InDesign is an extensive and powerful program which can be used for the layout and design of any project from business cards to catalogs. Those who have used InDesign for years, know it quite well and have even mastered the use of Master Pages, have not used the total power of Adobe^R InDesign^R until they have added templates to their InDesign toolbox.

This book by Gabriel Powell teaches the reader how to build a template customized for any project. However, this is also a great book for InDesign novices. Powell takes a comprehensive look at the InDesign tools and techniques in general as well as how they relate to the specific task of designing templates.

As you would expect, Powell begins with an explanation of what a templates is and how it can be used to the best advantage to increase consistency and production. He discusses the principles of good template design while examining the mockup for a project. Next, he uses InDesign's built-in templates as a teaching tool to explore the many elements of a template. Once you have learned how to edit existing templates, Powell moves on to the major part of his book which guides the reader step-by-step through the template design process.

He begins by discussing frames and how they are the building blocks of InDesign and how page dimensions, margins, columns and grids are the framework for your template. Next are master pages, libraries, layers and text variables. When color is added to the mix, Powell explains how the all-too-familiar elements such as fills, strokes and styles apply to template design. Finally, he covers text and table formatting with paragraph and character styles.

Now that the basics of template design are covered, Powell moves on to production issues for complicated documents such as large catalogs and how to build a template that will control elements that span throughout these documents such as running lists, footnotes and table of contents. Next, he discusses the markup rules for XML for data merge. Finally, its time to test and implement your new template. Powell walks you through the finishing touches such as deciding on default settings, integrating with Adobe Bridge and creating a style guide for your template.

Gabriel Powell is the Senior Training Director for Metafusion Training, an Adobe Certified Instructor and a contributing author to InDesign Magazine and The Illustrator CS2 WOW! Book.