Do you want to learn to how to design a magazine in InDesign? Discover industry standard workflows for print design professionals, magazine layout design tips, and follow how to design a magazine cover layout that attracts attention. These are just a few of the topics you'll find in this roundup of the best InDesign magazine and layout tutorials.
Whether you need to get started with the basics of page layout in InDesign or learn advanced topics on how to make a magazine, there are tutorials here for you. Learn magazine design from concept through grid layout and into execution of placing elements, and finish off with print production techniques. There are tutorials for every skill level to improve their magazine layout in InDesign skills.
In addition to the tutorials listed in this article, we also have a session on Beginner Guides to InDesign, as well as a hand-picked selection of Fantastic InDesign Tutorials From Envato Tuts+.
Grab an InDesign Magazine Template
The workflows in these magazine and layout design tutorials are excellent preparation for creating work for clients. If your client project has a tight deadline or narrow budget, there are manyInDesign magazine templatesto choose from over at Envato Elements. Here are a few of our favorites!
Espada Magazine Template
Create a stunning minimalist magazine with this exquisite InDesign template. Designed in an A4 format, this template comes complete with parent pages, vector infographics, and links to free fonts for added convenience.
Pure Creativity Magazine Template
Here we have an incredibly stylish option just for you! This InDesign template features high-quality page layouts, 25 pages, and three unique magazine covers all packaged within a premium print-ready file.
Lemo Magazine Template
Highlight your favorite stories with this sleek and professional InDesign layout. This magazine template features print-ready files that are fully customizable and ready to go. Enjoy this universal design aligned to a six-column grid. Upgrade your magazine game with this incredible package!
Architecture Magazine Template
For a premium magazine template perfect for your love of architecture, check out this stylish design. This template features 42 unique pages, automatic page numbering, and your favorite editorial features.
Travel Magazine Template
Show off your love of travel and adventure with this sophisticated template. Designed with 24 pages in total, this professional, clean magazine template also comes in both A4 and Letter formats.
Best Tutorials on How to Design a Magazine in InDesign
How to Create a Music Magazine Cover in InDesign
In this tutorial, learn how to create a magazine cover in InDesign. You'll learn how to set up a page layout and add text. This is an introduction to InDesign, and no previous knowledge is required to create this magazine cover layout. This is a simple project put together to help get you started with designing a magazine in InDesign.
How to Create a Professional Magazine Layout
Have you ever wondered how professional designers strike the perfect balance between text and image when designing a magazine layout? Using InDesign's powerful type tools, you will learn techniques to help you set and arrange a magazine layout. You'll learn how to create a well-balanced page, using good typography layout and white space, while taking advantage of the grid. Learn the basic setup for a consistent magazine layout in InDesign.
Design Distinctive Monotone Layouts
Learn how to create striking layouts in InDesign using one or two monotone colors. This is a great way to lay out a magazine design to save money. In this tutorial, you'll get plenty of tips on how to design a magazine in InDesign, while sticking to a budget. Designing for print with one or two colors can create a beautiful, pared-back effect, giving a project a refined feel, and saving money in the process.
Speed Up Your InDesign Layouts
Neshantheny Kumana simplifies object selection and frame editing with InDesign's easy-to-use Gap tool and Live Corner Effects. With the new updates in CS5 and 5.5, you're now able to distribute layout elements, resize gaps and customize frame corners faster using the interactive Gap tool and Live Corner Effects. These features will speed up your magazine layout design process.
Create a Newsprint Publication
Tim Wan explains how to get to grips with newsprint designs. Learn how to produce a well-designed print publication with a clear purpose. Gain knowledge of production techniques in InDesign and Photoshop, such as using grids to layout the publication and maximizing impact with a two-color print. While this tutorial is aimed at newspaper publication design, many of the techniques discussed here are applicable to magazine layout and design as well.
Parent InDesign's Page Tool
Neshantheny Kumana demonstrates an easy way to control multiple page sizes within a single document using InDesign CS5 (and 5.5) Page tool. It allows you to manipulate page size, create gatefolds and add a spine to an editorial design, all in the same design. This is a big editorial design boost. You'll be designing cool magazine layouts with varying page sizes in no time.
