Tools for organizing your dummy

Creating a book dummy can be a daunting process. I welcome anything that makes it easier! I’ve found that InDesign by Adobe is the perfect tool for a project this size.

There are lots of other articles on creating dummies. Here, I just want to give you a peak at how I use InDesign in my process.

First, open a new document:


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Drag to add pages in the Pages palette to your document.

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I scan in my thumbnails, place them on the pages and adjust the size to fit the page.


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Using InDesign allows me to then print out thumbnails of the entire dummy on one or two pages. This makes it easy to figure out text placement, flow, page turns, etc. I love this feature! It saves tons of time for me. I print at the 4×4 size which gets the whole dummy on two pages.

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I also use it as a to do list of sorts to track my progress on a project. I check it off page by page as I work. As I complete more finished drawings, I replace the roughs. Later, when I’m painting, I scan and add each page as I go. It gives me a great sense of accomplishment as I see the finished pages multiplying and the book really coming together. 

As I’m working my way through more finished drawings, I replace the roughs. Later, when I’m painting, I scan and add each completed page to the dummy in InDesign as I go. It gives me a great sense of accomplishment as I see the finished pages multiplying and the book really coming together.

imageDon’t be afraid of using InDesign. This is a very basic usage of it that anyone can handle. I’m using CS6, but older versions work just as well. I hope this helps you on your next project. In a future post, I share how I use this program to plan my physical portfolio.

04/11/2013 | Uncategorized | 0 Comments

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