Adobe InDesign CS4 is one of the best and most popular programs for graphic design and formatting. If you are comparing InDesign training courses, it can be important for you to know what to compare. This may be difficult if you are a beginning user who is not at all familiar with the program or its features. Knowing where to look for training courses as well as what you need to know about the courses themselves will help you pick the level of instruction that is best for you.

There are a number of different features to the program. InDesign is actually a part of a group of programs designed to help with print and web design. Like many other computer programs, there are different versions of this program. Depending on whether you are looking at web design or print applications, you can select from products which focus on these applications. The current version of these programs on the market today is the fourth one. It is often abbreviated to CS4 by people who are working in the design industry.

InDesign training can be completed online and many local colleges also offer tutorials in the program as well. Where you choose to take your instruction should depend partly on your experience level and learning style, as well as what you hope to take away from the course. Most InDesign classes will anticipate that you have some design background or knowledge, so you should look for a course description to see what is covered in the course.

You want to find out what the credentials are of the person who is teaching the course itself. Do they have a design background? Do they use the program themselves on a regular basis, and are they familiar with the current version of the program? All of these things are important to consider when you are deciding which course to take. If you opt for a college that has a graphic design department, this can be a good sign since the likelihood will be that the instructor worked in the industry and has experience with the program.

You may wonder why it is important to have design experience if you are taking an InDesign course. This is because many of the terms used in the course will be design based and so being familiar with them will be of great help. It can be good if you find a program more geared to your level of experience, whether you are a beginning designer who wants to use the program for personal projects. This will be very different than someone working in the design or formatting industries who may want to brush up on some of the newer program features and capabilities.

Since the newest InDesign program has a number of unique features, you want to look for a course that is teaching the CS4 version of the program. New features include a live preflight feature, which alerts you to production problems as they occur. This can save you the time of going back and fixing errors after the design has been completed. You can also now use SmartGuide technology as well as new spread rotation features which were not a part of InDesign in CS3.

Professional development is a great thing to complete. Learning new skills and programs that are related to your job can be a wonderful way to make you a more valuable employee. It is not difficult to find a course which teaches InDesign and the time may be well worth it in the end.

Looking to master InDesign CS4? We offer Adobe InDesign CS4 tuition in London and all over the UK.