Parent Multi-Doc Projects with the Book Function
The workflow for designing a magazine in inDesign may require spreading multiple documents out among your team, so each section can be worked on independently, and then come together when complete. In this tutorial, David Donaghy demonstrates the simple way to bring control and consistency to your projects with the book function in InDesign.
This feature will keep your multi-document project styles and attributes consistent. If you're making a magazine in InDesign with a team, then reading this tutorial is a must.
Design a Simple Index With InDesign
In this tutorial, David Donaghy shows you how to create an index in InDesign. Learn the basics of how to create many types of indexes, which add authority and usability to your magazine designs. This tutorial requires InDesign CS4+. You'll also learn typesetting using InDesign's style sheets as well. Get some great index ideas for your magazine layout and designs.
Using Live Captions in InDesign CS5
Jo Gulliver shows how to create captions using information added to an image's metadata. This can speed up your magazine layout design work in InDesign. You'll use one of the new features introduced in InDesign CS5, which is Live Captions. This tool offers a number of different methods you can use to generate captions, controlling the look, location and style of the caption. Designing a magazine in InDesign gets easier every day.
Work With Type in InDesign
Learn professional tips on how to lay out a magazine in InDesign. Jo Gulliver shows you some of the most valuable typographic tools in InDesign. which make working with type easier. This tutorial focuses mainly on the Character Formatting control panel. You'll learn to insert ligatures, highlight text, and control copy flow. Improve your magazine layout design work and control of type in InDesign with these pointers.
Design a Multi-Page Mag Feature
Art editor Jo Gulliver shares her pro tips for the layout of complex feature magazine sections in InDesign. Learn the process of how to lay out a magazine, from grid construction to image placement, creating captions, and more. The key processes of designing a magazine feature in InDesign are covered in this editorial layout tutorial.
Create a Newsprint Magazine
Learn how Studio Newwork creates a magazine that is printed on Newsprint. They have a love for laying out sections by hand and have learned to appreciate the beauty of this tactile black-and-white medium. They offer tips on how important a flexible grid system is when working across such a large magazine spread. Discover how to design a large format magazine by example, as well as getting distribution tips.
Work Style Magic in InDesign
Tony Harmer shows us some powerful InDesign tools for styling callouts in magazine layout design. He demonstrates ways to speed up your work when putting together text and graphics. Learn how to go beyond nested styles and work with GREP, first introduced in InDesign CS4. Grasping the depth of high-performance tools will allow you to make a magazine in InDesign more quickly.
Parent PDF Exports
Adobe instructor Tony Harmer shows you how use CS4 to create PDFs for every occasion. While the creation of fully digital magazines that can be viewed with dynamic options, as an app, in digital devices is on the rise, PDFs are still a reliable way to distribute digital magazines. They have wide support on CPUs and digital devices. Learn best practices for preparing your magazine layout design files in InDesign and Adobe Acrobat.
Magazine Design with InDesign Part 1 of 3
Learn the basics of magazine layout and design in this three-part tutorial. Laying out a magazine in InDesign presents challenges that student need to parent. This magazine design tutorial covers a complete process and will get beginners over their first hurdles with magazine publication design. By creating this four-page magazine spread, you'll master the basic design techniques and main tools you'll need to use in InDesign. Get started with Part 1 by following the link below. Continue with this series in Part 2 and Part 3 on the Layers Magazine site.
Magazine Cover Design in InDesign
Parent Adobe Certified designer Terry White shows how to create a cover design in InDesign. Learn basic magazine layout and design techniques that will make your cover stand out, while learning a professional workflow. Making a magazine cover in InDesign requires a good understanding of design fundamentals and the toolset this app has to offer.
Use Color-Logic Plug-ins to Create a Metallic Magazine Cover, Part 2
In this two-part Envato Tuts+ tutorial, author Mark Mayers will show you how to create a magazine cover with maximum shelf appeal. In addition to learning how to create an astonishingly beautiful cover image, he also demonstrates the power of Color-Logic, which enables you to add hundreds of metallic colors and special print finishes into your artwork.
