Get ready to navigate the waters of Typography and gain all of the skills necessary to utilize type in professional graphics!

How the GDP113 Typography class works

Each unit will introduce new concepts through lectures, exercises and/or projects, and also measure your understanding through quizzes. You will be required to:

1 — Read the lectures
2 — Read the required reading in the textbook
3 — Complete the specified assignments
4 — Upload the completed work to the appropriate assignment link in Moodle
5 — Take the unit quizzes, midterm and final in Moodle
6 — Participate frequently in class discussions

Active participation through discussions with your classmates will support a large part of your success. Questions and curiousity is always encouraged. There are a myriad of resources beyond the pages of your textboook. Seek out information through the internet and spend time exploring the "Links" provided for the course.

On the upper left column you will find a module with several HOW TO links.
To get started familiarize yourself, how to navigate through Moodle and Xythos and read the course syllabus.

Please don't hesitate to post questions to the discussion link. If you need information, that is a great place to start, amidst your peers.

Enjoy!

This class will be working in Indesign for most of the assignments.

Illustrator may also be used for some of the assignments as well. I will indicate on the assignment when to use Illustrator.

Submitting Assignments
Uploading file to Moodle is a two step process.

1. Most of your completed assignments in this class will be SAVED as InDesign documents which will use the .indd ending.

2. The Indesign document will then be EXPORTED as a PDF for Press (high Quality). See Indesign video on the right.

3. If you are using Adobe Illustrator do not export to PDF. All you have to do is save the file as a PDF by selecting Adobe Illustrator PDF from the drop down menu in the save dialogue window.

Then upload the PDF file to Moodle and submitt for grading.

NOTE: Always back up all files to Xythos or somewhere NOT on your computer that is reliable. Flash drives and cds are not reliable..

ONLY Face-2-Face students will be required to printout each assignment as well as upload the PDF.

PDF What is it and How to use it.
A de facto standard file format, PDF or Portable Document Format can be used to:

• Share files with others who don't have the same software

• Share files with others who use a different platform (Mac, Windows, Linux, etc.)

• Share files that will look the same (layout, fonts) on multiple computer systems

• Share files that can be protected from unauthorized viewing, printing, copying, or editing

• Publish electronic documents, ebooks, etc.

• Print files to many different types of printers, and all look essentially the same

• Create files with annotations, hyperlinks, and bookmarks that can be shared via email and on the Web

• Create interactive forms that can be shared via email and the Web

• Create files that are more efficient than PostScript or native file formats typically used in commercial printing

Adobe Software tutorials
Adobe has a website just for learning their software. Simply click on the link above then enter the software you wish to learn about.

At the next page click on "live docs". That will take you to the software's page. On the left will be all the chapters about the software. To go to a page for other software select the program you want under "browse" and the subject you want in the "search" area.

Also use the link on the left of the Moodle course home page for week by week tutorials and videos.

Below are links to help you familiarize yourself with Indesign.

InDesign Tools
Exploring InDesign tools (You tube video)
InDesign Basics

The InDesign Workspace
How to Customize your workspace using InDesign (Tutorial)
Customizing the workspace (Adobe video)

Creating a PDF
Essentials of EXPORTING to PDFs
How to create a press quality PDF with InDesign
Export to PDF