Adobe InDesign Bootcamp (Self-Paced) with Software & Exam

This course includes

30 hours of project-based training from experts
26 training videos
Access to Adobe InDesign (1 month)
Learn from an Adobe Certified Professional
1-on-1 bonus training
Proprietary workbook included
Retake for free within 1 year
Access to class recordings (30 days)
Verified digital certificate of completion
Learn at an accredited institution

This course is self-paced. For live online or in-person instruction, take the Adobe InDesign Bootcamp.

Learn Adobe InDesign in this self-paced course and build a strong set of skills for creating page layouts with text, graphics, and multiple pages. Practice styling text, importing images, defining colors, threading text frames, and using the tools needed to produce polished, professional layouts.

Work on real-world projects such as books, magazines, and brochures while learning paragraph and character styles, parent pages, baseline grids, hyphenation, and more. You will also learn how to package files for printing, create PDFs for digital or print, and apply essential professional typesetting techniques.

Video Training Preview

Lesson 1: InDesign Basics & Business Card Design

Lesson 2: Brochure Design & Layout

Lesson 3: Restaurant Menu Design

Lesson 4: Magazine Layout Design

Lesson 5: Advanced Magazine Techniques

Lesson 6: Book Design & Typography

Tuition

Full Tuition

$975
Due before the class starts

This course includes

30 hours of project-based training from experts
26 training videos
Access to Adobe InDesign (1 month)
Learn from an Adobe Certified Professional
1-on-1 bonus training
Proprietary workbook included
Retake for free within 1 year
Access to class recordings (30 days)
Verified digital certificate of completion
Learn at an accredited institution

Learning Experience Highlights

Training from government‑experienced instructors

Receive instruction from subject‑matter experts who bring proven government experience.

Specialized for government & DoD

Courses that are regularly updated based on feedback and industry developments, ensuring versions are mapped to federal competencies.

The instructor was wonderful and so knowledgeable. The course materials were extremely relevant to what my job is. I feel like I can be better because of this class.
— 2025 student

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Real-world solutions

Directly addressing the day-to-day challenges of federal employees.

125+ departments & agencies served

Your trusted training partner, equipping public service professionals with the skills and knowledge to excel in their roles and drive meaningful impact.

100% Online. Start Anytime

24/7 access to our premium course videos and projects.
Access to Adobe InDesign (1 month)
Industry experts are assigned as your course instructor. Message your instructor with any questions.
Participate in GSUSA online discussion forums — share ideas and receive additional support.
Hands-on quizzes and mini projects to test and reinforce concepts.
1-on-1 live training with an industry expert to review any course material or project.

1-on-1 Bonus Training Included

We want you to leverage the skills you’ll learn. In addition to 30 hours of hands-on, self-paced training, you’ll receive one live 1-on-1 training session where you can:

Review any concepts or projects from class
Receive assistance applying skills to your own project

Learn more and see terms and conditions

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Earn a Certificate of Completion

Upon completion of this course, you’ll receive an official certificate testifying to your mastery of the curriculum. We’ll send you a link where you can download your certificate, share it online with your friends, post it to your professional network on LinkedIn, and view all your earned certificates. Congratulations on your achievement!

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Sample credential for completion of Adobe InDesign Bootcamp (Self-Paced)

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A government training instructor in a suit gestures while teaching in front of a whiteboard covered with notes and diagrams.

A person in professional attire holds a Graduate School USA folder, symbolizing participation in government training programs.

Adobe InDesign Bootcamp (Self-Paced) Curriculum

What You'll Learn at a Glance

Create layouts that combine text, color, and graphics
Import text and apply styling
Add and manage color within your designs
Design short and long documents such as brochures, business cards, restaurant menus, magazines, and books
Prepare files for final output, including printing or PDF
Create and edit paragraph and character styles to format and update text throughout a design
Use parent pages to manage the layout of multi-page documents

Project Examples

Learn practical skills by working on real projects with instructor guidance and lectures to strengthen and improve your skill.

Typeset a 90-Page Book in InDesign

Learn to lay out a book with auto text flow, text styles, parent pages, running heads, front matter, and much more.

Design a Magazine Spread with InDesign

Learn to lay out a magazine article from scratch using graphics, custom shapes, text wrap, paragraph styles, parent pages, and more.

Build a Restaurant Menu in InDesign

Learn to use text styles (paragraph and character styles), keep options, bullet lists, and more as you lay out a menu.

Layout a Travel Brochure with InDesign

Learn to create a bi-fold brochure with photos, drop shadows, text wrap, and much more.

Design a Business Card in InDesign

Use typography, graphics, color, and a QR code to create a two-sided business card.

Design Social Media Graphics with Type, Photos, & Vectors in Illustrator

Combine photos with type and add vector graphics to create designs that can be used on social media and more.

