Randy H. answered • 06/05/19
35+ Year Vet in Print & Digital Publishing, Certified Adobe Trainer
In one week?
1) Take a one-day class in the basics of the page layout program that you want to use.
2) Do 2-3 simple production projects like a trifold brochure, a poster, a simple business card and/or a 8- to 16-page booklet over days 2 to 3.
3) Show your jobs to an experienced graphic designer using the tools you are using. Ask them to critique your work, and what it would take to fix any mistakes they find. This is day 4.
4) Do 2-3 new projects similar to what you did on days 2 to 3, with new materials but the same basic layouts. Use the tricks you've learned over the previous 4 days. This may take 1-2 days, but we'll call it days 5 and 6.
5) Rest on day 7. Read a book, magazine or newspaper, keeping in mind how you would use the tools you've mastered over the last 6 days to create what you're reading.
Congratulations. You are now a DTP-trained killer. You'll make more mistakes from here, of course. But you'll learn from them, and get even better as time goes on. Good Luck.
