter the format.

Photoshop Neural filters

Neural Filters in Photoshop offer a powerful way to make creative adjustments and speed up your editing process. Powered by Adobe Sensei’s AI and machine learning, these filters use advanced algorithms to generate new pixels in your photos, allowing for non-destructive edits that preserve the original image. This means you can experiment with various effects and adjustments quickly, opening up new creative possibilities without compromising your image’s integrity.

Machine learning simplifies tasks that previously required multiple steps, in some cases achieving better results with a single click. Whether you’re enhancing portraits, altering facial expressions, or applying artistic effects, Neural Filters make it easy to explore creative ideas and achieve polished results efficiently.

Photoshop Generative Fill

Photoshop’s Generative Fill, powered by Adobe Firefly, revolutionizes content creation by enabling quick, intuitive edits that bring your creative ideas to life. With a simple text prompt, you can effortlessly add or remove elements from your images, transforming them in seconds. Generative Fill gives you complete control over your creations, allowing for complex edits and refinements without compromising quality.

The next generation of Generative Fill, currently in Beta, introduces new capabilities like creating more life-like people, adding detail, and even using a reference image to generate results that match your desired style. You can also explore variations of your favorite generated images with the Generate Similar feature.

Generative Fill offers a powerful, AI-driven way to experiment and create high-quality concepts quickly

ChatGPT for InDesign GREP styles

You can leverage ChatGPT to create custom GREP styles for use in Adobe InDesign, streamlining text formatting and automation. GREP styles allow you to apply specific formatting or styling to text patterns automatically, such as phone numbers, dates, prices, web urls or email addresses within your document.

By using ChatGPT, you can generate complex GREP expressions tailored to your needs. Simply describe the pattern you want to use, and ChatGPT can then provide you with the correct GREP expression. Occasionally you might need to tweak the query to get a grep style which meets your precise needs, but this can save you a huge amount of time writing styles manually and testing them.

InDesign Content Aware Fit

InDesign’s AI-powered Content-Aware Fit feature automatically optimizes the placement of images within frames, enhancing your layout efficiency. Leveraging Adobe Sensei’s artificial intelligence, Content-Aware Fit intelligently analyzes your image and frame, adjusting the image’s position and cropping to ensure the most visually appealing composition. This feature is especially useful for quickly fitting images into various-sized frames while preserving important visual elements and maintaining overall design integrity. Whether you’re working with product shots or more complex graphics, Content-Aware Fit simplifies the process, saving time and ensuring your images look their best within your layout.

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A 1 day course exploring the latest Adobe CC features and practical uses of its new AI tools.

InDesign Image Generation

InDesign’s new text-to-image generation feature, allows you to create custom visuals from text prompts directly within the app. You can specify the content type—choosing between “art” or “photo”—to tailor the generated images to your design needs, enhancing creativity and efficiency in your projects.

Illustrator Text to Vector

Illustrator’s Text to Vector Graphic feature transforms your ideas into fully editable vector graphics effortlessly. By simply typing a description, you can generate scalable and customizable subjects, scenes, and icons tailored to your needs. This AI-powered tool jumpstarts your design process, allowing you to refine and personalize the generated vectors on a new layer.

You can choose from various output types—Scene, Subject, or Icon—to produce the exact vector graphic required, whether it’s a detailed illustration for packaging or a clean logo design. Additionally, you can use your own artwork as a reference to create consistent, on-brand assets.

With Text to Vector Graphic, you quickly generate high-quality graphics suitable for websites, product labels, and social media.

AI based Roto Brush in After Effects

The Next-Gen Roto Brush in After Effects offers significantly improved precision for selecting and tracking objects in footage. This advanced version enhances the original Roto Brush tool by making it easier to mask complex elements like overlapping limbs, hair, and transparencies. The AI-driven technology ensures more accurate and efficient masking, even across dynamic and intricate scenes. This update streamlines the editing process, saving time and improving results when dealing with challenging footage, making detailed object isolation and tracking quicker and more reliable than ever.