Course Syllabus

Download Syllabus PDF

Section 1

Business Card: Setting Up a File & Adding the Logo

Setting Default Preferences
Setting Up a File
Importing & Sizing a Vector Graphic (the Logo)

Business Card: Adding Text

Creating Text Frames
Basic Text Styling
Loading Adobe Fonts

Business Card: Colors

Removing the Default Color Swatches
Creating & Editing Color Swatches
Swapping Out Graphics

Business Card: Adding a 2nd Page (the Back) with QR Code

Creating the Back of the Business Card (a Second Page)
Creating QR Codes
Navigating Documents (Zooming and Panning)
Copying Appearance With the Eyedropper Tool

Business Card: OpenType Settings

Setting up a Document Bleed
Placing Images
Combining Text & Images
White Type on a Black Background

Section 2

Brochure: Creating 2-Page Spreads & Cropping Photos

Setting Up Spreads (Facing Pages)
Importing Pixel-Based Photos
Cropping & Scaling Photos
Checking Image Resolution to Ensure Good Print Quality

Brochure: Layers, Visual Effects, & Blending Modes

Creating & Locking Layers
Rotating Objects
Drop Shadows
Gradient Feather
Blending Modes

Brochure: Fine-Tuning Type: Kerning/Tracking & More

Paragraph Spacing
Working in Picas (Instead of Inches)
Metrics vs. Optical Kerning
Kerning vs. Tracking
Variable Fonts

Brochure: Working with Tabbed Text

Setting Tab Marker Positions
Adding & Styling Leader Characters

Preparing for Professional Printing: PDFs & Packaging Files

Exporting PDFs for printing or emailing to clients
Packaging InDesign Files

Section 3

Restaurant Menu: Paragraph Styles

Creating & Editing Paragraph Styles
Using the Eyedropper to Apply Paragraph Styles
Using Find/Change to Apply Paragraph Styles
Paragraph Rules

Restaurant Menu: Character Styles & Nested Styles

Creating & Editing Character Styles
Using the Eyedropper to Apply Character Styles
Using Nested Styles to Automatically Apply Character Styles
Disabling Hyphenation

Restaurant Menu: Keep With Next & Spanning Columns

Keep with Next Paragraph
Spanning Columns

Section 4

Restaurant Menu: Bulleted Lists

Styling Bulleted Lists
Forced Line Breaks

Magazine: Laying Out a Page & Threading Text Frames

Creating a Magazine Page Layout with Text & Images
Threading Text Frames

Magazine: Paragraph Styles & Baseline Grid

Creating Paragraph Styles
Setting Up the Baseline Grid
Making Paragraph Styles Use the Baseline Grid

Magazine: Color Themes & Custom Shapes

Removing the Default Color Swatches
Using the Color Theme Tool to Create Swatches
Using the Direction Selection Tool to Alter a Shape
Using Pathfinder to Create a Custom Shaped Photo Frame

Section 5

Magazine: Text Wrap

Using Text Wrap
Wrap Around Object Shape vs Jump Object
Creating a Circle Photo with Text Wrap
Using an Invisible Shape to Wrap Text

Magazine: Parent Pages

Adding Page Numbers
Creating a Layer for Parent Page Content
Creating More Parent Pages

Magazine: Adding Pages & Controlling Page Order

Adding a New Page at a Specific Location
Allow Document Pages to Shuffle
Adding a Spread Between Other Pages
Applying a Parent Page to Multiple Pages at Once

Book: File Setup & Parent Pages

Setting Up the Document
Importing the Text
Setting Up the Parent Page
Adding Page Numbers
Adding a Chapter Title to All Left Pages

Section 6

Book: Paragraph & Character Styles

Creating Paragraph Styles
Apply Styles Quickly Using Keystrokes & Find/Change
Drop Caps

Book: Hyphenation & Keep Options

Turning Off Hyphenation
Setting Custom Hyphenation & Keep Options
Using Discretionary Hyphens to Control or Prevent Hyphenation

Book: Setting Up & Using a Baseline Grid

Baseline Grid Settings & Making Paragraph Styles Use It

Book: Running Heads & Chapter Opener Pages

Setting Up & Inserting a Running Header Text Variable
Setting Roman Numeral Page Numbers for Frontmatter
Adding a Section Start to Set the True Page 1
Applying a Different Parent Page for Chapter Opener Pages
Applying a [None] Parent Page

InDesign Group Training

Since 1921, Graduate School USA has partnered with over 125 federal agencies and trained more than one million federal employees. Led by instructors with deep, real-world knowledge of federal regulations, policies, and practices, our private group programs are practical, mission-driven, and tailored to your agency’s objectives. We offer expertise across key federal domains—including human resources, financial management, acquisition and contracting, leadership, and more—to deliver training where and how your team needs it.

Complete this form and we’ll get back to you within 1 business hour.

The Fact Is – We’ve Been Government’s Training Partner Since 1921

400+ Courses & Certificates 125+ Federal Agencies Served 200+ Subject-Matter Experts

Installment Plan Breakdown for Adobe InDesign Bootcamp (Self-Paced)

The first installment is due one week before the first class. Subsequent installments are spread out evenly across the duration of the course.

Installments
	10% non-refundable deposit
$975.00	Total You Pay

See the Installment plan FAQ for more information.