Space: The Final Frontier

Space is one of a graphic designer’s most powerful tools. It exists within and between letters; between words and lines; above and below paragraphs; between columns, and as the margins that frame our pages. To create pages that are readable, balanced, and visually attractive, we must control these different forms of space.

We'll start with the structural spaces that shape every layout: margins and columns, then drill down to the smaller, but no less important spacing values—between paragraphs, between lines, and between letters. We’ll also look at the white space characters in InDesign—em, en, thin, etc—as well as other spacing characters.

Join Nigel French as he boldly goes where few presenters have gone before, charting the hidden universe of spacing in InDesign. Whether you’re an experienced user or still discovering its deeper controls, this session will help you navigate strange new worlds of typography and layout—and return with practical skills for your next mission.

About the Presenter

Nigel French

Nigel French is a graphic designer, photographer, author, and design educator based in Lewes, UK. He holds an MA (Distinction) in Graphic Design and Communication from the University for the Creative Arts, and has spent many years helping designers, editors, publishers, and students master typography, layout, and production workflows. Nigel is the author of InDesign Type and coauthor of The Type Project Book and The Photoshop Visual QuickStart Guide. He has recorded more than fifty titles for the LinkedIn Learning online training library, with courses covering Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, typography, branding, editorial design, and creative workflow. A frequent contributor to CreativePro Magazine, Nigel is also a regular speaker at CreativePro Week and Adobe MAX. His website is nigelfrench.com.