After Effects Expressions

Using ChatGPT to write expressions for Adobe After Effects can significantly streamline and enhance your animation and motion graphics workflow. Expressions are snippets of code that automate animations, control properties, and create dynamic effects within your compositions. With ChatGPT, you can generate complex expressions by simply describing the desired effect or functionality.

For instance, you might need an expression to create a bouncing ball effect or to synchronize text animations with audio. ChatGPT’s ability to interpret and generate code for After Effects expressions helps you achieve sophisticated effects quickly, making it easier to experiment with creative ideas and implement complex animations without extensive coding knowledge.

Premiere Pro Scene Edit Detection

Adobe Premiere Pro’s Scene Edit Detection, powered by Adobe Sensei, streamlines the process of identifying scene changes in your edited clips. This feature automatically detects and marks the cut points in your footage, creating markers or layers that delineate each scene. This is especially useful for projects requiring precise editing or re-editing, as it eliminates the need to manually review the entire video to find original edit points. By quickly pinpointing these transitions, Scene Edit Detection speeds up project setup and ensures that you can focus on creative adjustments rather than time-consuming manual tasks.

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A 1 day course exploring the latest Adobe CC features and practical uses of its new AI tools.

Premiere Pro Scene Edit Detection

Adobe Premiere Pro’s Scene Edit Detection, powered by Adobe Sensei, streamlines the process of identifying scene changes in your edited clips. This feature automatically detects and marks the cut points in your footage, creating markers or layers that delineate each scene. This is especially useful for projects requiring precise editing or re-editing, as it eliminates the need to manually review the entire video to find original edit points. By quickly pinpointing these transitions, Scene Edit Detection speeds up project setup and ensures that you can focus on creative adjustments rather than time-consuming manual tasks.

Premiere Pro Speech to Text

Adobe Premiere Pro’s Speech to Text feature revolutionizes video editing by automatically generating subtitles, captions, and transcripts. Using advanced voice recognition powered by machine learning, it transcribes audio tracks in real time, creating accurate text-based content in 18 languages. This functionality boosts accessibility and engagement by making your videos more inclusive and easier to follow. With the text-based editing capabilities, you can assemble rough cuts by cutting and pasting text blocks, search for keywords, and automatically handle pauses and gaps. Additionally, you can customize the appearance of your captions, adjusting fonts, colors, and placements to match your style. This feature streamlines editing workflows, allowing for faster and more efficient video production.

Auto Ducking in Premiere Pro

Auto Ducking in Adobe Premiere Pro simplifies audio mixing by automatically adjusting background music levels to ensure clear dialogue or foreground sounds. Using advanced algorithms, Auto Ducking computes and applies keyframes to lower the volume of background audio when speech or other primary sounds are detected. This process enhances audio clarity and ensures that dialogue remains prominent without manual adjustments. By seamlessly balancing audio levels, Auto Ducking saves time and effort, providing a professional sound mix with minimal manual intervention, making it ideal for creating polished, engaging video content.

In this tutorial, we are going to walk through the steps for creating table styles, using embedded cell styles for the header and body rows, and applying paragraph styles from within the cell styles to format text within those rows. This procedure helps you style and maintain your tables quickly and easily, be it for design work, research papers, business reports, or any other type of document where tables are needed.

This tutorial assumes a basic understanding of InDesign, creating tables and ideally using paragraph styles.

What are Table Styles, Cell Styles, and Paragraph Styles?

Before we get started, we should first understand what these different types of styles do.

• Table Styles: These are use for saving and reusing a wide range of properties for the table. This includes table border settings, space before and after the table, and alternating patterns for row strokes, column strokes and fills.       .
• Cell Styles: These can be applied from within a Table Style and allow you to define the look and feel of specific cells within the table. Cell Styles allow the formatting of cell stroke and fill, diagonal lines and text and graphic cell properties such as inset spacing.
• Paragraph Styles: These control the formatting for paragraphs of text and can be applied within cell styles to control the look of your text within designated cells in the table.

