Recreating an ad using InDesign

This week we are going to brush up on our technical knowledge a little and work in Adobe InDesign. Most of the layout work you'll do as a professional will be using InDesign, so what better time to start working with it?

I want you to pick out a full-page, full-color advertisement (8.5x11) or a two-page spread (11x17) out of a magazine that you like. You will be recreating this ad using Adobe InDesign as your layout software. Be prepared to TALK about WHY you picked the advertisement you chose for this project. I want you to have some sort of connection to it. Maybe you're a photographer and the ad you chose is photography-based. Maybe you love illustration and the ad you chose requires a hand-drawn illustration. Maybe you just love Coke (yuck!)

You may use Photoshop and Illustrator to build the graphics, but you'll be turning in your final piece in InDesign. Be sure to pick an ad that has graphics you are able to reproduce! I will give you a *little* lattitude in altering your ads' content as long as it carries the same message. If you stray too far from the original idea, you'll have to do it over. You CAN mock the original ad if you would like. But it must be obvious that is your intent.

I will be checking your imported graphics to make sure they are the correct size and resolution for print. Remember, your photos or other graphics in *photoshop* MUST be 300 ppi at FINAL OUTPUT SIZE. You can't "enlarge" photos in InDesign. You must plan your ad out ahead of time and know what size they must be. Points will be deducted for images less than 300 ppi at final output size. Adobe Illustrator drawings CAN be scaled up or down in InDesign as Illustrator drawings are resolution independent.

When finished, you will be collecting all your files for output, just like you would if you were turning this job in to a print shop for professional printing. That means you'll be including all your photoshop graphics, all your illustrator files AND all of your fonts used in your final document.

Please don't take this assignment lightly. I will be tough on grading these, as I need to start seeing proficiency in all Adobe software from you, as well as responsibility in being able to turn in press-ready designs.

We will be talking about these during class on Monday, September 26th and I expect you to come to class on Wednesday, September 28th with your materials to start working on these. You are EXPECTED to work during class hours. If you are not working on them in class, you must leave the classroom. It's too distracting to other students to have conversations going on around them when they are trying to work. If you don't bring your materials on Wednesday to work, you will have one letter grade deducted from your final grade. It's responsibility time, people. I take this very seriously, and now, you must too.

HOMEWORK:

• Pick out one 8.5x11 or 11x17, full-color magazine ad to reproduce

• Start gathering images (or better yet, take your own!)

• Start working on Illustrations if needed.

• Come to class on Wednesday with your materials to start working!