InDesign

Term from Newspaper Publishing industry explained for recruiters

InDesign is Adobe's professional software for creating printed materials and digital publications. It's like a very advanced word processor that designers use to make magazines, newspapers, books, and marketing materials look professional. Think of it as a digital drafting table where designers arrange text and images to create polished final products. It's part of Adobe's Creative Suite, working alongside Photoshop and Illustrator. When you see well-designed magazines or company brochures, they were likely created using InDesign. It's the industry standard tool that replaced older manual layout methods in publishing houses and design studios.

Examples in Resumes

Created monthly newsletter layouts using InDesign and Adobe InDesign for 10,000+ subscribers

Streamlined production workflow by developing InDesign templates for marketing materials

Managed multiple magazine spreads simultaneously using Adobe InDesign master pages

Typical job title: "InDesign Designers"

Also try searching for:

Graphic Designer Layout Designer Publication Designer Print Designer Desktop Publisher Production Artist Editorial Designer Marketing Designer

Example Interview Questions

Senior Level Questions

Q: How would you manage a large magazine production with multiple designers?

Expected Answer: Should discuss template creation, style guides, master pages, sharing assets, and maintaining consistency across issues. Should mention file organization and version control methods.

Q: Tell me about a challenging publication project you managed and how you solved any problems.

Expected Answer: Look for answers showing leadership, problem-solving with tight deadlines, handling client feedback, and maintaining quality while managing multiple team members.

Mid Level Questions

Q: How do you ensure consistency across a multi-page document?

Expected Answer: Should mention using master pages, paragraph and character styles, color swatches, and template creation. Should discuss checking for consistency in fonts, spacing, and layout.

Q: How do you prepare files for both print and digital publishing?

Expected Answer: Should explain different requirements for print vs. digital, color modes (CMYK vs. RGB), resolution needs, and export settings for various formats.

Junior Level Questions

Q: What are master pages and why are they important?

Expected Answer: Should explain that master pages are templates that maintain consistent elements across multiple pages, like page numbers, headers, and logos.

Q: How do you create a basic newsletter layout?

Expected Answer: Should describe setting up columns, placing text and images, using text wrap, and basic formatting tools. Should mention importance of margins and spacing.

Experience Level Indicators

Junior (0-2 years)

  • Basic page layouts and text formatting
  • Working with templates
  • Simple image placement and text wrap
  • Understanding of basic print terms

Mid (2-5 years)

  • Complex multi-page documents
  • Style sheets and master pages
  • Print production preparation
  • Digital publishing formats

Senior (5+ years)

  • Advanced automation and scripting
  • Team workflow management
  • Complex publication systems
  • Project and client management

Red Flags to Watch For

  • No knowledge of basic print terminology
  • No experience with other Adobe Creative Suite programs
  • Unable to show portfolio of layout work
  • No understanding of file preparation for printing

Related Terms