To create a Table Style it is best to start with the Paragraph Styles, then move on to the Cell Styles, and finally create the Table Style itself.

Creating Your Paragraph Styles

Let’s start with Paragraph Styles. These apply to the text inside your cells.

1. In InDesign, open the Paragraph Styles panel. This is found in the Window menu under Styles.
2. Create a text frame. Add a few words of text and style it how you would like your Table Header text to look. With the text selected create a new paragraph style and call it Header Cell Text.    
3. Repeat step 2 only this time styling the text how you would like your Table Body text to look, and calling the style Body Cell Text.

It’s often a good idea to make the header text bold or a different size to help it stand out.

Creating Cell Styles

Now that we have paragraph styles defined, let’s move on to cell styles. This will define the look and feel of the cells that contain your text.

1. Open the Cell Styles panel found under the Window menu under Styles.
2. Select New Cell Style from the panel menu. This will open the New Cell Style dialog box and you can apply your paragraph style from the bottom of the dialog box. There are also additional tabs to customise strokes and fills, cell insets and diagonal lines. Call your new cell style Header Cells and apply the Header Cell Text paragraph style within it. You can also give it a coloured fill then click OK.
3. Repeat Step 2, but this time call your new cell style Body Cells and apply the Body Cell Text paragraph style within it. We won’t apply a fill color this time within the cell style, so just click OK.

We now have a cell style called Header Cells containing a paragraph style called Header Cell Text, and a second cell style called Body Cells containing a paragraph style called Body Cell Text.

Creating Table Styles

Finally, let’s create the table style which in many respects brings these other elements together.

1. Open the Table Styles panel one more time and from the panel menu select New Table Style.
2. At the bottom of the main screen, use the dropdown boxes to select the Cell Styles we created earlier for the Header Rows and Body Rows, ignoring the other dropdowns.
3. As we didn’t apply a fill color within the Body Cells, I am also going to click on the Fills section here, where I can select an alternating pattern from the dropdown found there. I will choose Every Other Row and then select Cyan with a 20% tint and Cyan with a 50% tint.
4. At the top of the dialog box give your Table Style a name before clicking OK.

Using Your New Styles

To use your new style just do the following.

1. From the Table menu select Create Table and then drag on the page to create a new frame containing a table.
2. With the Table selected, click your table style in the Table Styles panel and you should immediately see the Fill colors of the cells change.
3. Click into the cells and you should find the text is automatically formatted using the Paragraph Styles you created earlier. If it isn’t just check you haven’t got any overrides applied.

You’ve successfully created and applied table styles, cell styles, and paragraph styles. Using these can save you a lot of time and effort, especially for larger documents with many tables. Experiment a bit trying different settings as you create these and you will find they are very powerful.

Multi-level lists can be a useful tool in InDesign for organizing content in your document in a hierarchical way. To illustrate this, let’s create a list of fruits with various varieties. We’ll start with a first-level list (numbered) for the fruits, and then in Step 2 add in a second-level list (lettered) for the different varieties. 

Step 1: Creating a Numbered List

Let’s begin with our first-level list. We are listing “apples,” “oranges,” and “lemons.”

1. First, launch Adobe InDesign and open your document. If you don’t have one yet, create a new one by navigating to File > New > Document.
2. Select the Type Tool from the toolbar (or press T on your keyboard) and either click and drag on the page to create a new text frame or click into an existing text frame where you would like to insert your list.
3. Type in your first-level list items: “apples,” “oranges,” and “lemons,” each on a new paragraph. Make sure you use a paragraph return (Enter) and not simply a line break (Shift + Enter) between each item.
4. Now, to convert this into a numbered list, select the lines of text then navigate to the control panel at the top of your screen, and click the Bullets and Numbering option (marked A in Figure 1). You might need to switch from character to paragraph formatting using the icon (marked B in Figure 1). Your first-level list is now created. By default, it uses the 1, 2, 3 numeric style.

