Adobe Certified Expert - InDesign CS2
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The Book is Done!

March 24th, 2009 | Michael Murphy

InDesign CS4 StylesAfter six months, tens of thousands of words, and many late nights, I have finally completed my book for Adobe Press, “Adobe InDesign Styles: How to Create Better, Faster Text and Layouts” which is available for pre-order at Peachpit.com and at Amazon.com and will be shipping in the second half of April, 2009. I’m both glad to be done with it and very pleased with the end result: the first ever exploration of every InDesign style type, and all other features in the application that are “wired into” styles.

As many of you know from the podcast, I’ve got a passion for styles that’s finally seen a comprehensive outlet in this book. Below is the final table of contents for the book, so you can see what’s included between its covers, as well as in two bonus chapters that you can download for free when you register your copy of the book on the Peachpit web site (it doesn’t matter where you actually bought the book). I wrote way too much to fit in its 256 pages, but the material that got pulled from print will still see the light of day as … (read more)


Excerpt from Professional Design Techniques Available Online

February 9th, 2008 | Michael Murphy

CreativePro.com has posted an excerpt from Scott Citron’s Professional Design Techniques with Adobe Creative Suite 3 on their web site. If you’re looking for a glimpse into the book before you buy it, here’s your chance. The excerpt consists of two PDFs taken from the “Creating Newsletters and Forms” chapter of the book.

Click here to go to download the excerpts from CreativePro.com.


The Book I Wish I Wrote (But At Least I Helped)

February 3rd, 2008 | Michael Murphy

Professional Design Techniques book coverA package arrived on my doorstep the other day containing something for which I’ve anxiously been waiting: my copy of “Professional Design Techniques with Adobe Creative Suite 3” by Scott Citron. A lot of things factor into my excitement about this book:

First, Scott is the chapter representative of the New York InDesign User Group, a great designer, and a good friend.

Second, this book fills what — in my opinion — is the biggest gap on the design software bookshelf: project-based instruction, taught from a designer’s perspective, with as much attention given to time-honored design principles (that pre-date computers) as to the software that makes it all so much easier and faster.

Third, I had the honor and good fortune to contribute two chapters to this book when deadlines started looming near for Scott. I can’t claim to have created the beautifully designed projects that go with these chapters, however. That was all Scott.

Peachpit Press has been kind enough to offer a 35% discount to The InDesigner’s audience. Just use promo code PPT-PBM-1151 when you order the book from Peachpit.com. There’s a full table of contents for the book on that page, too, if you want to know more about what’s between the lemon-yellow covers.


Buy This Book!

May 31st, 2006 | Michael Murphy

InDesign Type book coverIf you care at all about type, design or InDesign (or any combination thereof), you should have Nigel French’s book: InDesign Type. I’m only partially through it and I can make that recommendation. This book is cleanly designed, well-written, and concise … (read more)


The Amazon.com Box Arrives

May 26th, 2006 | Michael Murphy

Whenever I get back from a conference, I either bring back or immediately buy several books. They’ll either be books by a particularly good speaker, or that a speaker or conference attendee has mentioned and recommended. Well, the first batch arrived today. … (read more)