This project will consist of creating two-sided business cards using InDesign with additional design elements created in Illustrator. These business cards can be of fictional companies.
Below are some examples:
ASSIGNMENT DETAILS AND REQUIREMENTS:
1.) create two (2) two-sided business cards using Adobe InDesign
- use the standard 3.5 inch by 2 inch size, but add a bleed, as shown in the examples below
- create one business card using a Serif font and create the other business card using a San Serif font
- be sure to adjust the kerning and tracking of your type as needed
- you may create either typical horizontal business cards or vertical business cards
(above) to begin, go to "Start a new file fast"
(above) pull down to "US Business Card"
(above) choose 2 facing pages - you can select Page 1 or 2
usually Page 1 is the front of the card and Page 2 is the back
you will create text and layouts on both sides
but only one side needs an Illustrator design
(above) the default margins are set to 0.5 inch
change them to 0.25 inch
NOTE: changing one will change all since they are locked
(above) notice that the "safe" layout area becomes larger
while the margins become smaller
NOTE: for best results, keep all important text inside the "safe" layout area
(above) now set the bleed area from 0.0 inches to 0.25 inches
your Illustrator design will extend beyond the actual edge of the card to the the bleed area
(above) since these are locked, changing one dimension will change all side
(above) keep your text within the artboard, but when you place your Illustrator design
you should allow it to extend to the edge of the bleed area
2.) Using Adobe Illustrator, create the illustration designs that will be placed on your InDesign business cards.
You will need a separate, individual Illustrator design for each side of your business card. Since you will place a design on both sides of each business card, you will need a total of four (4) Illustrator designs.
NOTE: Your Illustrator file will need to be larger than your InDesign file, since we added a 0.25 inch bleed to each side. Thus, your InDesign file will be 3.5 inches wide by 2 inches high, while your Illustrator file will be 4 inches wide by 2.5 inches high to accommodate for the 0.25 inch bleed on each side.
(above) open Illustrator and choose "More Presets" as this will allow quick customization
(above) choose "Letter" and the default increments will be points
(above) change the points to inches and set the measurements
4 inches wide by 2.5 inches high
(above) your artboard should look like the above sample
create each of your designs on a separate artboard
save each file and "Place" the file onto your InDesign business card layout as the bottom layer
place all text on top of the design
Kerning is the process of adding or subtracting space between specific pairs of characters. You will probably need to apply kerning to your next typography project.
This link describes in detail the process of kerning using Adobe InDesign:
https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/how-to/adjust-letter-spacing.html
