Adobe InDesign Training – Using Grids
Continuing with the InDesign Tips by showing how to create a Photo Grid in InDesign.
Why use a grid layout in InDesign?
Although many designers like to ‘break the grid’ and work without one the best designers will have already put in many, many hours learning and apply grid rules. Once you understand how grids work then you can opt out and bust up the rule book.
What are grids anyway?
Grids provide the solid structure, the flow of the document layout, they are the base skeleton that the muscles and flesh of design are built on. They naturally guide the eye across the spread, draw its attention to a specific piece of content such as text or graphic.
Grid layouts determine the proportion and position of your design elements which is often defined by images used in your layout.
You want to bring in more than one image into InDesign?
That’s easy, go to File >Place hold down control /command and mouse click on the selected images then go to the Open button.
The cursor will now be loaded with the images that you can simply drag into place – in their own grid by the way.
Grids & The Golden Ratio (The Golden Mean)
- Layout & Typography: You can use a golden rectangle to determine the exact width of content columns or sidebars. Applying the 1.618 scalar to typography can dictate proportional sizes (e.g., multiplying your body text size by 1.618 to get your heading size).
- The Phi Grid for Photography: Photographers use the Phi Grid for asymmetrical compositions. Placing focal points or horizons on these unique intersecting lines often results in a more natural, balanced image than the standard rule of thirds.
- Geometric Logo Design: The golden circle grid is famous for logo design (famously used by Twitter and Apple). By sizing overlapping circles according to Fibonacci numbers, elements naturally integrate and feel like they belong together
The History of Grids in Design
Grids have been around in design for much much longer than Adobe has. Traces of grid design have, surprise, surprise been associated with the ancient Greeks although some argue longer than that. Especially in regard to the golden section which ;has its origins in the golden ratio. Its been used in art and design for over 2000 years to perform geometric wizardry.
Hop over to Britannica to learn more about the history of the golden ratio etc
Images below created on a recent InDesign Intro Course
These are some very old images from about 6 or 7 years ago but they work as an example here.
They were created by one delegate in the afternoon after a mornings InDesign Introduction Course. We looked at basic grid layout, using colour and also typography whilst learning the software. These are typical of the type of work we will do together during the course and of what is possible to achieve after just a morning of training with Greta Powell.
In the time we have on an InDesign Training Course we will look at grid design and grid basics such a the examples shown above