This is part 2 of this series that focuses on using the Color-Logic design software with Illustrator and InDesign to assemble the metallic print-ready artwork. Also, don't miss Part 1 on Envato Tuts+.
How to Make a Magazine: From a Creative Indesign Template
Resident print expert Grace Fussell takes us along the journey of creating your own magazine using a gorgeous pre-made InDesign template. Learn how to choose the right template that works for your editorial needs as well as how to customize it to fit your own unique style.
Create a Magazine Cover, Inner Spread With Mock-Ups in Adobe InDesign
Have you ever wanted to see your artwork adorning the cover of your favorite magazine? Well with this tutorial, you get to try it out for yourself! Learn from instructor Alex Beltechi how to use a unique cityscape graphic to create your own cover. Then move on to using that same cover graphic as a way to adorn the inner spread within the magazine. All in all, this is two great tutorials in one!
Design a Fashion Magazine Cover in Adobe InDesign
Magazines will never die as long as there's still fashion around. And you can create your own magnificent fashion magazine cover by following along this Envato Tuts+ Adobe InDesign tutorial. Learn what it takes to set up the print document appropriately before filling it with text that complements your favorite cover photos.
How to Create Layouts for a Fashion Magazine in Adobe InDesign
Follow up the previous tutorial by learning how to create the inner pages of the same fashion magazine. This time, instructor Grace Fussell will show you how to customize the parent pages before getting playful with your own content and images. If you're looking for a great introduction to magazine design, check out this wonderfully inspiring tutorial!
How to Design a Stylish Kids' Magazine in Adobe InDesign
Kids need access to awesome magazines too! In this fun tutorial, learn how to create a stylish kids magazine design quickly and easily. In this amazing tutorial suitable for beginners, you'll start by developing your magazine brand before setting up the final cover and page layouts. Check this tutorial out to create a kid-friendly design in no time!
Additional InDesign Tutorials on Envato Tuts+
Sessions - Beginners Guides to InDesign
Assembled here on Envato Tuts+ is a Creative Session dedicated to learning InDesign. The powerful tools in this layout and design application are covered from the ground up, tool by tool, and topic by topic. Learn an assortment of subjects, such as the best way to create a new document, how to import text and images, useful advice on what to do when a document is corrupted, and how to make comments and track changes. Work your way through these guides and you will be well on your way to mastering InDesign.
Roundup - Fantastic InDesign Tutorials from Envato Tuts+
This is a hand-picked group of high quality InDesign tutorials, put together by Envato Tuts+ instructor LoungeKat. It's organized by experience level and content type. Whether you're an InDesign beginner or an intermediate or advanced user, jump into these tutorials to step up your InDesign game.
More Premium InDesign Magazine Templates
We hate to see you go! But before you do, here's a few more premium templates created by the talented GraphicRiver community to satisfy your design needs. Try them out as you build your own awesome magazine brand, and let us know your favorites in the comments!
Multipurpose InDesign Magazine Template
If you need a template with style then check out this multipurpose InDesign layout. Designed in a standard A4 size, this template features various paragraph styles, free fonts, and a unique layout that is suitable for any genre or industry.
InDesign Magazine Vol.3
Ready to conquer the world as a magazine giant? Then check out this clean and stylish InDesign template suitable for any purpose. Download this template to gain access to 26 unique pages of stylish layouts packed with free fonts and so much more!
Natural InDesign Magazine Template
Highlight your favorite writers, stories, and talented creatives with this awesome Indesign magazine layout. This design features 30 pages designed in the A4 format with various styles and automatic page numbering available. Simply drag and drop your content into the template and you're ready to go!
32 Pages Indesign Magazine
Need a template that can fit any scenario? Then feast your eyes on this 32-page magazine template. Featuring three awesome cover designs in a print ready A4 format, this is a design you'll be ready to send straight to the printer packed with your own amazing articles.
