Hi there!
In this video we’ll learn how to create a simple postcard in InDesign, so let’s
get started.
First of all, I’m going to change the units to inches, and then update the width to 4.25,
and height to 6 inches.
I’ll also update the pages to 2, as Ill be creating both sides of the postcard.
Let’s also reduce the margins to .25 inch, and bleed of 3 millimeters, and hit create.
Pick the rectangular frame tool, and make a large frame, covering the entire artboard,
as we’ll be inserting an image here.
Let’s go to file, and then place, and locate the image on the computer, and hit open.
Once the image is placed, let’s right-click the image, and go to fitting, and select ‘fit
content to frame’ option.
Let’s select the image, and drop a guide to the center from the ruler above.
Similarly, drop another guide at the center, from the ruler on the left.
Now that we’ve established the center of the image, let’s grab the rectangle tool,
and make a rectangular strip in the center of the image.
Let’s fill our rectangle with white.
Ensure that you stretch the white strip till the bleed zone, or even further, as long as
it covers the entire width of the artboard.
Let’s hit ‘W’ for a preview.
I think it looks pretty promising, so let’s come out of the preview mode, and grab the
type tool, and make a text box, and type in ‘Painting Exhibition, 2021’, or any text
of your choice.
I’m going to change the font to Freehand, and also right-align the text.
Let’s also increase the font size to 14 points.
Actually, let’s increase the size to 16 points instead.
Also center-align the text to the white box.
Now hold Option and Shift on a Mac, or Alt and Shift on a PC, and click and drag the
text box to the left, to make another copy of it.
Let’s left-align this text.
Let’s also change the text to ‘ABC Art Gallery, Toronto’, or any text of your choice,
so basically to the right is the event, and to the left is the name of the company that
is hosting the event.
Now select the text, and change the font to something more serious, as it’s the name
of the company, so I’m going to select ‘Raleway Medium’ as the font.
Let’s reduce the font size to 14 points.
Actually let’s reduce the font size of the city to 10 points, as it doesn’t need to
be as big as the name of the company.
Let’s hit ‘W’ for a preview.
Actually, I need to thicken the font of the company to balance it with the text on the
right, so let’s select the name of the company, and change it to bold.
Let’s hit ‘W’ now.
We need to lower the font size of 2021 as well, for a perfect balance.
So you see, while designing, you’ll have to keep previewing your document at every
stage for necessary assessments, and then make adjustments, if required.
Let’s select ‘2021’, and reduce the font size to 12 points.
Now it looks perfect, so let’s move on to page 2.
I want my page 2 to be in landscape mode, like you find in postcards, that have the
small rectangular area for a stamp, and then some lines for writing address, and on the
left is some blank space for typing in the message, so let’s click the page tool, and
from the toolbar above, change the orientation of this page.
Perfect!
Now instead of placing the image from the computer once again, I’d rather just copy
the same image here, so let’s go to the first page.
Select the image, and hit Command C on a Mac, or Ctrl C on a PC, to copy it, and then come
to page 2, and hit Command V on a Mac, or Ctrl V on a PC, to paste it.
Since our image was in the portrait mode, take your cursor to the top right corner of
the image, and hold Shift, and then click and drag down, and it will drag in 45 degrees increment.
Now just place it in the center of the artboard.
Next, let’s grab the rectangle tool, and make a rectangle in the center of the image.
Don’t worry about the alignment at this point.
With the rectangle still selected, let’s add white as its fill color.
Let’s hit ‘W’ for a preview.
I think we need to shorten the size of our rectangle, so let’s do that.
How much of the design around the edges you want to show is entirely up to you, so there
is no right or wrong here.
Now let’s select the rectangle, and drop a guide from the ruler on the left, and grab
the line tool, and make a line in the center, as illustrated.
Let’s change the point size to 1 point, and fill color to black.
Now let’s copy the name of the company from the first page, and paste it here, and align
it to the top left corner of the rectangle.
Next, let’s pick the rectangle tool, and make a small rectangle on the top right corner
for the stamp, and fill the stroke color with black.
Now pick the line tool once again, and make a line below the stamp, as we’ll need some
lines for the address.
Now fill the line with black.
Let’s also change the stroke weight to .75 point.
Now holding Shift and Option on a Mac, or Shift and Alt on a PC, click and drag the
line to make a copy of it, and don’t release the mouse yet.
Hit the right arrow twice to add two more lines, and drag in to adjust the space in
between the lines, and release the mouse.
Holding Shift, select the lines, and hit Command G on a Mac, or Ctrl G on a PC to group them,
and then align them to the small rectangle.
At this point, let’s add another guide from the ruler on the left, and drop it at the
right of the small rectangle.
Now align the rectangle to the guide.
Similarly, add another guide to the top of the small rectangle, and another one to the
left of the company’s name.
The idea is that the space from the white rectangle should be same, particularly on
the sides, and on top.
One last thing to do is to reduce the font size of the text here, so let’s select the
name of the company, and reduce the font size to 12 points.
Now let’s select the name of the city, and reduce its font size to 8 points.
Let’s push the text box a little above to touch the guide.
Now let’s hit ‘W’ for a final preview.
Let’s also check the first page.
Great!
Congratulations guys!
You’ve just learnt how to design a postcard in InDesign.
Alright guys!
That concludes our session, and I’m going to see you in the next one, in just a bit.
Good bye!