Figure 1.1

Step 2: Creating a Lettered Sub-List

Next, we’re going to create a sub-list under “apples” to list different varieties as “red,” “green,” and “yellow” using the lettered style (a, b, c).

1. Press Enter after “apples” and type “red,” “green,” and “yellow,” each on a new line.
2. Highlight these three lines, and follow the steps to turn it into a list (just like you did before).
3. This time, however, we’ll change the format to alphabetical. To do this, hold down the Alt / Option key and click on the Lists icon (marked A in Figure 1.1) to bring up the Bullets and Numbering dialog box. In here change the Format option to lowercase alphabet by selecting this from the drop down (marked A in Figure 1.2).
4. I am also going to increase the indent for this second level list by adjusting the setting for left indent (marked B in Figure 1.2) .
5. Finally I also need to ensure the rest of the list numbering continues in the right order, and to do this will set the level to 2 (marked C in Figure 1.2).

Figure 1.2

Now, you should have a primary list of fruits, and a secondary list under “apples” showing their different varieties.

Colour consistency is paramount in the world of design, especially when it comes to print. Ensuring the colours in your final printed product are what you expected and that there are no sudden surprises, is crucial to producing high quality documents that you can be proud of. Fortunately the Adobe Creative Cloud suite offers robust colour management tools. In this tutorial we will look at how you can set up colour management in Adobe Bridge for the entire suite or in InDesign for an individual program.

It is important to bear in mind changes to colour management settings will affect how colours are output in your documents, so it is your responsibility to ensure you are comfortable with the changes you make and fully test any output. In my case I am going to be using the European FOGRA39 profiles, however your settings will depend on the region you are in and your printers requirements. I would recommend asking your printer if you are at all unsure.

1. Setting Up Colour Management in Adobe Bridge

Adobe Bridge is an organizational tool for Adobe Creative Cloud but it’s also the gateway for synchronizing colour settings across the Adobe applications. For most people I would recommend taking this approach for setting your colour management settings.

Steps to Set Up Colour Management in Adobe Bridge:

1.1. Launch Adobe Bridge: Start by installing and then opening the Adobe Bridge application. Ensure you have the latest version in order to ensure you have the latest colour management profiles.

1.2. Open Color Settings: Go to the Edit menu and select Colour Settings, which will bring up the Colour Settings dialog box.

1.3. Choose a Preset: From the list, choose the most appropriate preset for your region. In my case I am going to choose Europe General Purpose 3 as I do work for both digital and print. If I was outputting for print only I would select Europe PrePress 3. These presets align with European standards but your region may require different presets.

1.4. Synchronize Settings: The advantage of setting colour profiles in Bridge is that you can apply them across all Creative Cloud applications. After choosing your preset, click on the Apply button and will see the top of the dialog box now says Synchronized. This ensures that all Adobe software use the same colour profile for a consistent colour output.

2. Setting Up Colour Management in Adobe InDesign

If you only use InDesign and wish to just set colour settings specifically for this application, follow these steps:

Steps to Set Up Colour Management in InDesign:

2.1. Launch InDesign: Begin by opening your Adobe InDesign application.

2.2. Open Colour Settings: Like in Bridge, select the Edit menu, then choose Colour Settings.

2.3. Setting the Right Profile: From the Settings dropdown choose the preset which best works for your region. As with Section 1, I am in Europe and working for both digital and print output. As such I will select Europe General Purpose 3. Having done this you should see an sRGB profile selected for RGB and a Coated FOGRA39 profile select for Print in the dropdowns below.

2.4. Enable Profile Mismatches: Just below the ‘Colour Management Policies’, you’ll see two options under Profile Mismatches: Ask When Opening and Ask When Pasting I would recommend checking both of these. Additionally you will see a checkbox for Missing Profiles: Ask When Opening again I will check this. These settings will prompt InDesign to notify you if there’s a profile mismatch, ensuring you always have full control over your colour management.

2.5. Save & Apply: After ensuring all settings are appropriately configured, click OK. This will apply the chosen profiles specifically to InDesign.

Conclusion

Colour management is vital in producing consistent, high-quality designs, especially when dealing with print materials. Whether you opt to synchronize your colour settings across the whole Creative Cloud suite using Adobe Bridge, or prefer a program-specific approach with InDesign, it’s essential to maintain consistency. Always double-check your profiles before finalizing a project, and you’ll be on your way to delivering impeccable, colour-accurate designs every time.

The evolution of print media has been swift, thanks to technology. Magazines, once confined to paper, are now predominantly available as digital versions, making them more interactive and engaging. With platforms like Adobe InDesign leading the charge in desktop publishing, producing a sleek, interactive digital magazine has never been easier. But how can one enhance this experience? Enter the In5 plugin from Ajar Productions.

What is the In5 Plugin?

In5, short for ‘InDesign to HTML5’, is an innovative plugin designed to output InDesign layouts as interactive HTML5 documents. This means that magazine creators can retain the sophisticated designs from InDesign while ensuring that they are ready for the web or mobile. With the In5 plugin, there’s no need for coding – you can export your design and let the tool do the rest.

Why Use In5 for Digital Magazines?

1. Interactivity: Digital magazines are not just about static images and text; readers expect a dynamic experience. In5 facilitates this by allowing the addition of videos, slideshows, animations, scrollable text frames, custom hyperlinks, image sequences, embedded web content, responsive capabilities and more. This enriches the user experience, making your magazine more immersive. If you want to know more about all these features check out our course on Creating Digital Publications with In5.

2. Reach: With the shift from Flash to HTML5, the digital content created is more accessible across devices. HTML5 ensures compatibility with a wider range of devices, from desktops and laptops to tablets and smartphones. This expands the potential audience for your magazine.

3. Ease of Use: The In5 plugin integrates seamlessly with InDesign. There’s no need to learn a new software or any coding – you design in InDesign as usual, and In5 takes care of the conversion.

Steps to Create a Digital Magazine with InDesign and In5:

1. Designing in InDesign: Start your project in Adobe InDesign. If you’re new to this software, our InDesign Beginners Courses and Advanced InDesign Training courses will get you up to speed quickly. If budget is more of an issue than time take a look at our pre-recorded InDesign course instead. Ensure you’re designing with digital interactivity in mind – think about elements like buttons, videos, or animated graphics.

2. Install the In5 Plugin: Download and install the In5 plugin. After installation, you’ll find a new In5 menu available within InDesign offering a range of tools. You can install the plugin even before you signup for a licence and have a play with the free trial. When you decide what licence you want (based on number of users and features) just signup and enter your licence key into the plugin. Pricing starts from roughly £25 per month.

3. Export: Once you’re satisfied with the settings, use the In5 Export Wizard to speed up your exporting while still having access to a wealth of options. The In5 plugin will then convert your InDesign file to an interactive HTML5 based format with CSS and Javascript all generated for you.

4. Test and Revise: Preview your magazine on various devices to ensure functionality and appearance are optimal. Depending on your findings, you might need to return to InDesign for edits, and then re-export with In5. The code output from In5 is compatible with all major browsers and platforms. In short if it wont work on a users device, then neither will most major websites they visit. 

5. Publish: Once you’re content with your digital magazine, you just need to think about where host your files. In5 gives you access to all the code which is great, and you can host it on any standard web hosting platform or even embed the code into your own website. 

Conclusion:

The combination of InDesign’s powerful design capabilities and In5’s conversion magic has made creating interactive digital magazines a dream come true for designers. Not only does it ensure a top-tier user experience for readers, but it also simplifies the design-to-publish process for creators. Dive into this dynamic world of digital publishing, and give your audience a magazine experience like never before!